Something Positive

[monkeyc]

Bipolar Research is something close to my heart, the disease is badly understood and its decades behind in study so its good to see something positive and I thought I would share this with you all

news.theage.com.au/national/johns-kicks-off-walk-with-pm-by-his-side-20081019-53te.html

Andrew Johns is an Australian Footballer who came out and stated is bipolar status several years ago. The Black Dog Insititute in Australia organised a 6 day walk to raise money for Bipolar Research and lo and behold our Federal Government actually kicked in $2 million for Bipolar Research as part of it.

So if you are having one of those days and need something to thing about just remember there are people out there dedicated to finding better treatments and a better understanding of this illness.  One day they might make some serious headway to an effective long term treatment.  Perhaps its time we pressured all of our governments to do the same.

[LetaB]

  Don't you find that we who are labeled with bipolar really are all over the spectrum? i agree that the media only wants to highlight the more exotic but isn't that what they do to everything? I was in treatment years ago and I was pretty shocked at the behavior of some of the other patients there also labeled "bipolar" (were they shocked by me as well? I don't believe so) one or two of them were "babbling" incoherently, rapid cycling as in tears - laughter - tears ...I know we're diagnosed as 1s and 2s but I think, as in most things, we are far more complex, there are a thousand shades of grey, and we should be 1 through 100 at least!

[RJ233]

I saw that same SVU episode. I don't know if they were trying to show we are crazy or the extreme way people look at it. It didn't come across as educating the public to what is real. I have watched that program for years, and I was really upset about it too. If they can't tell it like it is, then they should leave it be.

People do not know anything for the most part what bp is except what they hear in the news, like the guy here that killed his girl friend in the mall parking lot that was bp. The whole excuse of bp meant he was a crazy person. That was the end of the story.

We sit right at a State Mental Hospital. They keep the criminally insane there, which have done some disgusting things. People see mental illness in the worse way and that is how they associate it. Any bp person would keep it quiet in fear of a mob attacking them like on the old Frankenstein movies. That SVU show didn't help our image any.

Thank you ILADVOCATE for your help.  RJ

[cowgirlnerd]

So true about the way things are portrayed.  I watched an episode of Law and Order SVU not long ago and the guy cop on there has a daughter that they decided was bipolar.  Of course, his Mother was bipolar and they had her on there babbling on like she was lost in another world.  It wasn't anything like what I have experienced - she was acting more like she had complete memory loss or something.  It really pissed me off.  

ILADVOCATE - I appreciate what you do to help us.  

Rach

[ILADVOCATE]

I accept the fact that I have schizoaffective disorder and if the media is ignorant I eduate them. I've had 16 letters published in the New York Times. If you see think there is an ignorant portrayal of people of people with mental illness in any media source write or e-mail them. I can give people suggestions on how to do it judiciously. I've had a lot of success stories with getting negative or stigmatizing media items changed. And as for Hollywood we can't change their movies but we can get our ideas out. Look at all the common video broadcasting services such as youtube. Or the ability for people to start their own blog. Or even something that's always been there, the local papers. They will usually print any on topic letter to the editor. Don't believe our voices can't be heard. There just aren't enough of us speaking out. But if you see a negative item in the media and want to write but need some ideas let me know. I'll be happy to field some suggestions. And it also helps to write some letters about the fact that you want new treatments out. We can't "hope" for them. We have to advocate. I can't get out much physically due to the severity of the tardive conditions. But I can't think of a week where I didn't get an advocacy letter out. If you have any ideas for letters you want to write or ideas you'd like me to take up I volunteer as board president of a non profit for people with disabilities and can turn those ideas into reality.

[monkeyc]

TV and Movies do such a good job of that - you cant have a bipolar person unless they are barking at the moon psychotic manic.  Mind you in that world you can always see a doctor and theyre always helpful and well educated as well.  Truth is rarely portrayed in TV and the movies ;)

Just be glad we are not schizophrenic because the movies teach everyone that they are all crazy and dangerous and likely to kill people because the voices tell them to do it and without warning as well.

To be honest I work in IT and some days I don't need voices to tell me that people need killing :)

[irishwriter]

maybe they'll put some of that money towards educating film makers. every time a bipolar person is played in dramas they choose to make them at the extreme upper end of the spectrum and totally insane which gives us all very bad press when people look at you like a leper when you tell them you have bipolar. i just dont bother anymore. anyway most people dont believe me. apparently am way too normal to have this disease.!

[ILADVOCATE]

There are new treatments in the works. I identified I am fully recovered from glycine a Phase II anti-psychotic in FDA study from schizoaffective disorder. And there are treatments in study for bipolar disorder as well. Here's a link that updates itself:
http://www.psychmeds123.info/
I would suggest what I do. Know that there are far more effective treatments out there, identify the challenges and bureaucracy that's keeping them from being released and then advocate to have the people who are part of the process cut through the red tape. And let's not think of this as part of the distant future. If my recovery on glycine is "as good as any FDA approved antipsychotic or better" according to my psychopharmocologist, let's remember bipolar is easier to treat than schizoaffective. Let's network, advocate and call this to the public's attention. If a full recovery is at hand for schizophrenia, then surely one will be identified for bipolar. They study new medications all the time, some already on the shelves as they are approved for other purposes. Except for Lithium all mood stabilizers were approved as other medications first. Let's remember that. And here's another good link specifically for bipolar:
http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html

[jimgreg]

yes this bipolar should be no difft than any other illness..theres  alot i mean alot of people living this life that arnt even aware that they have it..there loosing there marriage,jobs,friends just cus the are bp......thanks for sharing that with us all