We started Power when my dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and I struggled to help him access the latest immunotherapy. Hopefully Power makes it simpler for you to explore promising new treatments, during what is probably a difficult time.
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Paid Participation
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300 Participants Needed
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274 Participants Needed
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200 Participants Needed
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160 Participants Needed
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256 Participants Needed
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450 Participants Needed
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350 Participants Needed
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35 Participants Needed
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220 Participants Needed
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236 Participants Needed
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384 Participants Needed
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47 Participants Needed
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80 Participants Needed
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310 Participants Needed
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380 Participants Needed
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2726 Participants Needed
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190 Participants Needed
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6800 Participants Needed
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200 Participants Needed
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136 Participants Needed
"I have suffered from different mental health issues and have not had very good luck with finding what works best for me. My mental illness is seriously hurting my marriage and home life... I've been reading about new research treatments and think that they might work better than traditional treatments. Excited to try."
"Over 20 years, I've tried 6+ antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds to no avail. Cymbalta is the ONLY one that has ever made a difference (which I can use because I have bipolar 2, not 1) but it had some other side effects. I've been hesitant to try any trials, but also at a deadend of any relief. So, let's give it a shot."
"My mania is under control but I still have no way of handling depression. I've been looking into new treatments and I would be so grateful to be able to try one of the latest research treatments. Even if it fails: it's worth a shot, better than giving up. I'm a bit at wit's end."
"I've been experiencing bipolar depression since I was a teenager and have tried many treatments that have not helped: SSRIs (Prozac), Wellbutrin, talk therapy. None worked. I've heard great things about ketamine therapy and would really like to try it. I'd like to access it through a clinical trial."
"I really would love to be normal. A functioning part of society. It is very hard to hold a job with this condition. I need to be steady. I do NOT like my current meds or ones I've tried before, so new therapies are of interest to me. "
Trial Details
Key Eligibility Criteria
300 Participants Needed
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35 Participants Needed
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52 Participants Needed
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72 Participants Needed
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350 Participants Needed
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60 Participants Needed
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107 Participants Needed
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120 Participants Needed
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134 Participants Needed
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80 Participants Needed
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Each trial will compensate patients a different amount, but $50-100 for each visit is a fairly common range for Phase 2–4 trials (Phase 1 trials often pay substantially more). Further, most trials will cover the costs of a travel to-and-from the clinic.
After a researcher reviews your profile, they may choose to invite you in to a screening appointment, where they'll determine if you meet 100% of the eligibility requirements. If you do, you'll be sorted into one of the treatment groups, and receive your study drug. For some trials, there is a chance you'll receive a placebo. Across Bipolar Disorder trials 30% of clinical trials have a placebo. Typically, you'll be required to check-in with the clinic every month or so. The average trial length for Bipolar Disorder is 12 months.
Not all studies recruit healthy volunteers: usually, Phase 1 studies do. Participating as a healthy volunteer means you will go to a research facility several times over a few days or weeks to receive a dose of either the test treatment or a "placebo," which is a harmless substance that helps researchers compare results. You will have routine tests during these visits, and you'll be compensated for your time and travel, with the number of appointments and details varying by study.
The phase of a trial reveals what stage the drug is in to get approval for a specific condition. Phase 1 trials are the trials to collect safety data in humans. Phase 2 trials are those where the drug has some data showing safety in humans, but where further human data is needed on drug effectiveness. Phase 3 trials are in the final step before approval. The drug already has data showing both safety and effectiveness. As a general rule, Phase 3 trials are more promising than Phase 2, and Phase 2 trials are more promising than phase 1.
Clinical trials are almost always free to participants, and so do not require insurance. The only exception here are trials focused on cancer, because only a small part of the typical treatment plan is actually experimental. For these cancer trials, participants typically need insurance to cover all the non-experimental components.
Most recently, we added Home-Based Exercise for Serious Mental Illness, Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Serious Mental Illness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain to the Power online platform.
We recognize research clinics with these awards when they are especially responsive to patients who apply through the Power online platform. SuperSite clinics are research sites recognized for a high standard of rapid and thorough follow-up with patient applicants. Meanwhile, Power Preferred clinics are the top 20 across the entire Power platform, recognized for their absolute top patient experience.
The Bipolar Disorder clinics currently recognized as Power Preferred are: Center for Emotional Fitness in Cherry Hill, New Jersey The Bipolar Disorder clinics currently recognized as SuperSites are: Cenexel-HRI in Marlton, New Jersey SPRI Clinical Trials, LLC in Brooklyn, New York
Absolutely—bipolar disorder is very treatable: with mood-stabilizing medicines plus evidence-based talk therapy and a regular sleep–wake routine, more than 70 % of people achieve long symptom-free stretches and many return to work, school, and satisfying relationships. Sticking with treatment, watching for early warning signs, and using supports such as the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance greatly increase those odds, so a full, meaningful life is a realistic goal rather than wishful thinking.
