Better Science, Better Treatment
Somewhere in the archives of American History is the story of the birth of psychiatry. It’s not a pretty beginning. It involved lobbying and coercion and deceit. It involved a whole lot of assumptions about why people behaved poorly, or hallucinated, or couldn’t get out of bed and function. It has been decades since the frontal lobotomy was the treatment of choice. Twenty-two years since the first research proving the addictive nature and crippling effects of benzodiazepine drugs came to ...
Waking Up Haunted?
Every once-in-awhile I wake up haunted by the things I used to do or say when I was really sick with bipolar. Does that happen to you too? Waking up remembering might be haunting, but it is one of the most beautiful parts about true Second Stage Healing. Heck, I remember times when I was heavily medicated and unable to wake up at all. I remember the days when I had to take a drug to get to sleep ...
Have You Hit Rock Bottom?
I know you are out there. You are the girl who couldn’t get out of bed today. The one who lay in bed until 3pm only to wake for a toilet break and stumble back to the blankets. You ate cold cereal and took a handful of meds and you wondered why you keep trying at all. The meds probably squashed that voice that keeps telling you to end it. You think about your own death once in awhile, but ...
Bipolar, Panic and Anxiety…What is the Difference?
Take a minute to look at the DSM-IV – the manual that your physician used to determine the criteria for your diagnosis. Psychiatric diagnoses are complicated things. That’s why many of our diagnoses have changed over the years. Mine changed from depression to BipolarI, to BipolarI with rapid cycles, to a final and extra comforting label of BipolarI with rapid cycles and schizophrenic tendencies. Did you know that I was so sick – even while diligently following my specialist’s order ...
A Happy Sort of Panic
When I’m back from traveling, I can always count on three things. A mountain of laundry, a big hug from Dana, and at least three days filled with story-telling, excited, and somewhat needy children. When I get back from a trip, I can always count on a visit from my old friend ‘Panic’. This morning, I woke a little later than planned, dressed, grabbed a banana, a swallow of coconut milk, and a dose of the EMPowerplus micronutrient formulation, then ...
Without Medication, I Didn’t Like Reality
Today I ran away with my son. James’ job fell through for the day and my schedule was fantastically flexible, so we jumped in the car and left town. It’s a two-and-a-half hour drive to our favorite quiet spot, away from the everyday, and out of reach of our cell phones. We go there every chance we get–to dream and pray and consider our place in the world. Just before I turned off my phone, a dear friend, sitting in ...
Are You Afraid You’ll Miss Your Manic Side?
Controlled creativity is a miracle for a once-upon-a-time bipolar person like me. I often hear from would-be Truehope program participants or EMPowerplus users who worry that they won’t be able to do their creative work any more if they “lose the mania.” Many functional bipolar people depend heavily on mania as a big money maker to launch careers or keep them on the cutting edge of their field. When I was bipolar, my frequent manias started with an art project and ...
Pajama Party?
I woke up this morning to a call from a friend. She must not have known that I get to sleep in at least twice a year. I think the last time my kids let me sleep past breakfast was in the summer after camping and all were too tired to demand anything before 9 am. Since I had a new pair of fuzzy pajamas and a lot of post-Christmas party cleanup to do, I decided to take the day ...
Defining Second Stage Healing
What is “Second Stage” Healing? I was using three prescription drugs to treat Bipolar 1 at the time my mother committed suicide. I was sick, but functional enough to care for family needs, dress her body, help plan her burial, heck, I even offered the prayer at the funeral. I went through all the motions of mourning, but on some level, I was incredibly numb to the experience. Years later, after the medications were eliminated and my mood was super stable ...
When sanity becomes your new normal
When was the last time you noticed that you are sane? It’s a state of health that is taken for granted too often, but if you are floating around the second stages of healing from depression or bipolar, (or ADD for that matter,) you are likely a lot more appreciative of the luxuries of sanity than most people. Not quite there yet? Still working on the first stages of balancing chemistry and getting control of your health? Then take the ...
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