h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Della, I'm sure that you know this, but for your sons to be healthy, you have to remain healthy to keep them healthy.

I do hope he's feeling better.

JEllen ....hello!

That's a rather nice view of reincarnation too!

I guess if you are called a universalist, I would be called a naturalist because of my view?

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I believe in reincarnation for your reasons 1,2,3 and 5. (I am also a Universalist...)
A thread on reincarnation would be a good idea - I did a Guide Entry on reincarnation some time back, 2000 or '01 I think. I'll post its number.
I always wanted to reincarnate, because I can see so *many* mistakes I have made, but now I am pretty scared of making the same ones. Life is just so *scary*!

Thanks, Vixen, he's feeling a lot better... I think he's still infectious, but he wants to go back to school, and is getting very antsy and bored...

good morning

Hiya all, afternoon now though.

Della, good to see your son is getting better.

Yes, he's back to school today, new socks and all. I look forward to hearing how his day went...

good news della hows things in kiwi land weatherwise

Here in Auckland, sunny , warm and beautiful!

Hello there, people. I've just found this thread.



Haven't had a chance to read it all yet, but with reference to the first page, I'm a big fan of R. D. Laing and think he had a lot of important things to say, but he really needs to be read with a pinch of salt. I was suffering from severe depression when I discovered his books, and I took them to heart and convinced myself that I was schizophrenic; this didn't help my depression. Now I know that the symptoms of depression and schizophrenia are very similar and can be mistaken for each other, even by professionals.

Vixen, have you thought about doing an entry for the Guide on hypomania? I for one would be very interested to learn more about it.

Isn't it fun stumbling across cool old threads? Do read all my posts! There's a brilliant book on being manic and depressed called An Unquiet Mind by Kay Jamison.

I wonder if Vixen is still subscribed to this thread?

JEllen

I want to get that book, JEllen... I'll check it out.

Oh gosh, I'm sorry...it's been a whiles....

Hey SR n' JEllen

and of course Adelaide <waves~

I just had to read it all again to refresh my memory...

Memory...*bah*...*chuckles* I honestly can't remember writing all that I've written...I mean I read it, and vaguely remember stuff...

Forgot about some books and movies that I should have checked out!

As for writing about the hypomania, I hadn't thought about that...I had thought that it was an ongoing thing coming out here... Know what I mean (Harry)?

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So did I...

Is this conversation still going? Well...here goes.

I was released from a psychatric ward a year and a week ago after being sectioned during a hypomanic episode.

Some history: I've suffered from depression off and on for...well...since adolescence (I'm now 41). I had what was almost certainly a hypomanic episode about 5 years ago (I mean, it's not normal for a 36 year old professional to suddenly start smoking dope at work! Let alone my plans for cyber-sabotage) followed by a period off work with depression.

Then, last year, home life was difficult. Work involved a couple of possibly over-stimulating overseas conferences and...I guess I went over the edge. As the previous time, It started with over-performing in everything - like being able to speak foreign languages confidently, delivering a kick-ass speech without any preparation and being hyper social. After the first conference 1 even went to my GP and warned him that I might be getting a problem - but thought it was just over-stimulation. But on my return from the 2nd conference (btw - on the way I'd stocked up on fine hashish at a Dutch coffee shop. Cause or effect?) I statrted acting weird - my wife tells me. I ran out of home after an argument and spent a glorious, horrendous time wandering around my home city, experiencing new things, meeting new people, spending money I didn't have on all sorts of stupid things and - at times - walking round in a deranged state.

Eventually my wife caught up with me and ambushed me with a GP in my hotel (and the difficulty she had getting someone to see me is another long story!). I was persuaded to go to hospital by ambulance where - to my utter shock, surprise and fury - I was sectioned. First for 3 days, then 3 months (that's how the law works, by the way). For a lond time I simply refused to accept that I was ill and was angry with my wife and shrink. But increasing doses of an anti-psychotic (Olanzapine) a) slowed me down and b) woke me up. Another few weeks in a comfortable if deadly boring psychiatric ward then out - still a bit delusional (e.g. I was planning my novel).

Then after a few weeks BANG! Major depression. Lots of suicidal thoughts. I asked for voluntary admission, but my shrink suggested a new local resource which takes patients during the day and gets them to do gentle, mindless activity (basket-weaving would have been too much) until the meds kick in.

Soooooo...here I am one year on, working part time, and taking venlafaxine (effexor) and depakote. I'm still mildly depressed a lot of the time.

I'm not sure why I'm typing this other than out of a need to share experiences. I think what's been missing from my recovery has been any real discussion of my illness. My consultant, my CPN and my wife have been good as far as it goes...but haven't really helped me to understand or come to terms with things. I think the hardest thing for me is that I'm now rather afraid of the person I was when hypomanic. The problem is that that person also had some of the attributes I used to like about myself - creativity, sharpness, sociability - and I'm now a little afraid of turning the dial up on those. So where do I go from here?

Oh gosh!



Thank you for stopping by and sharing! I don't feel quite so isolated now in my 'hypomanic' experiences.

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I so know what you mean by that.

Pleased to meet you EdwardTheBonobo, may I call you Ed? Wish I could post longer but I have to pop off to work now..

Ed you may call me. A convenient fiction, rather than my real name - or species.

Do carry on the conversation at a convenient moment.

Thank you for telling your experience, EdwardTheBonobo. As someone who hasn't had such experience (yet?) I found it interesting, and think you are brave to tell it.