AN ACCOUNT OF
A BIPOLAR DISORDER

A 65 YEAR CONTEXT:
October 1943 To April 2008

1. Preamble and Introduction:

1.1 This is both a longitudinal account, going back to my conception in October 1943, and a short term account taking in my most recent experiences in the last ten months(4/07-4/08)with manic-depression(MD) or bipolar disorder(BPD) as it has come to be called in recent years. Some of the personal context for this illness over the lifespan in my private and public life, in the relationships of my family of birth and of marriage, of work and now of retirement are discussed in this document. I also include some discussion of: (a) my personal circumstances as they relate to my values, beliefs and attitudes on the one hand--what some might call my religion as defined in a broad sense--and (b) my wife’s illness and my/our many moves and activities over the years on the other. This lengthy account should provide: (i) mental health sufferers, clients or consumers, as they are now variously called these days, with an adequate information base to make some comparisons and contrasts with their own situation, their own predicament whatever it may be, and thereby gain some helpful knowledge and understandings; and (b) those assessing my suitability for work or for public or private office with a useful document for making their decision about my capacity to take on the task/responsibility an informed one.

1.2 Many do not feel comfortable going to doctors, to psychologists and/or to psychiatrists. Perhaps this is part of a general distrust of certain professional fields in our world today. Perhaps it is part of a general public being more critical. Still others do seek help; others try to work things out themselves and there are, of course, various combinations of the two approaches. Many often find the journey through the corridors of mental health problems so complex, such a labyrinth, that they give up in despair. Suicide is common among the group I refer to here—the sufferers from MD and BPD. This account may help such people obtain appropriate treatment and, as a result, dramatically improve their quality of life. I think, too, that this essay of nearly 20,000 words and fifty A-4 pages(font 14) is part of: (a) my own small part in reducing the damaging stigma associated with BPD and (b) what might be termed “my coming out.”

1.3 The wider context of my experience which I outline here is intended to place my BPD in context and should provide others with what I hope is a helpful perspective, as I say above, in relation to their own condition, their own problems and situations. This essay, as I say, of fifty A-4 pages(font-14) is written: (a) for doctors and various medical professionals who have dealt with or will come to deal with my disorder and who are now, at this present time, involved with my treatment, (b) for internet sites and those registered/inquirers on the www at a range of health and mental health sites, especially the sections of sites dealing with depression(D), MD and BPD, (c) some of my relatives, friends and associations over the years with whom I still have contact in these years of my late adulthood(60-80) and to whom it seemed relevant to give such a statement; (d) for government departments, voluntary organizations, interest groups and Baha’i institutions who require such statements for reasons associated with our relationships and interactions; and (e) for myself as a reflection, for my own satisfaction, to put into words the story, the results, of an illness, a sickness, a disorder that has influenced my life for over six decades.
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(DEPENDING ON RESPONSE OF THIS SITE'S READERS)

Ron, if you have a question please ask it. If not, this thread will be closed. AnswerPool is not a site for publishing papers.

My intent with this post, DorianGreyed, was to initiate a dialogue on the subject of bipolar disorder. It would seem that the style of my initial posts is outside the conventions set at this site. For that I apologize. If dialogue is not initiated, as is the case in this thread, then that initate post has been wasted--at leas to some extent.

Arguing differently, I have found this initial post has solicited much relevant dialogue at many a BPD, depression and mental illness site. At these sites, my initial post is not seen as "a paper." Anyway, I take your point and will try and post shorter items in future.-Ron