The words still ring in my head, “We believe you have Bipolar Disorder”. On the one hand, there is a relief to finally identify the problem. On the other hand, there is fear — fear of the diagnosis, fear of change, fear of the uncertainty and what it all means. Now, if you’re like me, the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder were prevalent long before the official diagnosis. Whether it was disguised as depression or the flight of ideas and energy…..
My friend and I meet Sundays after church at a local coffee and pastry shop. We gather our steaming hot lattes and buttery croissants and sit down at a favorite table near the fireplace. Theoretically, we’re a month into spring, but it’s still snowy in Minnesota. The conversation covers the day’s service, politics and family. Eventually, the topic turns to our loved ones with bipolar. I tell her how my son Donald is doing, that he talks to me…..
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. The air is cool and crisp. The wind carries the occasional pungent scent of wood smoke. The leaves turn brilliant red and golden yellow and crunch under your feet. Insects are gone. However, for someone who lives with bipolar, mood may darken as the hours of daylight wane. Other environmental factors can trigger a downward shift toward depression, as well. Donald and I both struggle with the current political atmosphere dominating our…..
Bipolar Disorder can interfere with your ability to work. But symptoms of depression, mania and anxiety needn’t prevent you from leading a productive life. If you effectively manage those symptoms with treatment. Donald began his work at a local hockey school as a goalie coach the day after he checked himself out of Ramsey Hospital psych ward against medical advice, still manic. He had told his boss – Donald’s former goalie coach – the truth about his disease. Fortunately, his…..
How ironic that I begin work on this blog just after spending my morning on the phone trying to navigate the tangled, and often useless, web that calls itself “Provider Service.” I run a small endocrinology clinic in a St. Paul suburb and have to interact with insurance plans on a regular basis. Yes, my hair is a nice shade of gray, more salt than pepper. I’ve been in charge of the business side of our clinic for nearly…..
I could hold a clinic for what not to do when you begin to see signs of mental illness in a family member. Donald insisted he had trouble focusing and taking tests while in high school. During his first semester at college, he pleaded with me to be treated for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I told him he had to see a physician to determine if he indeed had ADHD. He went to our family…..
I have entered month 18 of living with Bipolar 1. I am still learning how to understand and manage my moods. Each person who has Bipolar Disorder experiences it differently. For me, my high rivaled Mount Everest and my low matched Dante’s Inferno. So, now that I’m stable, I’m hyper-aware of any suspicious movement in either direction. Now I stop to observe: are my thoughts racing? Is my speech rapid? If I can calm myself down with…..
Homeostasis began as a series of essays Donald wrote while in the throes of mania. We’ve included a few of the publishable ones at the end of the book to provide a look at the manic mind. “Through these pieces I intended to encourage readers to find balance in life,” he says. “Now the story is about how I work to reach my own homeostasis.” Once Donald agreed to get help for his recent diagnosis of Bipolar 1 Disorder, we…..
