#shawleveryday2019 Day 18
Today's post comes from my husband Brian. It's a longer read, but I encourage you to take the time to go through the whole thing. The article he is referencing is from bphope titled Bipolar: Blessing or Curse? If you have any questions for him, feel free to comment and I will share it with him.
"This article isn't worth reading. It's trash and low effort trash at that. But the sentiment is one that I feel like needs to be addressed. There is a romanticization of mental illness that perpetuates a deep misunderstanding of the experience of the majority of people that have mental health issues. So I'll answer the question posed, bipolar disorder is a curse. Full stop. There are so few Silver Lining Playbooks that they are hardly worth mentioning. For most of us we have to, at some level, examine every part of our lives and remain vigilant to stay healthy. Am I eating right? Am I sleeping enough? Did I take my meds and are the side effects manageable? I haven't talked to my friends in a week, are we just busy or am I withdrawing in a way that is going to turn dark? The amount of self examination just to stay at baseline can be exhausting.
Even those held up as “blessed” in the article tell a story that is anything but. Virginia Woolf and Vincent van Gogh both died of suicide; Winston Churchill and Ludwig van Beethoven struggled with substance abuse for their entire lives. If those are the blessings of bipolar disorder then keep them.
I want to be careful with how I'm explaining this, because a person with bipolar disorder can lead just as fulfilling a life, full of meaningful relationships as someone who is not experiencing any mental health issues. But the idea that bipolar disorder is enhancing our lives and that we are "blessed" for it is nonsense and dangerous nonsense.
As always, if you have questions or anything you'd like to discuss about bipolar disorder or mental health broadly I’d like to encourage you to comment here or message me privately. Everyone’s journey is their own but I’ll do my best to explain from my experience."
Details about this cowl
Brygga cowl pattern
