Bipolar Disorder

A writer in Michigan sheds some light on what it’s like to have bipolar disorder and the importance of effective treatment:

“…What does this mean: it means that without being on medication and taking care of myself the way I do my personality can go from very highs to very lows.

The truth was that it was really a chemical imbalance in my brain that I had no control over. It was an element that my body was lacking. To be exact it was a little pill called lithium that my body didn't have enough of. Easy enough. Take a pill and things would be better.

It sure beat either acting like I had super powers or sitting alone in my room crying for no specific reason.

I do not go around advertising that I have this disease nor, up until now, have too many people in my life known this. I suppose the reason I am talking about it now is because there have been so many people in recent years that have done crazy things when off their medication.

Not everyone with this problem is violent to either themselves or to others. There are a lot of people in the world who can lead perfectly good lives, take their medication, monitor their blood and never show any signs of this at all."