There isn’t one universal “first” symptom, but the earliest red flag doctors see most often is a sudden decrease in the need for sleep—sleeping only a few hours yet feeling unusually energized and unable to shut your mind off. If this change lasts several days, especially when paired with racing thoughts, extra talkativeness, big ideas, or risky spending, it’s time to get a mental-health check-up because catching bipolar disorder early greatly improves treatment success.
There isn’t a single “strongest” pill for bipolar disorder; doctors match the medicine to the phase and the person. For acute mania, lithium or valproate often combined with an atypical antipsychotic (e.g., quetiapine, olanzapine) typically works fastest; for bipolar depression, lamotrigine or quetiapine lead, and for long-term prevention lithium remains the gold standard when tolerated. The best regimen is the one that controls your symptoms with acceptable side effects, so choice and dose are always individualized by a psychiatrist who can monitor blood levels and overall health.
People stop bipolar medication for three main clusters of reasons: 1) medication factors—unpleasant side-effects (weight gain, tremor, mental “fog”) or complex dosing that make daily use feel worse than the illness; 2) illness factors—mood swings that create denial (“I’m fine now”) or the euphoric energy of mania that makes pills seem unnecessary or even unwanted; and 3) practical/social factors—cost, stigma, substance use, or a poor fit with the prescribing clinician. Recognizing which cluster is at play helps patients, families, and doctors tailor solutions—whether that’s adjusting the drug, adding psycho-education or reminders, or improving access—rather than assuming the person is simply being “non-compliant.”
With bipolar disorder, “unhealthy coping” is anything you do to feel better in the moment that ends up disrupting one of three stabilisers: (1) your medication plan, (2) a regular sleep-and-daily routine, or (3) clear, substance-free judgement. Habits that break those stabilisers—skipping meds, drinking or using drugs, staying up late gaming or doom-scrolling, isolating yourself, or chasing risky thrills like overspending—tend to push mood swings harder and make recovery slower; replacing them with steady sleep, sober living, social support, and professional treatment keeps the illness on a shorter, safer leash.
Yes. When bipolar mood swings are allowed to build unchecked, they can become so intense that a person loses touch with reality—research shows psychosis occurs in roughly 6 in 10 people with bipolar I and 2 in 10 with bipolar II, usually during extreme mania or depression. Staying on mood-stabilizing medication, keeping a regular sleep schedule, and seeking immediate care if hallucinations or fixed false beliefs emerge greatly reduce this risk and shorten episodes.
Thinking in bipolar disorder depends on the phase: during mania the mind races with big, fast ideas and bold confidence, while during depression thoughts slow down, dwell on negatives, and decision-making feels heavy; between episodes most people return to their usual, clear thinking, though some lingering trouble with focus or memory can remain. Recognising these predictable swings—and getting help early with medication, therapy, sleep, and support—makes it easier to manage symptoms and respond to a loved one with understanding instead of frustration.
No single hormone causes bipolar disorder; it is a brain-based mood condition shaped by genetics, life stress, and how different body systems interact. Shifts in thyroid hormone, the stress hormone cortisol, or female sex hormones can nudge symptoms better or worse—which is why doctors often check thyroid levels and watch times like postpartum or menopause—but fixing those levels alone doesn’t cure the disorder.
“End-stage” (or late-stage) bipolar disorder is an informal term doctors sometimes use for people whose illness has become chronic, treatment-resistant, and functionally disabling: mood swings remain frequent or severe despite multiple therapies, and there may be memory problems, physical health issues, and difficulty living independently. While this stage signals a need for more intensive care—such as combination medications, electro-convulsive or other neuromodulation therapies, cognitive/functional rehabilitation, and strong social supports—it is not a hopeless diagnosis; working closely with a mental-health team can still reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
Today’s bipolar-disorder research falls into five main streams: scientists are mapping hundreds of risk and “treatment-response” genes, testing rapid-acting medicines such as ketamine and psilocybin, refining brain-stimulation tools like transcranial magnetic stimulation, using smartphone and wearable data to predict mood swings and stabilize sleep-wake cycles, and running early-intervention trials in high-risk teens and young adults. Together, these projects aim not just to explain why bipolar illness occurs but to deliver faster, more personalized treatments and even prevent new episodes before they start.