The Thought Spectrum - When Thinking is Impaired
The Thought Spectrum - Thinking Up a Storm
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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About Me
- John McManamy
- I am an award-winning author and mental health journalist. I have been writing about mood disorders since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1999, ranging from a website, an email newsletter, a book, articles for HealthCentral, and this blog. More recently, I have been producing videos. Writing about my illness has played a very strong role in my healing and recovery. Writing allows me to come to terms with my past, gives meaning to my present, and gives me the courage to face the future with hope.
Very interesting article, indeed. Today is my first time on your site. I plan to read many more of your articles and watch your videos.
ReplyDeleteAs a graduate student studying Social Work and a person suffering from mood and cognitive symptoms, I appreciate your taking the time and energy to provide this website.
Many thanks, Joe. Very glad you got something out of the article. Enjoy the rest of mcmanweb and also be sure to click onto my blog while you're there.
ReplyDeleteInteresting--but I shouldn't have read it at this hour---talk about hypersomnia and loss of comprehension. Anyway, the one thing not mentioned much: I wonder how much the constant anxiety and hypervigilance which is often a big factor on both the depression end and the hypomanic end (I have Bipolar II) for me is messing with my cognitive side. Also, how much do are meds do, especially the "stabelizers"? No, I am not antimedication, I don't think I would want to keep living without the leveling out of thoughts and feelings they provide, but thats just it; sometimes leveling out feels like wiping out.
ReplyDeleteHi, Anonymous. A whole bunch of good observations here. Re hypervigilance and anxiety - in my case overthinking can set off a panic response. And when I panic I do not think rationally. Re mood stabilizers - they're good at slowing down the brain so we do think rationally, but you're right - we don't want the brain slowed down too much. Otherwise it's like someone put molasses in the gas tank.
ReplyDeleteI hear you both loud and clear. At 53 yrs old and on 20 plus years of meds (bpII) my greatest fear is no longer the mood swings but my noticeable cognitive decline. Brain blanks, memory loss both long & short, word searching and basic inability to express myself verbally as I am thinking at that particular moment. My jumbled sentences do not reflect my thoughts. In my business my communication skills through email are far superior to my verbal expressions. Its like meeting two separate individuals. I think I can understand how one must feel as to how a person with vision is slowly losing their sight. Its painful to witness your own cognitive decline.
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