Page 39 - Oasis in the Sky

Being Bipolar

Bipolars have a scale from depression at 0 to mania at 10.
In the upper levels of mania, it’s way too much of a good
thing. At 10 you think you can fly off roofs.

Gregarious, delusions of grandeur, unrealistic beliefs in your
abilities and powers. Colors are brighter, images are
sharper, the world is bright, enthralling, astonishing.

Mood is effusive and euphoric; you can accomplish
anything, do anything, be anything; increased energy,
hyperactivity, restlessness, and endless all-nighters—
all the time denying that anything is wrong.

Thoughts come fast and furious, but your intellect can
handle them, sort them, flow with them.

Sometimes there's extreme irritability because of
impatience with others who cannot think and respond as
quickly as you, finishing their sentences for them because
your thoughts are racing and you're jumping from one idea
to another, and they simply can't keep up.

Wild spending sprees, spending money like you own the
Federal Reserve, maxing out credit cards, writing checks
that will bounce like a basketball, borrowing money you'll
never be able to repay.

But at some point, you crash; you always crash, and the train
wreck is invariably devastating, life threatening.

Depression at 0 and you're looking for ways to kill yourself:
electrocution, slit wrists, drilling a hole in your head, pills,
deliberate car wrecks, and of course the gun.

Bipolars live for the mania, but the consequences of the
disease destroys lives. Only the fortunate survive.

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Oasis in the Sky
Oasis in the Sky