I’ve touched on the issue of people with bipolar disorder having shorter life expectancy before, but upon doing some research I feel the need to go into it a little deeper. First of all, is it true? The bad news is the answer is “yes.” According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people diagnosed […]
Category: mental illness
Ruby Wax and Mental Illness
Below is a video of Ruby Wax that I stumbled upon last week. It’s from TED.com As many of you know, I love using humor to help people learn and understand what it’s like to live with mental illness. Using humor also helps me keep me from taking myself too seriously. I’ve never heard of […]
Ten Days Lockdown: A New Beginning
Day seven of being in lockdown arrived and I was fully relaxed and ready to go home. Most of the friends I made had been released. Darryl was an exception. Darryl was from a family of Hollywood icons, but had been the black sheep of the family for most of his life due to his […]
Biology of Bipolar Disorder
While many of us know in our hearts, and minds, that bipolar disorder is the result of a chemical imbalance or some other dysfunction in the brain, each day I meet far too many naysayers online who insist it is a character defect. They use anecdotal information as proof that we are being spoon-fed disinformation […]
Bipolar, Depression, Drinking, Drugging
When I first stumbled upon this recent study, I had to laugh. I mean, another study that links mental illness with substance abuse? Really? Was there a need to spend more time and money to discover what has been discovered again and again and again? Well, to my surprise, there was. I’ve heard “10 years” […]
Bipolar Disorder and Caffeine’s Effects
According to the National Institute of Mental Health 90% of Americans use caffeine daily, including, of course, those suffering from mood disorders such as depression and bipolar. Considering the amount of coffee, tea, sodas, sports drinks, ice cream and chocolate that is consumed, the percentage should be no surprise. And, yes, you read correctly, there […]
Going Up? Going Down?
Blog For Mental Health
When I started this blog in 2008, I did it for my sanity…I did it for me. I was a complete mess, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and I was not properly medicated. I needed some creative outlet to express what was going on in my head – my feelings, lack of self esteem, […]
The Best Bench in Town: Being Homeless
Here in Los Angeles we have tours of the stars homes, celebrity death tours, tours of the artwork in subway stations, Hollywood Forever cemetery tours, Universal Studio Tours, and many, many more. I, however, would be happy to give you a free tour that is both interesting and practical. I can offer the Homeless tour. […]
The House Husband
A couple of weeks ago I dropped the only class I was taking. I dropped it because I failed to turn in an essay and chose to withdraw from the class rather than get a low grade. It was my professor’s suggestion, actually. What he didn’t know, however, is that I’m on academic probation. I […]