01 November 2012

A Coming Out, of Sorts

Recently I have written about my diagnosis of exercise induced (and allergy aggravated) asthma, which I am still learning to manage in conjunction with my fitness journey.

However, the medical diagnosis which has most affected every facet of my life and which I have never spoken or written about publicly is Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder.  I was first diagnosed around 15 years ago and struggled with it for many years afterward.  I have been re-diagnosed twice since then, most recently by my current psychiatrist (whom I only told I had "depression" but who properly diagnosed me anyway).

It's taken years for me to feel comfortable enough to write about my experiences, past and present, and in what ways my coping (and often lack thereof) have shaped my life.  I am currently on medication and along with meditation, healthy eating, avoiding excess of alcohol/caffeine (which I'm not always successful at...), and making exercise & physical fitness a priority, I am managing my Bipolar Disorder better than I ever have in my life.

Through my writing I hope to paint a different picture of what most people think of when they hear the words "Bipolar Disorder."  I don't feel like the stigma associated with mental illness is as pervasive as it once was, but it still persists.  I've been dumped by a boyfriend simply because I admitted to him that I have it; even though no incident had happened, he feared what "might happen" or what I "might do" someday.  And that was enough to send him packing.

If you would like to read more about what Bipolar Disorder really entails and about the various types, please read NIMH's page.  It's an excellent and detailed resource on the topic.

My name is Garnet Scarabin and I am a writer, a dog rescuer, an excellent cook, a vintage culture aficionado, a soon-to-be runner, a good friend, I hold down a good job, and I have Bipolar Disorder.

(I'm also lactose intolerant, but that's a lot less sensational.)

6 comments:

  1. That took a lot of guts to put all that in writing. Kudos to you!

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    1. Thank you so much! It has taken me a long time to take this step, but honestly it feels like such a relief to be open about my illness.

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  2. I commend your openess and desire to share such an intimate faucet of yourself with us, dear Garnet, thank you for doing so.


    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Thank you kindly, Jessica! I hope to write about this more in the future (and write about the many other parts of my life, too!) and hopefully help change how some people view mental illness. It's like so many other illnesses, that aren't well understood (even by the medical community), but can be managed and the people with them can live relatively "normal" lives.

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  3. Youre also beautiful and hilarious and silly, and I love you.

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    1. Love you, too R.! We make a great team! TSB! <3

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