It’s amazing how different this Christmas feels than last year. A year ago, I was still reeling from the shock of my bipolar diagnosis and suffering through a deep depression to boot; I was also insecure in my job (which turned out not to be unfounded), anxious, frustrated, and afraid. This December, however, is muchContinue reading “All Quiet On The Western Front”
Tag Archives: bipolar
Stigma Sucks!
And then just about the time I get to thinking the world is my oyster, along comes something that reminds me of how marginalized people like me really are in our culture. Yesterday, it was a quote from some gun-rights nutcase named Larry Pratt, whose idea of gun control in the wake of tragedies such as the school shootingsContinue reading “Stigma Sucks!”
In Praise Of Caregivers
I was reading through some of my friends’ posts on Facebook last night when I ran across a link to a site dedicated to providing information to bipolar caregivers. This is an aspect of dealing with the disorder that I’ve never thought about much, mainly because I’m the person with the condition and it takes pretty muchContinue reading “In Praise Of Caregivers”
Almost There
I learned something new today: you can make a psychiatrist spew Diet Coke across a room by telling him that you were merely experiencing a life crisis for the past two years instead of the mental illness he diagnosed you with. He apologized for laughing, but the point had been made: if I ever get to thinking that way again, I’d better be calling theContinue reading “Almost There”
Intrusive Thoughts: It’s A Bipolar Thang
You know, I hate it when I’m having a perfectly good day, doing my thing, and then suddenly my brain goes PFFFFTTT! and produces a noxious cloud of thought that’s so unpleasant it could clear a room. The experts call these brain-burps “intrusive thoughts”, and I can tell you unequivocally that they suck. Just lastContinue reading “Intrusive Thoughts: It’s A Bipolar Thang”
The Sins Of The Mother
I got a postcard from the Oregon State Hospital yesterday. It was a recruitment for prospective mental health nurses, but I had to laugh because when I picked up the card, my first thought was “do they want me as a nurse or as a patient”? Oh, the things that cross my mind sometimes…! WhichContinue reading “The Sins Of The Mother”
Quo Vadis?
What do you mean, “what’s that mean?” OK, fine—I thought the Latin sounded more elegant than “where are you going, and why are you in that handbasket?” As the saying goes: an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure. Deal with it. Anyway, that is the question I am having to ask myselfContinue reading “Quo Vadis?”
How I Got Here
You know, no child wakes up in the morning thinking, “Gee, I wanna be a psych patient when I grow up.” For one thing, they don’t understand it, no should they be expected to; mental illness is hard enough to explain to adults (especially those who don’t have it). For another, kids with issues don’tContinue reading “How I Got Here”
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