Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Rumi - Cry Out in your Weakness...
Some days, you eat the Bear. Some days, the Bear eats you. Most days, I'm Bear food. Today, like many days, I wake up in the pain. The emotional pain and the physical pain of being eaten by the bear.
I've read so many stories of over comers. I seek them out. I long for the inspiration that they provide. Those who have over come their physical limitations, those who have over come the trials of their mental limitations. I'm always happy for each and everyone of those people. I want to grow up and be like those people. It's just that well most of the time for me anyway, I'm eaten more then I eat.
Don't get me wrong. On some days, and on some levels I too have "over come". But, on most days and on so many levels... I can't get up to eat the bear so I lay there knowing the Bear will eventually eat me. When the Bear bites it hurts. It hurts on the inside and the outside. When I go to the doctor to discuss the Bear and he asked a very rudimentary question like... "Tell me where it hurts?" Which in itself is straight forward and uncomplicated..."Just tell me where it hurts?" I'm speechless. How can I explain to him/her that by the time I've dragged my body and tricked my mind into getting to their office I'm much to weak to tell him/her much less explain that all of it, all over it, deep inside of it, outside of it, up on top of it, and underneath all of it... it hurts.
I've read so many stories of over comers. I seek them out. I long for the inspiration that they provide. Those who have over come their physical limitations, those who have over come the trials of their mental limitations. I'm always happy for each and everyone of those people. I want to grow up and be like those people. It's just that well most of the time for me anyway, I'm eaten more then I eat.
Don't get me wrong. On some days, and on some levels I too have "over come". But, on most days and on so many levels... I can't get up to eat the bear so I lay there knowing the Bear will eventually eat me. When the Bear bites it hurts. It hurts on the inside and the outside. When I go to the doctor to discuss the Bear and he asked a very rudimentary question like... "Tell me where it hurts?" Which in itself is straight forward and uncomplicated..."Just tell me where it hurts?" I'm speechless. How can I explain to him/her that by the time I've dragged my body and tricked my mind into getting to their office I'm much to weak to tell him/her much less explain that all of it, all over it, deep inside of it, outside of it, up on top of it, and underneath all of it... it hurts.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
African American's with Bipolar suffer in silence
Black and Bipolar
72 Hour Hold is a novel written by Bebe Moore Campbell
Continue reading on Examiner.com Black and Bipolar - Chicago Bipolar | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/bipolar-in-chicago/black-and-bipolar#ixzz1qkw6ixAG
Credits:
The book cover to 72 Hour Hold
Far too often, those who suffer Bipolar Disorder suffer in silence. And most Black Americans choose to bear the weight of their illness alone rather than risk being ostracized for something that’s clearly out of their control. Blacks are less likely to receive a diagnosis and, therefore, treatment for this illness. Recent research shows that many blacks see mental illness as shameful and delay treatment until symptoms reach crisis proportions. They don’t feel comfortable telling anyone anything about their condition and that just leads to social isolation and making them feel even worse.
Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is a brain disorder that causes shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can result in damaged relationships, difficulty in working or going to school, and even suicide. The condition causes severe mood swings which can last several weeks or even months. It can become your identity if you allow it. The lows can make sufferers feel intense depression and despair, while the highs lead to 'manic' feelings of joy, over-activity and loss of inhibitions.
There are many factors that have contributed to Blacks not receiving help for bipolar disorder:
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness but if well managed with help from family, friends and health professionals, a person with bipolar can lead a productive and satisfying life. You can learn further information on bipolar disorder at http://www.dbsalliance.org.
Unsurprisingly there isn’t a great deal of information on minorities with mental illness. Author Bebe Moore Campbell wrote “72 hour hold;” a novel that focuses on the black experience of an adult daughter and her family's experience with the onset of bipolar disorder. She also wrote a children’s book “Sometimes my mother gets angry” about a young black girl learning to cope with her bipolar mother.
You may contact the National Medical Association for a list of African American doctors at www.nmanet.org or call Black Psychiatrists of America at (510) 834-7103.
Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is a brain disorder that causes shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can result in damaged relationships, difficulty in working or going to school, and even suicide. The condition causes severe mood swings which can last several weeks or even months. It can become your identity if you allow it. The lows can make sufferers feel intense depression and despair, while the highs lead to 'manic' feelings of joy, over-activity and loss of inhibitions.
There are many factors that have contributed to Blacks not receiving help for bipolar disorder:
- There’s a mistrust of health care professionals, based on historically higher-than-average institutionalization of Blacks with mental illness.
- Black Americans have socioeconomic factors which limit access to medical and mental health care.
- They rely on family and/or the black religious community rather than trained mental health care professionals.
- Blacks have been known to believe that having a mental illness is due to some kind of personal weakness.
- Fear of the stigma of people making negative remarks about persons with a mental illness.
- The assumption that a person with bipolar disorder could be violent or dangerous.
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness but if well managed with help from family, friends and health professionals, a person with bipolar can lead a productive and satisfying life. You can learn further information on bipolar disorder at http://www.dbsalliance.org.
Unsurprisingly there isn’t a great deal of information on minorities with mental illness. Author Bebe Moore Campbell wrote “72 hour hold;” a novel that focuses on the black experience of an adult daughter and her family's experience with the onset of bipolar disorder. She also wrote a children’s book “Sometimes my mother gets angry” about a young black girl learning to cope with her bipolar mother.
You may contact the National Medical Association for a list of African American doctors at www.nmanet.org or call Black Psychiatrists of America at (510) 834-7103.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Black and Bipolar - Chicago Bipolar | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/bipolar-in-chicago/black-and-bipolar#ixzz1qkw6ixAG
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