Our New (Fantastic) Book

The one I mentioned below.. Facing Bipolar-The Young Adult's Guide.

I am going to quote the  introduction because it is so brilliant and brought tears to my eyes. I cut out a couple of paragraphs.

       

So you've been told you're bipolar, or perhaps you're wondering if you are. You've learned that this diagnosis can mean a lifetime of troubles. You've learned that if you've got it, you might have to take medication for the rest of your life. You understand that the disorder is genetic. You understand that people with bipolar disorder sometimes need to be hospitalized. You didn't ask for this. It wasn't in your life plan.

Perhaps you've had times when you felt so down you couldn't get moving. Keeping up with your work or even getting out of the house seemed impossible. It felt like you were trying to slog your way through molasses with no end in sight. Essentially, your self-esteem was in the pits and you felt awful

Then there were other times when you felt alert and energized. Sleep didn't matter a whole lot and your usual challenges felt like a piece of cake. You felt alive! Images, scents and sounds were so crisp and immediate. Others around you didn't seem to be moving at he same pace, but it didn't matter; little mattered. Yes, it was an exciting time and you enjoyed it. But just as quickly, it was over and you crashed back into the depression, the molasses.

You started thinking that maybe you should end your life. You knew those thoughts weren't you, but at the same time they were you and they seemed the only solution. The confusion was hell. You can begin to see why people say bipolar is trouble. You know this craziness means something is wrong.

If you've sought help, you've probably received plenty of advice about how to manage this disorder. You've been told you should see a psychiatrist. And if you have, you're facing pills. Lots of pills. Take your choice: Lexapro, Seroquel, Depakote, lithium, Tegretol, Lamictal, and others. You've been told that while these drugs can be helpful, you'll also have side-effects such as drowsiness, dry mouth, weight gain, dulling of your emotions, and even dulling of your sexuality. And you've been told you have to take several of them at the same time, forever. Why? if you feel fine or almost fine, why would you take these waist-expanding, thirst-inducing, libido-reducing pills forever? What's that all about?

Besides, if you've only recently been told you're bipolar, you probably think your parents, your loved ones, and the professionals you've been seeing are all exaggerating the bad news. It's like suddenly everyone is telling you the sky is falling! And even if you do all they're asking, you could still be psychiatrically hospitalized for acute depression, suicide attempts, or manic episodes. And in the middle of this bad news, you're encouraged to remain hopeful and not let it get you down. Yeah, right!

As you begin to face the reality of being bipolar, you'll find that one of the toughest challenges is saying goodbye to the person you once thought you would be, especially at a time in your life when you are thinking hopefully about your future. If you're new to the bipolar experience, you're probably somewhere between your midteens and mid twenties, and letting go of your previous expectations about life's direction is hard. It may be even harder than it was to accept your bipolar diagnosis. Worse yet, you may even find that some people will withdraw from you or drop out of sight once you've found the courage to tell them, "I have bipolar disorder." Let's face it, some people are afraid of mental illness. Your relationships will be affected. Almost everything is affected. We know this must all sound pretty grim; it doesn't need to be.

When you move to a new city, you need to know how to have the gas and electricity turned on and the phone hooked up. You need to find the grocery stores and the major department stores. A guidebook is essential, only now it's the Lonely Planet Guide to Bipolar City you need. You didn't choose this destination, but this is where you'll be living. You need to know how to live here. You need to know how to keep your mind stable, how to take care of it, and how to keep it on the right track. In your old world, where you wish you still lived, this isn't the book you would be flipping through in a bookstore. we understand We know this is not a book you want to need.

Our intent is to make Bipolar City less frightening, less lonely, and less strange. You'll come to see it's a different city from the one you were setting out for, but it's still quite livable. The hitch is that you don't get to live there unless you're able to let go of your expectations about the other place you had hoped to reach. And once you come to terms with this loss, once you're able to look around and realistically assess what it takes to make a home in your new destination, then you'll be in a much better position to tackle the reality of bipolar disorder.