Fawn & Lamb

Today is World Bipolar Day. What is bipolar disorder?   "The word bipolar means "two extremes." For the many millions experiencing bipolar disorder around the world, life is split between two different realities: elation and depression. Although there are many variations of bipolar disorder, let's consider a couple. Type 1 has extreme highs alongside the lows, while Type 2 involves briefer, less extreme periods of elation, interspersed with long periods of depression." - TED-Ed TED-Ed: What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar is painful, scary, unsettling, and marked with feelings of desiring suicide, feeling worthless, and silent suffering. What causes bipolar disorder? "Researchers think a key player is the brain's intricate wiring. Healthy brains maintain strong connections between neurons thanks to the brain's continuous efforts to prune itself and remove unused or faulty neural connections. This process is important because our neural pa...

Comic by the amazing Chuckdrawsthings Look, I haven't nailed this medication thing down perfectly yet. When I first started taking medication back at the end of 2014, I didn't know the best options for me. I began on 20 to 40 milligrams of Prozac (fluoxetine),  a generic med for depression. It worked for over a year before it stopped affecting my panic attacks and depression and I was back at square one. I kept taking it while exploring more options - what could work? And of course I got.... Yoga! Natural herbs! Aromatherapy! Natural mood enhancers! Essential oils! Vitamins! Hiking!  All those things are great, but they are not great for everyone . Mental illness does not have a one-size-fits-all cure or help. And despite popular opinions.... medications are very helpful . Not harmful.  Many people strongly believe that the pharmacy corporation's goal is to brainwash us and make us sheep and slaves to medication. They believe medication is pumped full of ...

An essay I wrote for a scholarship contest. ------------------------ I walk the fine line of bipolar disorder, one that has cut a raw, jagged scar deep into my heart and mind. I’ve been teetering on this tightrope since I was six years old and held a pink jump rope, considering how to hang myself from the tree outside my father’s house with it. I feel too deeply and have tried again and again to cram my feelings into bottles, neatly lining the shelves of my mind, secretly hoping they stay contained and away. But one by one, the screws loosened, and the bottles shattered on the floor of my mind, spilling their poisonous contents down into my soul. I became angry, depressed, suicidal, and isolated. I began taking medication, something I had been warned against by my church, family, and friends. They claimed it was a slippery slope, one that could lead to addiction and problems with being able to fight the illness on my own. I had to learn to lock those voices out and pursue my ...