Almost eight years ago, I went 80 or so hours without sleep and had a psychotic break. I was diagnosed as bipolar and started going to an outpatient hospital (that’s the extremely truncated version—this post isn’t about that). I was assigned a psychiatrist. The guy was an asshole. I was technically an adult, but I …
I love my meds!
When I was first diagnosed as bipolar, I was not happy about having to take medicine. I didn’t exactly refuse to take it, but I did bitch and moan about it for a while. My sister is also bipolar, and she’d been on some medicine for several years that worked really well for her. My …
Medicine’s unjust stigma
Bipolar and other mental illnesses have a stigma surrounding them, but they are more understood now than they were thirty years ago. One place, though, seems to be stuck in the dark ages. The church. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced too much criticism from my church family, but not everyone there knows about my illness. I’ve …
Read the directions, folks
As I have mentioned before, I do not care for taking medicine. I’ve come to accept taking my crazy pills, but I’m never thrilled about over-the-counter meds; however, I hate going to the doctor even more, so sometimes medicine is a necessary evil. This was the case last summer when I had some fluid in …
Dear Medicine, thanks for stabilizing me…
When I was first diagnosed, my doctors did not have to go through the entire pharmacy to find what medication worked for me. I am taking the same medicine I took when I was diagnosed in 2011. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder. It’s characterized by extreme moods. People with bipolar disorder have mania up …
Continue reading "Dear Medicine, thanks for stabilizing me…"
Between Two Poles 