Ketamine is now being used to treat bipolar depression in clinical trials. First developed for use as an animal tranquilizer, the anesthetic is also known by its street name, Special K. It is used recreationally to enhance the experience of being at a rave or club, producing euphoria and hallucinations.
An Unquiet Mind, a galvanizing memoir that tugs at the heartstrings of the manic-depressed and their loved ones, is required reading for anyone who is bipolar or who has a loved one who is. My family and I read it cover-to-cover within weeks of my diagnosis.
In this excerpt from The Eccentrics – my book out in 2016 – we meet Jennifer, a coke-head musician who finds solace in punk rock and classical music.
Marilyn Monroe is one of the most iconic celebrities in American history. She’s right up there with Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson for her fame fingerprint. Her face is emblazoned in the pantheons of art history as the beautiful subject of many Andy Warhol screenprints. She was the ultimate sex symbol – Playboy magazine’s…
Ian is a 41-year-old graphic designer and aspiring art therapist. In this excerpt from my book The Eccentrics – out in 2016 – we hear about his mostly innocent childhood and how drugs and alcohol nearly ruined his life.
I’m not the best role model when it comes to coping with bad days. Oftentimes I will take a nap, but that’s just an easy way out. However, I find that any of these five action steps can help relieve the pain of a bad day.
We are depressed. We are manic. Creative and courageous. Enigmatic. Quirky. We are bipolar and today we are proud. Today is our day. World Bipolar Day.
A scathing article in The Atlantic dissects the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, pointing out its flaws and advocating for a more medical approach to treating alcoholism. I read the 8,000-plus-word piece so you don’t have to. And I’ve got to say, while she’s got some points here, I hardly believe her assessment of the AA program.
Author of nine novels, six short story compilations, and 14 nonfiction books, Woolf is one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century. And she was very self-aware of her mental illness.
Bipolar and depression are completely different, yet similar, diseases. Depression is one component of bipolar, formerly called manic depression.
