“I have bipolar disorder, and no, I’m not crazy.” June 2011 Journal Heidi Nordin, Minnesota Published in the May Women’s Day magazine [email protected] www.namigdm.org Box 12174, Des Moines 50312 (515) 277-0672 Several years ago, shortly after I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I was chatting at an Easter “Support, Education and Advocacy” celebration when a family member turned to me and Serving Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties said, ―You know, I don‘t think mental illness is real. I Mission statement don‘t know why you bother taking medication.‖ Empowering individuals, families and community by providing I was so dumbstruck that I just turned and walked away. I couldn‘t hope and education about brain disorders help but wonder if I had made a mistake in telling him in the first Join NAMI with a single click of your mouse! place. When I was first diagnosed in 2000, I didn‘t tell anyone for the Become a member at the local, state, and national level. first year because I was afraid they would think less of me. When I www.namigdm.org (click on white ―donate or join‖ box in lower finally told my family, they initially seemed to be receptive. right of the screen) - or - www.nami.org/JOIN For the most part, my condition is well controlled. But I have several Business Meeting episodes every year, and each one can last for months. (Medication Our next Business meeting will be at 3:30 does help, but I often have to change doses and switch to different P.M. on Thursday, June 9, at Westminster ones.) When I‘m severely depressed, I don‘t want to leave the Presbyterian Church, 4114 Allison Avenue, house. Reading or even getting out of bed seems like too much Des Moines. The church is located at the effort. When I‘m in a manic phase, I become very impulsive. Once I corner of Franklin and Beaver Avenue. We will be in the Seminary bought an $8,000 motorcycle that I didn‘t know how to ride. I‘ve Center which is the first room as you come into the building from since taken lessons and I love it, but that was a lot of money to spend without really thinking about it. the South Franklin Street entrance. Letters to the Editor Given how I feel when I‘m experiencing an episode, I can‘t believe that some people don‘t accept that mental illness is real. Plus, You are welcome to send letters to the editor by mail or E-mail. research shows that chemical imbalances in the brain cause this If you receive our newsletter by e-mail and would rather receive it illness. It‘s not something you bring on yourself; why would anyone by snail mail – or vice versa – communicate your preference to: choose to live or feel this way? Teresa Bomhoff, Box 12174, Des Moines, Iowa 50312 or E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Still, I‘m cautious about whom I confide in. Once when I was on the NAMI Greater Des Moines is the local affiliate 515-277-0672 way to a restaurant with a group of friends, we passed a homeless NAMI Iowa Office is the state affiliate 254-0417 or toll free 1-800- person. One of them said something like, ―Did you see that crazy 417-0417 www.namiiowa.org guy?‖ In my head, I was thinking about how that person probably NAMI National www.nami.org Help Line 1-800-950-6264 M-F 10-6 has a mental illness and needs help. But if I‘d said anything, they Each level of the organization is a separate 501(c) (3) probably would‘ve thought that there was something wrong with me too. July 2011 NAMI National Convention in Chicago! For similar reasons, I‘ve told very few coworkers about my condition. The 2011 Convention is scheduled for July Most of the time I can make it through the workday OK. If I‘m really 6-9 at the stunning Chicago Hilton Hotel— depressed I‘ll take a sick day, though once I missed a week of work located across the street from Grant Park on because I was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts. In the past I worried the city‘s Magnificent Mile. For more that I could lose my job if more people found out about my condition, convention information and to register, go to even though I know that‘s illegal. I also worried that colleagues www.nami.org/convention. would think I was less competent, but I realized I‘ve already proven Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute on Mental myself. I‘ve been at my current job (in an IT department for a large company) for about five years, and I supervise 10 people. Health, will deliver a special address on new research underway at the nation's largest research institution devoted to mental Many people think that everyone with mental illness is flaky or weird, illness. but the truth is, in most respects I‘m just like everyone else. I‘ve Jessie Close (Glen Close‘s sister) and her son Calen Pick will be worked since I was 18 years old, and I work really hard. I have a lot addressing the convention in the opening plenary session. of friends, and I love going to the movies, museums and Minnesota Twins games. Within a 10-minute walk of the Hilton there are many terrific attractions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Since getting involved with the mental health organization NAMI in Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Buckingham 2005, I‘ve been trying to be more open about my condition. I help out Fountain and more. Visit www.choosechicago.com for details. with NAMIWalks (a big annual fundraiser) and represent NAMI on the Minnesota Mental Health Advisory Council. But the scariest thing I‘ve ever done was give a talk at a NAMI event. I had never done www.namigdm.org 515-277-0672 [email protected] 1 Find help. Find hope. public speaking before, and my hands were shaking as I stepped 23. Wear something that makes you feel good up to the podium. I looked at the crowd of about 250 people 24. Look through old pictures, scrapbooks and photo albums staring at me and I almost froze, but I took a deep breath and just 25. Make a list of your accomplishments dove into it. As I started speaking I felt myself relax a little, and 26. Spend ten minutes writing down everything good you can think when I finished, everyone applauded. I thought to myself, I could of about yourself get used to this. 27. Do something that makes you laugh 28. Do something special for someone else Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is a mental illness 29. Get some little things done in which people experience extreme highs (mania) and lows 30. Repeat positive affirmations (depression). It may be caused by a combination of brain 31. Focus on and appreciate what is happening right now chemistry, genetics and your environment (for example, it’s more 32. Take a warm bath common in people who’ve lost a parent at a young age). Finding 33. Listen to music, make music or sing the right treatment—usually a combination of medication and talk therapy—can be difficult, but it enables people with the disorder to Your list of tools could also include things you want to avoid like: lead productive lives. Well-known figures who have bipolar 1. alcohol, sugar and caffeine disorder include Catherine Zeta Jones, Robin Williams, Jane 2. going to bars Pauley, Richard Dreyfuss and Carrie Fisher. Learn more at 3. getting overtired NAMI.org, NIMH.NIH.gov and DBSAlliance.org. 4. certain people Refer to these lists as you develop your Wellness Recovery Action Developing a Wellness Toolbox Plan. Keep it in the front of your binder so you can use it whenever Mary Ellen Copeland, M.S., M.A. you feel you need to revise all or parts of your plan. The first step in developing your own Wellness Recovery Action Plan [WRAP] is to develop a If you want to learn more about developing a Wellness Recovery Wellness Toolbox. This is a listing of things you Action Plan (WRAP) – go to: have done in the past, or could do, to help yourself http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com/aboutwrap.php stay well, and things you could do to help yourself feel better when you are not doing well. You will use these "tools" to develop your Suicide: Not a Good Idea own WRAP. Mary Ellen Copeland, M.S., M.A. 12-10-08 Insert several sheets of paper in the front of your binder. List on Experiencing psychiatric symptoms is horrible. these sheets the tools, strategies and skills you need to use on a Many people who try and live with these daily basis to keep yourself well, along with those you use symptoms every day sometimes feel so frequently or occasionally to help yourself feel better and to relieve discouraged they want to end their lives. Suicide troubling symptoms. Include things that you have done in the past, is never a good idea. Why not? things that you have heard of and thought you might like to try, 1. Psychiatric symptoms get better. Sometimes they get better even and things that have been recommended to you by health care if you don't do anything about them.