Well done. You have learned a lot in two short years since diagnosis, and I hope this knowledge will serve you well as you look forward to a long life.
I myself am looking back over many decades living with bipolar 2, where I learned the hard way to maintain a consistent schedule through ups and downs, not to drink, not to miss sleep, and all the practical things one does to live with this curious condition.
But over the years, I have also tracked many of the lessons society in general has begun to learn. As awareness has grown, I have actually seen bipolar disorder become sort of trendy — the diagnosis du jour for a few years, visible in films and television, and often heard referenced in idle conversation. You know what I’m talking about — when someone has a temper fit at work, we might hear an onlooker archly say, “Well, somebody’s off their meds!” Annoying.
The trend has moved on, now, and it’s autism that’s currently in the spotlight of the curious public. This phenomenon is completely human, and I’m not knocking us for being fascinated with the new and the intriguing. It’s just wearying to people who have been dealing with these challenges before they were cool.
Anyhow, what I am saying, to underline and support your observations, is that the education needs to continue. Forty years ago, most people had little information about bipolar disorder. Now, most people have at least some vague information — but it is likely to be generalized, possibly wrong, and most important not necessarily accurate for them.
And that’s the key. As you are aware, illness manifests itself differently in different people, and each of us must learn what works for their own circumstances.
Right now, in my circumstances, my biggest complaint is the dearth of studies on the long-term effects of bipolar illness and specifically of the psychotropic drugs that most of us take. Such “long-term” studies may extend as far as six months, or even 18 months. Which is ridiculous — I’m talking about decades here.
But I’ve searched academic databases, and asked physicians I know to search, and there is precious little. When we start out on our Lamictal or our Abilify or even the old standby, lithium, there’s not much discussion about our exit strategy.
What will those drugs be doing to us after 20, 30, 40 years? What is the illness even going to be like?
At retirement age, I am experiencing my self and my brain entirely differently than I used to do. Therefore, I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to use that brain more easily, perhaps, more consistently creatively, or at least with less anxiety (the other common bipolar co-morbidity).
And so I can offer you (cautious) encouragement. Perhaps, over time, the plasticity of our brains may allow us to… I don’t know, sort of create supportive alternative neuronal pathways, to help shore up the places where we misfire. I’m not an expert. I’m just a user. We’ll see.
Please take good notes until you get there, and add to the longitudinal data. We will compare our notes, because I plan to live that long, too. Yes, since you ask, I’m currently hypomanic. :-0
Keep the faith.
