Life in the Psych Ward

By wildorchid on 10/27/09 12:24pm
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Nurse RatchedNurse RatchedI have been hospitalized three times for my Bipolar Disorder. The psych wards I’ve seen are slightly better than Ken Kesey’s version in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, but not always by much. My last hospitalization was five years ago and I not only met a Nurse Ratched, I felt like Jack Nicholson’s character trying to get free.


I was in for a manic episode, but had calmed down significantly by the time I was committed to the hospital. Though I hadn’t slept in more than 34 hours, and basically wanted to go to the hospital as a place to sleep, my “intake” took, four long, gruelling hours. Any mania that I may have had still lingering had dissipated into a state of wariness and a longing for bed.

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Searching for Meaning as a Coping Strategy for Bipolar Disorder

By wildorchid on 10/21/09 12:54pm
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The Dream TreeThe Dream TreeMy strange and seemingly boring little old life is full of  coincidences that  cheer me up when times get tough. Although my coincidences are seemingly unrelated to my bipolar disorder, I use them as a way to increase my positive thinking when I am feeling down or suffering from mild depression.

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Bipolar Disorder and Spirituality

By wildorchid on 10/19/09 12:14pm
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OrchidOrchidI was 22 years old the first time I went manic and first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It was a relief to know that my particular brand of wackiness had a name.  My pyschiatrist at that time was young and also suffered from bipolar disorder. At one of our first appointments, he asked me if I had experienced any kind of spiritual component during my mania, which was extreme with elements of psychosis. I had, but declined to elaborate because I was shy.

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5 Reasons I'm Glad I Have Bipolar Disorder

By wildorchid on 10/16/09 10:44am
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Being bipolar is not always as fun as people think it is. While you do get the occasional romp of freedom, or the chance to spend your money outrageously, the consequences are always there to face you when you get back to your normal every day self. And, when you're in a depressed state, it's the absolute worst. There's absolutely no worse feeling than being stuck in your pajamas, unable to think clearly or motivate yourself because you are so loaded down with meds that it's impossible to deal with the "real world" in more than small doses. I have, however, somehow managed to find a few silver linings in the clouds. OK, it's definitely not as easy in the cold, dark rainy days of a Seattle winter, but hopefully I"ll remember my positive thoughts should my thoughts turn dark again.

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