The Manic Mood Swing Begins

Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively. – Voltaire    Before reading today’s blog, I recommend rereading last week’s blog in order to better appreciate where my saga is headed for now. Blog #29 is easily found on my website and, once again, I…

The Depression Was Now Unbearable

Never once, during any of my bouts of depression, had I been inclined or able to pick up a telephone and ask a friend for help. It wasn’t in me. – Kay Redfield Jamison  Today’s blog picks up where Blog #26, posted on 9/5/2016, left off. For the sake of continuity, I recommend referring to…

Tales of the 50th Reunion!!!!!!

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson  Fear wears many disguises; fortunately, at times, they are benign and humorous. Three days ago, I had the pleasure of attending my 50th reunion from the Scranton Preparatory School, at the time, an…

9/11/2001: Fear And Hope

Hello, My Friends…My Brothers and My Sisters It is usually my custom to begin each blog with a quote I find pertinent to an excerpt from “I’m Afraid.” This is my weekly Monday blog. I wrote it yesterday after reflecting on the tragic events of 9/11/2001. Today, I offer three relevant quotes from past blogs,…

Fear Returned With A Vengeance

Here is the tragedy: when you are the victim of depression, not only do you feel utterly helpless and abandoned by the world, you also know that very few people can understand, or even begin to believe, that life can be this painful. There is nothing I can think of that is quite as isolating…

In A Moment Of Crisis, Laughter Takes The Stage!

If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. –Mahatma Gandhi  In a previous excerpt from my memoir, I spoke of a stranger who stole into my apartment and held me captive for three days, torturing me all the while. The narrative continues: For two days, I tried to figure…

Who Was That Stranger???

One of the things so bad about depression and bipolar disorder is that if you don’t have prior awareness, you don’t have any idea what hit you. – Kay Redfield Jamison For as long I can remember, emotions like worry, anxiety, elation and despondency were part of my life. Usually, they seemed rational and were…

My Old Friend

Trust me, you know when you’ve got depression. – Giles Andreae  Believe me, I do. There was a time, however, when I did not know, but I will address that issue in my next and/or future blogs. Trust me, you will want to “Stay tuned for more!” Regina arrived early the next morning, eager to…

A Weapon Against Fear

Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy. – Aristotle  The following excerpts from “I’m Afraid”…