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Because I teach and write about depression and bipolar illness, I am often asked what is the most important factor in treating bipolar disorder. My answer is competence. Empathy is important, but competence is essential. –Kay Redfield Jamison When I first sat down with Dr. Kafrissen my manic episode was in full swing. Consequently,…
Mania is as bad as it gets. If not treated, it will become worse, more frequent, and harder to treat. – Kay Redfield Jamison A manic mood swing descended on me without warning, knowledge, or prior experience. After nine months of uninterrupted, severe depression, the crushing weight of the world had been lifted from me.…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
That is the real problem of depression – a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point in their lives. It is completely unimaginable until you have been through it. – Giles Andreae “Depression” is a word too often used casually: “I feel down”; “I have the…
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…
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…
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…