Category: Lived experience
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There are only seven basic plots
Sleeper – Part one. A memoir of my last psychosis, with the love and kindness of Londoners “She’s confused” Hamid Hussein looks up from his notes. His two colleagues agree that I should be detained. Hamid draws the pro forma from his in-tray and, checking his watch, begins writing in the top left hand corner:…
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“Dogged by an unfair foe”
Quoted from her family about Naomi Judd, American country music star, who died earlier this year by suicide and who lived with PTSD and bipolar it is revealed. Yes, bipolar disorder is unfair. Just when you think you have things back on track – it can take me anything from six months to a year…
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Does everyone go through bipolar denial?
My first acute episode of mental illness was psychotic depression. Looking back on it the whole thing was very scary compared to later instances: On discharge my sick note read “Mental illness”, nothing more specific. They hoped this was a one-off. I went back to work, continuing to attend as an outpatient for a year…
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Give me my rapture: psychotic mania
Even now after three decades of living with bipolar, psychosis creeps up on me. I keep a mood diary, take my meds every night and monitor my sleep conscientiously yet still believe I can double bluff the quick thinking, rapid speech, overconfidence and productivity of hypomania. Self management of hypomania I have tried and tested…
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The pandemic – they think it’s all over
In case you are not aware, people with bipolar disorder were classified as one of the priority groups during early phases of lockdown. Looking back I’m hazy on all the privileges or penalties this conferred, early vaccination for sure and exemption for some from mask wearing, but not much else. I know that for some…
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“Is being mentally ill normal?”
This is one of those auto suggested queries from Google when you start typing, so I guess quite a few people ask it. I have had five hospital admissions, including the last one, ten years ago, under the Mental Health Act, as a compulsory patient. In one earlier case, although I was very unwell and…