Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Pulse
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 21, 2003
MENTAL ILLNESS in children, specifically bipolar disorder, will be the topic of a free workshop for families Saturday in Tampa.
The session is 10 a.m. to noon at the Family Support and Resource Center inside University Mall, 2200 E Fowler Ave. The center is on the mall's second floor, near Dillard's.
John Massolio, mental health advocate and consumer affairs coordinator for Florida Health Partners, will discuss the condition, its treatments and many support groups.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mood-altering illness that affects more than 20-million Americans, both children and adults. Children's mood swings tend to occur many times within a single day rather than over weeks or months, the typical pattern for adults with the illness.
"Bipolar disorder is usually inherited; (that's) one of the most important factors in diagnosis," says Massolio. He encourages parents to bring their children to the workshop if they have concerns.
For more information, call (813) 229-2884.
The Family Support and Resource Center, created by the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, offers a variety of services to help families live fuller, healthier lives.
HOW COMMON are kidney stones? What can one do about erectile dysfunction?
You've got questions? They promise answers.
A new Web site launched by the American Urological Association includes information on medical conditions and treatments for adults and children written by specialists and reviewed by the American Foundation for Urologic Disease.
The site, www.urologyhealth.org, can also help visitors find a physician or e-mail individual inquiries about medical problems to urologyhealth@auanet.org.
SMOKE-FREE IN 2003 is the goal of quit-smoking classes offered free of charge at the Pinellas County Health Department.
Each session runs three weeks, meeting Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pinellas County Health Center, 12420 130th Ave. N in Largo. The next series begins Jan. 29.
The course's three classes begin with preparation for the effort, then techniques and support for quitting.
To register, call (727) 588-4040, ext. 121, between 8 a.m. and noon weekdays. For more information, call (727) 824-6947.