When I'm in crisis

Symptoms: hypergraphia, repeated phrases, explosive anger and irrational obsessions.

A lack of desire to play music, whether doodling on the guitar or listening to records.

When my insanity ramps up, I can think that the world is going to end at a certain day/time. Often midday/midnight, and if the date passes by, I usually invent another one.

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Things that help: getting me to take the PRN Quetiapine. 50mg is often enough to take the edge off, but currently I only have the big tablets.

Things which seldom help: trying to talk me out of my delusions – that usually fails, and is a waste of everyone’s energy.

However, if it gets as far as the ED or community mental health, the professionals are usually able to talk me back to sense.

The pills + a good sleep are the most effective cure.

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Not a symptom: talking to myself. That’s just a totally normal thing that I do regardless of my mental state.

Self-talk is healthy.

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Recommended reads for people who are confused by this bipolar thing:

A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Jamison

Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament by Kay Jamison

Stephen Fry’s doco is good too.