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One Broken Off

one woman's experience with mental illness

Friday, June 20, 2008

Metaphor


Bukit Lawang / Indonesia, Sumatra
Originally uploaded by flydime


Posted by Donnell Allan at 10:10 AM
Labels: depression, friends, recovery, support

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      • Membership
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Morning

Morning
There is a brook I must hear
Before I go to sleep.
There is a birch tree I must visit
Every night of clearness.
I have to do some dreaming,
I have to listen a great deal,
Before light comes back
By a silver arrow of cloud,
And I rub my eyes and say
It must be morning on this hill!

--Hilda Conkling

Helpful Links

  • No Kidding? Me, Too!--Fighting Stigma
  • PBS' Documentary: "Depression: Out of the Shadows"

Helpful Blogs

  • Psych Central
    Podcast: From Divorce to Besties
    4 years ago
  • Bipolar Beat
    Turning Out the Lights on Mania: Dark Therapy
    4 years ago
  • Psych Central News
    Many Seniors with Depression Faring Well During Pandemic
    4 years ago
  • Bipolar Blog
    Understanding Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
    5 years ago
  • Bipolar Journey
    Carrie Fisher
    7 years ago
  • Content from Concepts in Psychology
    I'M AFRAID I CAN'T DO THAT
    8 years ago
  • Brain And Consciousness Research
    Psychologists awarded �250,000 to delve inside the minds of contemporary dancers
    10 years ago

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One Mental Illness: Bipolar 2

This is the best description of my own Bipolar II symptoms which I have found to date. Here is the link to the full article. (To my loved ones: please be aware that I am on several helpful medications. I am not feeling suicidal.)

Hypomanic Episodes: Hypomania is a mild version of mania where the symptoms are the same [as bipolar I] but are less intense – they only need to last four days and do not significantly impair a person’s functioning. Many people find they are more productive and have positive social interactions when hypomanic. Others find that although a single hypomanic episode does not cause much impairment, repeated episodes negatively affect finances, social relationships, and/or work performance.

Major Depressive Episodes (MDEs): Depression is the down state when people feel sad or blue, or simply cannot enjoy anything. This state tends to be characterized by changes in sleep, appetite and weight, energy, and cognitive (thinking) abilities. People may feel worthless and guilty, and may consider suicide.

Major depressive episode is defined as a period of at least two weeks with five or more of the following symptoms:

o Depressed mood and/or anhedonia (an inability to take pleasure in things, or greatly diminished interest in activities usually enjoyed)

and

o A decrease or increase in appetite; weight loss or gain

o Sleep disturbance (insomnia or hypersomnia)

o Feeling physically slowed down or physically restless

o Fatigue or loss of energy

o Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt

o Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

o Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide