This is why I feel privileged to be able to afford a psychiatrist every few months.
One third of all South Africans have mental illnesses – and 75% of them will not get any kind of help.
source
The earlier the onset of a major psychiatric disorder, the greater the risk of dementia. Source Long term lithium (sounds like a good name for a folk singer) reduces the risk.
Interesting – dreams as subsyndromal symptoms? Might be useful.
Bipolar patients report bizarre dreams with death and injury themes before their shift to mania (Beauchemin and Hays, 1995). Beauchemin and Hays (1996) found that dreams of bipolar depressed patients have more anxiety than those of unipolar patients. Dreams of bipolar patients, particularly those with rapid cycling, may show evidence of the subsequent shift prior to noticeable affective and behavioral changes (Frayn, 1991).
does bipolar affect dreams?
They’re researching bipolar in dogs. Thanks for that, but howzabout you research a cure for bipolar in humans first? Improved palliative treatment, even.
It’s Sunday and here is something of a secular sermon (I’m all about alliteration). Believable positivity from veteran bipolar blogger Natasha Tracy.
I don’t know how I kept trying over the years when nothing (even ECT) worked. It’s just persistence. It’s just a tiny candle flame inside your soul that says that life is not supposed to be like this. Life is not just pain. Life can and will be better. But you have to try. And try and try and try.
… and some decent strategies for picking up the pieces when it’s all gone horribly wrong (yeah I see you nodding there).
