Stigma, Manic episode

2020-08-19

From what I’ve read Carrie Fisher was one of the earliest pioneers with being publicly open about her bipolar disorder diagnosis. For that I am truly grateful! People like her have made the general public aware that mental illness can affect anyone, even if they happen to be a rich and famous movie star. It’s also made it easier for people like me to talk openly with others about our mental illness. When I heard that Carrie Fisher passed away last week I was shocked and also saddened that a bipolar disorder advocate would not longer be so publicly vocal.

I have never been a big Star Wars fan and didn’t really follow her career. It’s only been within the last few years that I learned a little more about her and her bipolar disorder journey. After her passing I read a number of articles about her, specifically her overall health and mental health. A few sources are listed at the bottom.

Carrie Fisher was someone who was very pro-medication. My understanding is that she felt daily psychotropic medication is a must for anyone diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She also stated publicly that she has a brain chemical imbalance.

I feel that Carrie Fisher could possibly still be alive today. Why do I say that? Psychotropic medications are VERY hard on our bodies internally, specifically our organs. She was on medication for decades which more than likely severely shortened her life expectancy. One source I read said that people with bipolar disorder taking medication have a life expectancy of 25 years less than then average person. I have no idea if she was open to living medication-free, or if that is something that scared her. I wonder if she explored that option and then had another manic episode which lead her back to psychotropic medication?

There are a small number of psychiatrists out there who are systematically getting some people diagnosed with bipolar disorder off psychotropic medication. One person who I would consider a pioneer in this area is Dr Peter Breggin. He’s a lifelong psychiatrist who feels that for some people getting off meds is a must.

I feel that medications for short term mental illness can be very beneficial. For example, when I had my first manic episode my brain simply was not shutting off. I was checked into the hospital on January 1, 2000 and don’t remember anything until January 11, 2000. During that time I had conversations with family who visited me in the psychiatric ward however I can’t recall any of our talks or simply them being there. Looking back I am grateful that those medications slowed my brain down enough to allow me to sleep and rest.

There have been four times in my life that I’ve been hospitalized as a direct result of having manic episodes. With what I’ve learned about recognizing the signs of being hypo-manic, begin more holistically healthy, and doing a ton of work on my mindset, I feel that I will not have another manic episode. I can’t say that with 100% certainty however at this point in my life I am grateful to be the most mentally stable that I’ve ever been while living medication-free.

The last time I had a manic episode was in December of 2013. I was hospitalized for four days in a psych ward in Calgary. Going into that experience I had been off meds for over three years. During that hospital stay I was not administered ANY medication. During the exit interview with an excellent psychiatrist I was given a sleeping pill prescription to use as needed. Fortunately I’ve only used that medication less than ten times in the three plus years since.

Personally I was on lithium for 7 years of my life. It’s known by many as the “gold standard” for people with bipolar disorder to have better long-term stability in their moods. Prior to taking that medication I was told that one of the side effects could be kidney damage and/or kidney failure. Lithium is essentially a salt which our kidneys work very hard to process. Fortunately I was on a low dose of lithium which meant my risk of kidney damage and/or failure would most likely be low. However it was still ALWAYS in the back of my mind… The side effects that I did have while taking lithium were constantly being thirsty, having random muscle spasms, and not being able to hold my hand still without it slightly twitching.

A year after getting off lithium I was on a medication called zyprexa. Some people in Calgary (where I used to live at that time) take it for weather-related migraines (pressure changes from chinooks). I was told there were no “known” side effects. Fortunately I didn’t have any side effects while taking it. One big benefit is that I never got a headache while on that medication. In the back of my mind I did wonder from time to time what would happen with me being on that medication long term…

The brain “chemical imbalance” explanation of bipolar disorder has been discredited by many people. That’s something I will cover in a future blog post….

I strongly feel that anyone diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 1 (which I have) can live a mentally stable life medication-free. Many people out there disagree with me. In my experience too many people see the pill as their saviour. In my experience, it’s the work I’ve done on myself and daily habits that allow me to be medication-free, holistically healthy, and consistently happy.

I’d love to see Carrie Fisher’s death be a wake up call for people diagnosed with a mental illness.

In two ways.

The first to talk more openly about their illness with others to spread awareness and assist in reducing stigma.

The second is that of being more empowered with their mental health…to put themselves in the driver’s seat of their lives.

Sources: