I am going to tell you a short story about Silas B. Silas has a mental illness that goes by the name of Bipolar 1 Disorder. That means she has serious shifts in her mood, energy, thinking, and behavior. That go from a high mania on one extreme, to the low end of depression on the other extreme.
These are more than just bad moods, they are cycles of bipolar disorder that lasts for days or even months with normal periods in between. This mood changes interfere with her ability to function normally. Sometimes bipolar disorder is� severe enough, disability is the only path to stabilization. I am going to describe an episode Silas� had one day that turned into several days and then into weeks.
The Story Goes Something Like This...
Yesterday was a pleasant day for Silas. The day before that was an even better day. And before that day, better than she could even imagine. The good days went on for days, turning into weeks. Beautiful pleasure filled weeks. Silas was in such a flawless mood, she felt she could fly, actually fly.
She told her friends she wanted to sail a ship around the world. She felt like she was standing on the highest mountain top reaching high into the sky. Free as a bird. Life for Silas could get no better, it was absolutely perfect. She felt as if life was as good as it ever was going to be. Manic wonder is what it was.
Each brilliant day filled with so much excitement Silas thought she would burst from the excitement she felt in her heart. She shopped, she bought clothes, shoes, a computer, furniture, bedding, gifts, even plane tickets to a nice beach resort.
Silas was having fun meeting people, tanning and drinking, living it up on the beach she could not remember the name. Suddenly after she embarked into lonliness, she immediately sought out the local night clubs for affection. Wild and unforgettable sex with strangers made it even more exciting her. It didn't matter that it was dangerous, She only cared that she needed to feel bound to some other soul besides her own. She didn't want to feel lonely at a beach resort where she was supposed to be happy.
Several days had passed. Silas sprung into a crappy and irritated mood. She complained her ears were ringing and people were whispering in her head. Her little vacation was beginning to bore her. It was not so fun and exciting anymore. People were getting on her nerves. She wanted to stay in her room.
Before long all Silas wanted to do was sleep. She soon begin to contemplate about death and dying. She hated everything she loved just a few days before. Silas was crying herself to sleep day and night. Life suddenly didn't make sense again, it was just a dreary rollercoaster ride.
Silas decided it was time to go home. She developed a deep remorse for her actions. She worried about sleeping with strangers without protection. She spent too much money-once again.
Silas was not answering her cell phone, this worried her family and friends. Her drinking had become a problem, she was mixing alcohol with her medications with very little thought to what might happen. She wanted to evaporate.
But what eventually took place, was a trip to the emergency room, because she wanted to kill herself. She was then admitted to the psychiatric ward. Detoxed off alcohol and her bipolar medications adjusted. The very same ones she quit taking because she felt drinking served a better purpose.
Silas spent three weeks in the psychiatric hospital getting properly medicated. She soon began to exit the dark place she plunged into. The mania melted away, and the depression was fading. � With bipolar your wish is that you can stay stable all the time. Some people actually take medications and stay stable without frequent cycling in between. Still some people like Silas have breakthrough cycles even with medications. Medications often stop working, so they have to initiate other medications. Finding the right combination that works best for them.
This is how life is for someone with bipolar. For someone like Silas. This is just one episode out of many. Each one is different, yet similar.� Some people, like Silas, hear voices or have hallucinations. There is rage, and many have black-outs as well.
Bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is an illness not completely understood.It can be treated with medications like mood stabilizers, antidepressants and sometimes antipsychotics. Therapy is also part of a successful treatment plan.
Silas lives with bipolar disorder, challenging it everyday. She takes her medication, sees a psychiatrist, talks with a therapist, has some healthy coping skills, and a solid support system, and lives a full life while managing your symptoms.
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