You may not be a health professional, but I'm really looking forward to reading future posts. Good for you for coming out. I'm doing so slowly, with selected people, and I find that I learn a lot about people by how they react.

Dude, I want your book. I love your writing style. It could be the two 16 ounce energy drinks I drank within the past hour or the two cigs I choked down, but I'm really intrigued by what you write next.

I enjoy learning about such things and how people themselves learn from it.I look forward to your next writings. Sincerely,David

My name is Paula (DeFilippo) Gaehring. We went to West Church in Peabody, Mass during our highschool years. My mom sent me an article about you and your book from the Boston Globe. (I live in New Jersey now.) I went on Amazon to purchase it and immediately remembered the picture on the cover as one from a West Church pictorial directory from the 70's.
Thanks for sharing your story. I hope your book does well.

Hi David,

My name is Nikki I am 21and i go to school at the Barrie Learning Centre in Ontario Canada. For our class today we were asked to log onto the Psychology Today to read about Babies in boxes or Dr. Skinners idea for the air crib, I am in a class called Living and Working With Children and we are learning about social development so that is where Dr. Skinner comes in. The second part of our task today is an activity called 'Play Day' all through the week we come up with questions we have and then we are given a day when we can answer them, today was a bit different we were asked to go to the blogs section of the Psychology Today website and pick a blog that interests us and then comment and let our teacher know where we commented so she can check later.

I chose yours because I believe that i have Bipolar disorder, I was hospitalized back in may after many years of self medicating with illegal substances and after taking steps to get clean all of the issues i was suppressing all came out at once. while i was at the hospital i was put on three medications Welbutrin, Risperidone and Lithium and although i was never told what my diagonsis was after my own research of my behaviour, those medications and talking to other people this seems what it might be.

So I read your blog and enjoyed it and could also emopathize somewhat so i decided that i would comment here but first i wanted to find out more about you and your book so i googled you and went to this website: http://www.davidlovelace.info/ and started reading and the more a read the more interested i became. I think that sharing your story has helped and will help many people, I personally am learning this in my own life I am realizing that every day i am given the oppertunity to help someone in some way weather by opening a door for someone or sharing my story to help some realize that there is hope for them. So i plan to read your book completely and thank you for your honnesty, experience, strength and hope.

my best wishes to you

Nikki Lawrence

When one person can have enough courage to stand up to potential discrimination - it makes the path easier for everyone else. I commend all of you who speak for those who cannot.

Nikki, congratulations, on your incredible success on past troubles and future opportunities!

