One Broken Off

Monday, February 16, 2009

When you have 20 minutes to do so, I urge you to watch this TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert. I wept through it. It speaks so eloquently to the connection between creativity and mental illness. I am confident that you will be moved by it, too.

A thank you to Timothy K Hamilton for sharing this picture on flickr, and to Chris Hathaway for bringing the TED talk to my attention.

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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