Tag Archives: Mania

Scream if you want to go higher

Posted on August 25, 2019 by purplepersuasion

It is often said that people with severe mental health problems exhibit poor compliance with drug regimens. I loathe that word, compliance. The only time I ever felt really annoyed at my CMHT consultant in London was when he said … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Drugs, Hypomania, Mania, Medication, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scream if you want to go higher

Blessed or distressed? Bipolar and creativity

Posted on March 31, 2016 by purplepersuasion

Bipolar people can get fed up with the whole creativity thing. There’s such an expectation that we’re all going to be “tortured geniuses” that if you don’t feel creativity is a part of your make up, you can almost feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Hospital, Hypomania, Inpatient care, Mania, Memoir, Mental health, Mental health services, Mindfulness, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychiatry, Self-management, Social media, Suicidal thought, Suicide, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Don’t fence me in: 10 signs of hypomania you won’t find in a textbook

Posted on June 19, 2015 by purplepersuasion

Whenever I tell a new doctor that I’m hypomanic they ask me to describe what I mean when I use that word. I hate the question, because it’s glaringly obvious that they’re assessing my answers against criteria they have in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Hypomania, Mania, Self-management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Hypomanic hangover

Posted on November 17, 2014 by purplepersuasion

One of the unexpected benefits of being on antipsychotics is that I’ve not had a hangover since 2011. Being that bizarre hybrid creature “an extravert with a degree of social anxiety”, in the past I often used to find myself … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Bipolar highs: a runaway train

Posted on May 14, 2013 by purplepersuasion

I’ve been delivering talks to delegates on Mind training for almost a year now. I’ve been invited to speak at a range of different courses run by Mind – many have been “open access” courses that anyone with an interest … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Don’t manufacture my meaning: a response to Darian Leader

Posted on April 29, 2013 by purplepersuasion

Does illness have a meaning? Does mental distress represent underlying patterns? In experiencing the major mood shifts that constitute bipolar disorder, are we playing out unconscious thoughts or feelings from our earliest years? Darian Leader, writing in the Guardian (Bipolar … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

OK, I’ll admit it – I hate the Silver Linings Playbook

Posted on February 23, 2013 by purplepersuasion

A few weeks ago, I went to see the film Silver Linings Playbook with a friend. I was looking forward to it, because I’d heard such good things about its treatment of bipolar. However, about ten minutes in I began … Continue reading →

Posted in Film and TV, Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Sharing my self-management plan

Posted on February 19, 2013 by purplepersuasion

It’s fair to say that when I first sought treatment for my most recent bipolar episode back in May 2011, I wanted my psychiatrist to fix me. I’d heard so much about how “treatable” bipolar was, I was sure that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

What not to ask… a letter to my non-bipolar friends

Posted on December 20, 2012 by purplepersuasion

    When friends know you are sick, it’s natural that they should want to help. I am very pleased to say that I have never found bipolar an exception to that rule. I know, and I’m sorry, that some people … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Completely controllable? The truth about the bipolar controllability myth

Posted on November 21, 2012 by purplepersuasion

Wherever I’ve been on the internet over the past few days, I keep seeing this headline: “With my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow sufferers will know it’s completely controllable.”- Catherine Zeta-Jones. The story had been widely reported following her … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments