The Positive Side of Bipolar Disorder It took me a long time to reach a place where I could genuinely see what positives might have come from having bipolar disorder. I'm not here to put a fake positive slant on what is, let's be honest, a very horrible condition. But, in a media drowned out by bad news, I want to take a bit of time to share some of the silver linings that I have found in bipolar disorder. I am not someone who forces themselves to be positive, but I think this is an area that deserves more attention. Growing up, I remember my Dad saying to me, "Ollie, no one ever said it was going to be easy." He was refering to life, and his words used to frustrate me. But it turned out that he had a point. My life, and I am guessing yours, hasn't been as easy as we would have hoped or expected. I wonder if anyone's life really is? These days, it seems naive to think that life should be without challenges. It seems a bit "cloud cuckoo land" to ...
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My Ketogenic Diet Journey with Bipolar Disorder Have you ever wondered how a diet can improve, and even alleviate, chronic mental health issues? In this blog I want to share my journey with the ketogenic diet, which has made a huge positive difference to my symptoms and my life. My name is Oliver Seligman. I'm the author of Befriending Bipolar: A Patient's Perspective, and I'm currently studying a Masters at Edinburgh University in the psychology of mental health. I've lived with bipolar disorder for 30 years, tried many treatments and medications, and so far the ketogenic diet has had the most profound effect on me. How It Started About a year and a half ago, Glasgow and Edinburgh University were looking for participants for the first pilot study of the ketogenic diet and its effects on people with bipolar. I was excited by the idea and volunteered. There were 26 participants who ate a modified ketogenic diet for six to eight weeks. What Is the Modified Ketogenic Diet?...
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What is it like to experience an agitated mania? It is very difficult to imagine an inner state we have not experienced for ourselves. Whether this is a state of depression, psychosis, mania or hypomania. We can read the most beautiful love stories, but until our heart misses a beat when hearing the footfalls of a lover, we don’t know what it is like to be in love. In this blog I will try to give an insight into how I experience the mania of bipolar disorder type one. My manias have always manifested in two ways: either as heaven-sent, supremely pleasurable euphorias (see my previous blog titled " What is it like to experience an agitated mania?". Or as terrifying inner battles where an assault of negative thoughts rips my sanity to pieces. In this blog I shall describe the characteristics of the euphoric manias I have experienced, and in the next blog I shall do the same for the agitated manias. Agitated mania: Imagine it is Monday morning. It is cold, pouring with rain, a...
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What is it like to experience a euphoric mania? It is nearly impossible to imagine a state of consciousness we have not experienced for ourselves. We can read the most beautiful love stories, but until our heart misses a beat when hearing the footfalls of a lover, we don’t know what it is like to be in love. In this blog I will try to give an insight into how I experience the mania of bipolar disorder type one. My manias have always manifested in two ways: either as heaven-sent, supremely pleasurable euphorias, or as terrifying inner battles where an assault of negative thoughts rips my sanity to pieces. In this blog I shall describe the characteristics of the euphoric manias I have experienced, and in the next blog I shall do the same for the agitated manias. Euphoric mania: Experiencing a euphoric mania is an astonishing feeling. As the name suggests, a euphoric mania feels wonderful beyond words. Being enveloped by what feels like a divine state makes me blissfully happy,...
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Are there any silver linings within bipolar disorder? If I could wave a magic wand and be healed of bipolar disorder, I would wave it without a second’s thought. Some people say they would miss the highs, some say they couldn't live without the creativity and drive that the illness sometimes brings. I am not like those people. I would rid myself of this illness in a heartbeat if I had the magic want. Alas, I don’t have such a wand. However, rather than be beaten down by one of life's challenges, after many years I have come to the conclusion that challenges are a part of being human. They seem to be built into the fabric of life. So, for me, it has been about doing my best to face up to the challenges which life throws at me. We may not desire them, but very few of us escape them. In this blog I would like to share a list of traits that have developed from the challenges that bipolar disorder has thrown my way. Courage: A wise person once said, "Courage is not an absen...
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A Short Ramble about Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression) is an illness that more and more people are talking about. It has inspired films like Silver Linings Playbook, Mr Jones and Touched with Fire. The extremes of some bipolar episodes can intrigue, scare and repel. However bipolar can also bless us with creativity, intelligence, charm, sensitivity and a way of seeing the world which is unique. So unique that many of the most influential men and women in history have been diagnosed with, or suspected of having, bipolar. Throughout history, many talented individuals may have lived with bipolar disorder. Such geniuses as Vincent Van Gogh, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frank Sinatra, Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill and Isaac Newton were all either The world would be a much poorer place without them. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (manic depression) in 1993. It has been a long journey with many twists and turns...