How Mariel Hemingway Handles Her Depression and the Family Curse - But Does This Apply to Us?
Today’s NY Times Magazine features an article, The Importance of Not Being Ernest, on the actress Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of the writer Ernest Hemingway. A quick family history:
Ernest Hemingway was a heavy drinker who suffered frequent bouts of depression. At age 61, he shot himself in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun. His father also committed suicide, as did his brother and sister and first wife’s father. Another... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 27, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Living Well With Bipolar: Dealing With Unexpected and Inevitable Black Swans
I recently posted two pieces (here and here) about what “successful” patients do to manage their bipolar. These were based on two studies in which the researchers solicited the wisdom and insights of those with a bipolar diagnosis.
These “stay well” strategies place a lot of emphasis on mindfully spotting trouble before it happens and then acting fast. This is not a technique that can be learned overnight,... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 27, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Living Well With Bipolar: What "Successful" Patients Do - A Quick Follow-Up
Yesterday, I posted about two studies that documented what “successful patients” did to stay well. This included a high awareness of what was going on inside their brains and around them and adjusting accordingly, plus paying attention to sleep and taking strategic rests, not to mention building connections.
As for meds, I wrote:
Most intriguing, there was little emphasis on meds, and one can see the logic in... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 21, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Living Well With Bipolar: What "Successful Patients Do - Two Important Studies
Last week, I was on a conference call that involved an international group of bipolar experts and advocates. One of the topics that came up was how researchers tend to ask the wrong questions. This is very easy to do if you don’t consult the people you purport to study.
Actually, I’m aware of only two studies where the researchers actually sought out bipolar patients for their wisdom and insight. After the call, I sent a... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 20, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Living Well With Bipolar: What "Successful" Patients Do - Two Important Studies
Last week, I was on a conference call that involved an international group of bipolar experts and advocates. One of the topics that came up was how researchers tend to ask the wrong questions. This is very easy to do if you don’t consult the people you purport to study.
Actually, I’m aware of only two studies where the researchers actually sought out bipolar patients for their wisdom and insight. After the call, I sent a... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 20, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Living the Bipolar Challenge; A Personal Note
A quick note ...
In a few minutes, I will be packing my bags for a four-day stay in New York City. This involves a cross-country flight, major time zone shifts, and extreme disruptions in sleep and circadian rhythms.
It’s been at least two years since I’ve traveled cross-country. I used to do a lot more of it, but I cut back in a major way about six years ago when I realized I was pressing my luck. The final straw was a... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 10, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
My Bipolar Quest for Identity
It’s almost exactly eight years since I first started writing about bipolar here on HealthCentral. What I wrote about back in 2005 very much accords with how I perceive the illness today and how I manage my daily challenges, but one thing has fundamentally changed:
Eight years ago, I was an outsider trying to fit into the world of “normal.” Somewhere along the line, I dropped the pretense.
This is an issue... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 10, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Facebook on Thursday
Quick note: On Thursday, Oct 10 at 2 PM EST, I will be hosting a live one-hour chat on HealthCental's Facebook page.
You can post your questions 45 minutes in advance of the chat.
The topic is wide-open, So please feel free to ask what is on your mind.
See you there ... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 10, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Thursday on Facebook
Quick note: On Thursday, Oct 10 at 2 PM EST, I will be hosting a live one-hour chat on HealthCental's Facebook page.
You can post your questions 45 minutes in advance of the chat.
Please don't ask me anything where I have to type in "ophthalmologist."
See you there ... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 10, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Your Relationship Insights: The Bipolar Question of the Week
This is a quick post on relationships ...
Okay, so today I was in the supermarket check-out line. “Don’t take too much money off of me,” I joked to the cashier. But when you run out of five flavors of tea bags at the same time, you know you are going to get hit hard.
Then there was the matter of the razor blades. I swear - I have paid less for dental work than what I shelled out for these babies. For what I... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 6, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
The Optimist vs the Depressive Realist - Who is the Rational One in the Room?
In my seven years of writing about bipolar here on HealthCentral, I have never posted on the topic of optimism. Better late than never ...
“Optimism,” declared Voltaire in Candide, “is the madness of insisting all is well when we are miserable.”
Yet, psychology claims otherwise, and to a certain extent they have a point. Optimists live longer, are healthier, happier, and - of course - less depressed.... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 5, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Using Our Bipolar Radar: Our Best Protection
This is a post about protecting ourselves from bad situations, and how I failed to do it last week ...
One can make a strong case that our illness confers a certain heightened awareness that others view as uncanny or strange. The brain science strongly suggests that we aren’t as selective as the chronically normal in filtering out our environment. We notice a lot more that goes on around us. Plus, it seems, we have the ability to... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 1, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
A Short Tchaikovsky Appreciation
In about two weeks, I will be at New York’s Lincoln Center, attending a Met Opera performance of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.
This is my excuse to wax poetic about one of my favorite composers. No one can put together a melody like Tchaikovsky. None renders emotion in music with such overwhelming force. Very few are as accessible to the public at large.
Tchaikovsky was the first composer I fell in love with, and because... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 1, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Antidepressants Over the Medium and Long Term: Little to No Evidence
Last month, in two posts - Antidepressants: the Evidence and Antidepressants Over the Short Term - we examined the scientific evidence for treating depression with antidepressants. I principally relied on three major clinical treatment guidelines that were published over 2009-2010.
These included the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder, the... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - October 1, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
Rethinking Stress: Part II
This post is a follow-up from last week’s post, Rethinking Stress, that took a counter-intuitive look at stress. We know that stress looms large in physical and mental illness, but recent studies suggest that stress is in the eye of the beholder. In other words, if we don’t perceive a certain event in our lives as stressful, then our bodies and brains tend to respond in a healthy way.
Knowing this, we can work to improve our... (Source: John McManamy's SharePosts)
Source: John McManamy's SharePosts - September 29, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: John McManamy Source Type: blogs
