Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes. – Hugh Prather Today’s blog focuses on change. Dictionary definitions of this noun include two of the following: the act or instance of making or becoming different; and, a new or refreshingly different experience. My exposure to change usually does alter my…

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. – Eleanor Roosevelt The last place I expected to find myself that day in June of 1984 was sitting on the edge of a bed in a psychiatric hospital-that day, or any other day. As…

Peace is that state in which fear of any kind is unknown. – John Buchan   After admission to the hospital process was completed, I was led to a private room and left alone for a short period of time; I used that interval in an attempt to assess my condition and situation. After months…

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…