I'm sitting here looking at the Farmers' Almanac prediction that we are going to have a harsh winter here in Maryland. I sat out on my front porch today loving nature and noticing that already leaves are falling. That is kind of early for that. Uh-oh, I thought, they are right. It will be cold this winter and you could tell.
Thinking about the Farmers' Almanac made me think about being Bipolar and how I can predict when an episode is coming along. It is not anything mystical or magical either. I guess it is like a person with diabetes knows when their insulin needs adjustment. Maybe the way a person with high blood pressure knows his or her pressure is up when his or her fingers puff up or the headaches. I don't exactly know.
What I do know is that my body sends me signals when my biological polar is excessively shifting up or down. That gives me time to implement my mental wellness emergency plan. Now, it was not always like this. The early years were rough with me being up and down all the time. When I began to take control of my brain disorder as much as possible, I began paying attention to my stressors and early warnings. One of the main things I experience is intense and extreme feelings of fear. I become very, very afraid for a few days. I jump out of my skin at the sight of an ant. I also become paranoid easily.
Now, take the Thurgood Marshall episode. I began talking rapidly or should I say preaching rapidly about civil rights, etc. in the house. I called my aunt and was doing this. She is on my "close family emergency contact" list. She knew something was amiss within a few minutes. She suggested we go have lunch and talk "all" about it. When she arrived at my home, she suggested we stop at the hospital to pick up my medicine and then go to lunch. In short, she got me to the hospital before any harm was done (the only place I could claim to be Mrs. Marshall was in the hospital).
Why did I have this episode? I was very angry about being laid off from my job and that triggered the episode. Emotions are generated by brain chemicals. Since I already have a brain disorder, the chemicals went out of balance causing my episode.
What happened in the hospital? I was admitted and observed for 48 hours. During that time, my medications were adjusted. As the medicines were absorbed, my reality returned. Once it was evident that I was no longer experiencing manic depression (grandiosity) and was not a danger to myself/others, I was discharged. The next several days I slept a lot from the medicine adjustment and gradually resumed my life.
So, I say, "yes," anybody with any type of illness, can recognize the early warning symptoms associated with the illness because they learn their body in a state of wellness and illness and know the difference. I also say that anybody with an illness must be disciplined to act responsibly.
Today, I wish everybody suffering with Bipolar symptoms seek mental healthcare. Can you predict when something is about to go wrong with your body?
Find a mental healthcare professional in your area by visiting: the National Medical Association at
www.nmet.org; the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) at
www.dbsaalliance.org., DRADA
Agnes ~ Too Wise Not To Praise Him!
Author of "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 0975461206 Winter Release Pending -
www.myspace.com/coolingwellwater
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, August 25th 2008 at 4:35AM
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