New Year, Which Me? Resolutions for the Unstable
- by Josh Murray
You hear it at the beginning of every year. “New year, new me.” It hardly ever seems to work out that way but it’s a nice thought. If you are one of the lucky ones, though, then good for you.
Continue ReadingSPOTLIGHT: Vincent Van Gogh
- by Josh Murray
I’ve mentioned before in this blog the possible link between creativity and bipolar disorder and first person who comes to mind when thinking about this theory is Vincent Van Gogh.
Continue ReadingLithium: Bipolar disorder’s gateway drug
- by Josh Murray
With there being dozens of different medications available for the treatment of bipolar disorder, one has remained a main go-to for nearly a century: lithium.
Continue ReadingLong-term effects of bipolar disorder
- by Josh Murray
We all know thar the exact cause of bipolar disorder is still unknown, and it’s unclear at times which is more important: finding the root cause of the disorder or treating the symptoms. One would probably argue the first option, but some of this disease’s symptoms and the extremes one can experience can, at times, outweigh the need to know why.
Continue Readinga day in the life: part 1
- by Josh Murray
It goes without saying those dealing with bipolar disorder have to handle themselves on a day-to-day basis. Second-to-second, at time.
Continue ReadingStuck In The Middle With Me: A Brief Introduction
- by Josh Murray
My personal battle with the big, bad bipolar disorder has been a long one. Seventeen years, in fact. I was 15 when I was first diagnosed. I was 17 when I was diagnosed for the second time. But it wasn’t until I was 24 that I first started to seek out treatment
Continue ReadingThe Mad Genius: The Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Creativity
- by Josh Murray
Throughout history there have been innumerable artists, musicians, and just overall creative powerhouses who have suffered from bipolar disorder. So many, in fact, it has raised the question of whether a link exists between bipolar disorder and creativity.
Continue ReadingCoping skills: The lost art of my self-preservation
- by Josh Murray
For me, coping skills are, for lack of a better phrase, a bunch of bullshit. I have no concept of any sort of coping skills, especially in the moments I need skills to cope.
Continue ReadingBipolar Disorder & the Holidays
- by Josh Murray
The holidays can be a tricky time of year for someone with bipolar disorder. “Doom, gloom, and dread” often take the place of “peace, love, and joy”, creating a brand new can of worms that no one looks forward to. Not only are you not the life of the party, you might very well be its death knell.
Continue ReadingThe Big 4: Types & Phases
- by Josh Murray
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that features extremes between manic states and depressive states. That’s your basic, textbook definition, anyway. What gets lost in translation is the fact that there is more than just one type of bipolar disorder.
Continue ReadingMemories of a Backyard Hanging: A True Story
- by Josh Murray
In finding some forgiveness of loneliness, and with a strange acceptance of suffering, I can now look back on it all with a dim understanding. It happened at a time when creativity existed within me at an exhausting level. There was a maddening frenzy in the way things came out of me, pouring with sympathy, yet offering nothing.
Continue ReadingSticks & Stones
- by Josh Murray
There is an article by Stephen Propst called “10 Things NOT to Say to Someone with Bipolar” that, somewhat pretentiously, hit me hardcore. We as humans sometimes forget the damage our words can inflict. So, without being self-righteous, here are some things one should try to avoid saying to someone with bipolar disorder: 1. “I…
Continue ReadingDoes It Get Better?
- by Josh Murray
“Recovery” is a word most often used in the realm of drugs and addiction, a descriptor of those who are abstaining from the use of addictive substances. This same ideology simply doesn’t apply to bipolar disorder, however. People with bipolar disorder never recover in the same sense as an addict might. We don’t recover, we manage.
Continue ReadingOn the Outside…
- by Josh Murray
Can someone with bipolar disorder have a normal relationship? Although it’s a question that is as ignorant as it sounds, I can, to some extent, see how it could raise some red flags for someone on the other side. But if your loved one has bipolar disorder, it is possible to have a “normal” relationship.
Continue ReadingBipolar Disorder: Facts vs. Myths
- by Josh Murray
The general stigma surrounding mental illness, and in particular bipolar disorder, has created a balloon of misinformation that has only increased people’s fear of seeking treatment.
Continue ReadingStigma, Statistics, & Suicide
- by Josh Murray
The stigma surrounding mental illness can be so overwhelming that it can cause many people who are truly suffering to be too scared or ashamed to seek out help. The statistics are even scarier. I touched on quite a few in my last post, but I feel this is information that bears repeating. According to…
Continue ReadingUp, Down, And All Around
- by Josh Murray
Winston Churchill, Vincent Van Gogh, and Kurt Cobain walk into a bar…
Yeah, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but the punchline is far from funny.