Getting Help

It's funny how we notice articles on a specific topic after we become intensely interested in it. Lately I've been rthis one at Yahoo! News on December 1, 2008. It says that 1 in 5 young adults has a personality disorder, and that "fewer than 25 percent of college-aged Americans with mental problems get treatment." The numbers see a little high, and before I take it at its word, I'd like to read more about how they did their research. Their range of mental illness issues also included alcohol and drug abuse, which may or may not be related to mental illness. But even if the numbers are overstated, it's obvious that there needs to be better mental health treatment available. Too many who are struggling with this issue either don't know help is available or how to get it. Fortunately, congress did at least one thing right this year when they passed Mental Health Parity legislation. DBSA discusses this bill in some detail. Basically the bill that goes into effect on January 1, 2010 ensures "that individuals living with a mental illness receive the same level of insurance coverage as those with a physical illness." It never made sense to me why our insurance wouldn't cover mental illness and counseling sessions that are designed to help make families healthier at the same level that they cover medical procedures.  At least this bill is a step in the right direction.   

Learning about Bipolar Disorder

I knew early in our marriage that David's mood swings weren't "normal," but I didn't know where to go for information, and he was in denial about his moods. Fortunately when he came to accept the diagnosis, my brother Kent, who works as a case worker for a mental health group, and another friend gave us some material that helped us learn what to expect. I also found my way to the Internet, and have been able to find a wealth of information about the disease and treatment of it. I noticed that some sites, like this, are sponsored by drug companies. I'm glad they have these sites because the information is still valuable, whether we use their product or not. Other sites are sponsored by nonprofit groups, such as at psychcentral and dbsalliance. When David had one of his catatonic "wanderings" last year I contacted someone in our area who was associated with dbsalliance, and their support was very helpful.

I recently started reading blogs written by those with BPD, such as this one, and they give me additional insight that I wouldn't otherwise have. David has been really good about telling me how he's feeling, but I'm too close to him emotionally to be completely objective, and it helps to read about other people's experiences. The images found through googling "bipolar images" like these are very moving and creative expressions of their lives. This video is a poetic representation that helps me understand how my husband feels. I especially like the image of the rollercoaster, because that is also how it feels to live with someone who has the disorder. The last phrase, "Remember: with the right treatment there is hope" should be given to all those suffering from it.