I moved to Houston, Texas a year after high school (I took a year off). I was going to be a music performance major, and I was thrilled to live in a different city, far away from my parents. For about 6 months, my boyfriend and I lived with his mother. Then he broke up... Continue Reading →
Fingers Crossed That I Won’t Need ECT
I had an appointment with my psychiatrist today, which couldn't come soon enough, even though it's only been 4 weeks since my last appointment. I've been going through a severe depression for the past 3 weeks, right after the short hypomanic episode triggered by my misuse of my light box (I was supposed to start... Continue Reading →
“Rediscovery” by Barb Natividad
As I mentioned in my first post of the year, I may share some of my previously published (as opposed to works-in-progress) writing. There's not a lot! Here's the first one. It looks long because of the way WordPress formats lines/paragraphs. Please scroll slowly so you don't accidentally skip any of the lines. Poetry is... Continue Reading →
“Another Kind of Madness” by Stephen P. Hinshaw
Speaking of stigma, last summer I read a book (this isn't a review) called Another Kind of Madness: A Journey Through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness by Stephen P. Hinshaw. It was the first book I'd ever read about the stigma towards mental illness, and is told through the author's family experience. Hinshaw's... Continue Reading →
The Face of Depression & Insomnia
Daily Prompt: Study via The Daily Post Study this pic. Not a pretty sight, is it? I took this selfie at 4:52 this morning, over an hour after I woke up and couldn't sleep again. I even practiced good sleep hygiene by taking my meds and going to bed around 10:30 PM, so I slept... Continue Reading →
Marriage, Mental Illness & Blowups
Daily Prompt: Entertain via The Daily Post From Facebook's On This Day Feature: January 13, 2012 Near the end of our lunch time phone call. Me: Are you mad? My husband: No, it's just, sometimes I feel like you don't listen to me. Me: Well...sometimes I don't. My husband and I met in grad school... Continue Reading →
In the Psych Ward
Daily Prompt: Brilliant via The Daily Post NOTE: This is a pre-written piece in which I was able to include today's prompt. NOTE: My experiences of hospitalization in a behavioral unit (psych ward) does not reflect other people's. If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, then you know why I was first hospitalized... Continue Reading →
Light Box Debacle: Lessons Learned
Daily Prompt: Forlorn via The Daily Post After this weekend's light box debacle, I learned a few things: 1) light boxes can trigger (hypo)mania in people with bipolar; and 2) follow instructions. I admit that I sometimes toss the instructions to new items because, I now know, I have the hubris to think I can... Continue Reading →
Life Scripts, Bipolar & Childfree
Daily Prompt: Funnel via The Daily Post NOTE: This is a pre-written piece in which I was able to include today's prompt. My parents were married and had me by the time they were 23. I thought this was a life script I had to follow. So when I was 24, I felt behind schedule,... Continue Reading →