DARK GLASSES AND KALEIDOSCOPES
An Educational Workshop about Bipolar Disorder
If you have just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you are probably feeling a number of emotions right now. You might wonder about the symptoms of the disorder. You might feel confused about how an illness such as this one occurs and what causes it. You might be feeling the grief that naturally occurs with the prognosis that accompanies a chronic mental illness. You may feel that your life or the lives of your loved ones will never quite be the same.
The information provided in this NAMI sponsored class will be helpful in giving you an education about the illness of the brain called bipolar disorder. By observing those who have experienced the illness and have learned to cope with it on a daily basis, you may be able to gain insight and hope in living with bipolar disorder.
THE FACTS: Bipolar disorder results from chemical imbalances in the brain. It is not caused by poor parenting nor is it a personality defect. Simply, bipolar disorder is like any other illness of an organ in the human body. This one, however, involves body chemistry. The abnormal chemistry of bipolar disorder impairs brain function in the same way that too much or too little of other body chemicals damage the heart, kidneys, or liver.
Just like people with heart disease may have a serious heart attack, people with a brain disorder will have periods when the illness rears its ugly head, and they experience the restlessness of mania or the deep lethargy which accompanies a depressive episode.
The illness can be compared to somewhat like having two pairs of sunglasses. One pair 'turns the world into a marvelous kaleidoscope... a center of high energy and excitement.' The person who wears these glasses can feel on top of the world- but only for awhile. This is a manic state and it is a period of intense energy. The individual feels that he/she is highly creative and has no need for sleep. The manic state can be very pleasant to the person who is experiencing it. However, after these intense and exciting periods, things can change drastically and a person can experience a period of deep sadness. A feeling of worthlessness and hopelessness may replace the ecstatic highs of mania. The kaleidoscopes are replaced by dark glasses.
The Dark Glasses and Kaleidoscopes workshop explores the different stages of bipolar disorder and teaches those affected by it how to deal with the highs and lows of this mental illness. The class is geared for those affected by bipolar and is taught by a NAMI trained instructor.
If you are interested in attending the Dark Glasses and Kaleidoscopes class in your area, please contact Linda Zweifel at (888) 833-6264 or e-mail her at :
linda@texami.org http://texas.nami.org/DKG.htm
Dark Glasses and Kaleidoscopes:, Living with Manic Depression |
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Depression Forums - A Depression & Mental Health Community Support Group > OTHER DEPRESSION & ANXIETY RELATED ILLNESSES > Bipolar Disorders (Manic Depression)
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Nov 11 2004, 10:24 AM