Bipolar Disorder (manic-depressive illness), if a disorder at all, has been defined as a major affective mood disorder in which one alternates between the mental states of deep and brutal depression and inflated elation- with the depressive episodes occurring more frequently. The disorder affects one’s cognition, emotions, perceptions, and behavior- along with psychosomatic presentations (such as pain with depressive episodes, for example). It is thought to be due to a physiological dysfunctional brain in one affected with bipolar disorder, yet the etiology remains entirely unknown. It is also believed that bipolar disorder presents itself when the affected one is between the ages of 15 and 25 years old. The disorder was entered in the psychiatrists’ bible, the DSM, in 1980. Also, bipolar disorder is thought to be correlated with creativity and accelerated growth of neurons if one is affected by it.
Research has determined that as many as 15 to over 30 percent of bipolar disorder patients commit suicide if they are untreated. Also, as many as half of those affected with bipolar disorder also have at times severe substance abuse issues along with this disorder as well. Bipolar patients are also often experiencing anxiety issues that vary, and are treated often as such. The disorder varies as far as severity goes- with some bipolar disorder patients being more affected than others. In fact, there are at least 6 classifications of bipolar disorder, according to the DSM. Bipolar patients are thought to be symptomatic half of their lives- with depressive episodes occurring more frequently than manic ones. When symptomatic, bipolar patients are thought to be rather disabled, according to some. As many as half of those suspected as having a bipolar disorder are thought to have at least one parent with some sort of mood disorder, which suggests a genetic predisposition to the disorder.
The diagnosis has become more frequent recently. In one decade, the assigned diagnosis of bipolar disorder rose from being about 25 per 100 thousand people to being 1000 per 100,000 people. Most diagnosed with bipolar disorder are not diagnosed based on solid, comprehensive, or psychiatric review that is often absent of valid or standard diagnostic methods. Some believe as many as 5 percent of the human population may be affected by bipolar disorder- which includes as many as 12 million people in the United States. A subjective questionnaire called the Mental Status Examination is often utilized when diagnosing one suspected has having bipolar disorder. Many believe the diagnosis has increased recently due to the progressive treatment options now available. It is an argument of increased awareness versus over-diagnosis.
Yet the diagnosis is vague, as children and adolescents are often absent in research with bipolar disorder. Many younger than 18 years of age are prescribed atypical anti-psychotics as first line treatment, which is largely not recommended as treatment options. In fact, close to half a million of those younger than 18 years of age are prescribed the atypical anti-psychotic Risperdal alone, it has been determined. The class of medications overall is thought to be prescribed to about 10 percent of those non-adults thought to have bipolar disorder.
While not recommended, one half of all those assessed as being bipolar are prescribed antidepressants, such as SSRIs, as first line treatment. It has been suggested that this class of drugs has decreased the risk of suicide attempts compared with other classes of antidepressants for close to 20 years. Yet tricyclic antidepressants have been determined to be efficacious in over half of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder- with a greater amount of research behind this class of drugs. Yet, entirely recognized treatments for bipolar disorder long term are lithium or lamictal- along with an anti-convulsant. Sugar intake is thought to vex the symptoms of one with a bipolar disorder as well.
Atypical anti-psychotics have been prescribed for bipolar disorder, which change some aspects of the brain, physiologically, as does the disease itself. In fact, one may argue the brain becomes more efficient due to both the disorder and the treatment with the atypical anti-psychotics. Yet many recommend the utilization of this class of drugs with bipolar disorder only if psychosis is present as well. As many as 15 percent of bipolar disorder patients diagnosed as such are prescribed an atypical presently. This class of medications may be particularly beneficial for those women who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder who are pregnant, however.
Lithium, which is essentially a very light metal with low density in which the salts are obtained for medicinal treatment, and an anti-convulsant are believed to be standard bipolar treatment, pharmacologically, studies have shown. This is due to Dr. John Cade and his examination with lithium and its benefits with those who have psychotic excitement close to 60 years ago. Lithium is believed to be both neuro-protective as well as having an anti-suicidal affect in those believed to be bipolar- and is viewed as a mainstay as far as treatment for bipolar goes with many who treat the disorder. Lithium is thought to regulate the calcium molecule in the brain, so this and valporate are historically the medicinal treatment options preferred for those with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar is difficult to detect, and is often diagnosed as major depression with many affected by this disorder. There is no objective criteria protocol available to utilize when assessing any patient believed to be suffering from any mental disorder. So such mental disorders that are diagnosed are ambiguous, yet that does not conclude that such disorders do not exist, such as the case with bipolar disorder.
Yet perhaps a health care provider should be very thorough and knowledgeable when assessing a patient believed to have a mental condition such as bipolar disorder,

Dan Abshear

The Hero's Journey
A Professional tortured soul
Fighting every day to endure
Clever at running from agony
Midas Touch Sewage Engineer
Turning negative garbage into gold

I believe it was a big conspiracy
My house of many cards collapsed
Every one of them fell straight down
And I found myself stuck in the pit
Alone with no escape to be found

Stubborn-willed, self-sufficient atheist
Would I call on Him to save me
From the place that knows no Joy?
The longer I stay the deader I become
No alarm clock loud enough to wake me.

How can it be only two months in here
Already no dreams left that matter
Stay any longer my mind might shatter
This is a conspiracy. A set-up I tell you!
What the heck. It’s worth a try.

Begrudgingly acknowledge I have a soul
Agree the body can not live without Joy
Call upon the Blessed name of the Lord
To get me out of this dark unholy place
Deliverance, Pure Joy, and Bliss!

Bliss causes the Kundalini Genie to awaken

So you believe! Then prove your Loyalty!
As I got down on my knees in submission
I took the knife and sliced open my own chest
Diced up my lying heart and offered it up
Layer by Layer. Piece by Piece.

Hey, it wasn’t easy for a Midas Touch Sewage Engineer to surrender all the angst to the Genie of Kundalini! Tortured Soul. Freed Soul. Emancipation Day! Stormy skies turned into Sunshine and Rainbows
Burned to ashes but an opportunity for happiness.

How does one live without angst?

(Anything familiar in this story?)

What can I say about Bipolar?

Since, 1997, I was diagnosed with BP Disorder II.

I have been through countless Psychiatrist who handed out many medications.

I'm hoping whoever reads my blog, will reach out to me.

I live in Woodland Hills, CA. (Los Angeles) County.

Because of my insurance, Medicare, very few if any, accept it.

My current situation is, have a Psychiatrist through the County, need I say more?

With that said, if anyone knows of a Psychiatrist/Psychologist any where in
(Los Angeles), a referral would be greatly appreciated.

More over, I feel there should be a petition generated by those who are affected directly or indirectly by Bipolar Disorder and send those signatures to either our State Senators and President Obama.

I voted for President Obama, especially, because he wants to address and offer medical coverage to the many Americans going with out.

Thank you for humoring me and welcome all to respond with any of your thoughts, suggestions and any doctor referrals.

Take care and God Bless.

Michelle L.