Ask the Author: Ken Dickson
Answered Questions (13)
Ken Dickson
You write about it as bluntly and accurately as you can. When you finish, set your words aside and move on. The story will be there any time you wish to revisit it and by giving a voice to your nightmares, they will relent. I am sorry to hear about your ordeal. I hope that you can move past it and enjoy all the miracles that life has to offer.
Ken Dickson
When I read your question, two names immediately came to mind: Harry and Helen Trasker of True Lies fame. Rarely does a story pack so much humor and action in such a short time. You can't help but root for Harry and Helen as they find their way back to each other. I also enjoy novels involving time such as The Time Traveler's Wife and Somewhere in Time.
Ken Dickson
I lived in the Frankford area until I was eleven. I have many fond memories of growing up in Baltimore that I hope to write about someday. There were tons of baby-boomer kids in my neighborhood and our parents pretty much let us run wild.
Ken Dickson
Sounds like you were doing everything right. TMS is a legitimate option for depression, however, I would be concerned about the potential long term effects of exposing neurons to strong magnetic fields.
Ken Dickson
Hi Alex,
Thank you for the excellent question. ECT is not well understood and has a bad reputation because of early practices, but does appear to be an effective treatment for psychiatric illnesses that have not responded to any other treatment. Up to 50% patient success rates have been reported, but many of those patients relapse within one year.
Here is the treatment tier that I follow. It is by no means exhaustive. I recommend that you to do your own research to determine what treatments may work best for you.
1) Exercise (brisk walking, running, swimming, hiking, anything aerobic)
2) Dietary changes (healthier, less processed foods, gluten-free, low carb, less red meat, more fish, drink plenty of water)
3) Vitamins and supplements (Various B vitamins, Omega 3 fatty acids)
4) Meditation with a goal of managing thoughts and emotions (concentrative and reflective meditation combined with cognitive behavioral therapy)
5) Naturopathic and alternative medicine
5) Conventional medicine (minimal side effects first)
6) ECT or other therapies which work directly on brain cells in ways that are not well understood
Thank you for the excellent question. ECT is not well understood and has a bad reputation because of early practices, but does appear to be an effective treatment for psychiatric illnesses that have not responded to any other treatment. Up to 50% patient success rates have been reported, but many of those patients relapse within one year.
Here is the treatment tier that I follow. It is by no means exhaustive. I recommend that you to do your own research to determine what treatments may work best for you.
1) Exercise (brisk walking, running, swimming, hiking, anything aerobic)
2) Dietary changes (healthier, less processed foods, gluten-free, low carb, less red meat, more fish, drink plenty of water)
3) Vitamins and supplements (Various B vitamins, Omega 3 fatty acids)
4) Meditation with a goal of managing thoughts and emotions (concentrative and reflective meditation combined with cognitive behavioral therapy)
5) Naturopathic and alternative medicine
5) Conventional medicine (minimal side effects first)
6) ECT or other therapies which work directly on brain cells in ways that are not well understood
Ken Dickson
Hello Alex,
Because of increased awareness and understanding, bipolar disorder is being diagnosed more frequently. That’s what a doctor might say. However, I see it differently. I believe, especially in highly developed cultures, that we have reached a critical mass, a kind of psychological break-point brought on by our own cultural practices, and that drugging patients may in fact prevent them from crossing the threshold to a better life.
I hope that in the near future, psychiatrists and psychologists will take a fresh look at alternate approaches to managing thoughts and emotions. Based on my own experience and that of a few others I know, I believe that it is possible to learn to manage thoughts and emotions through a combination of meditative and rational practices leading to a calm mind and healthier body.
The potential exists to end many physical and mental disorders brought on by chemical imbalances triggered by “false emergencies” of thought without the use of medication. Books like “Rewire Your Brain,” by John B. Arden, Ph.D and “The Instinct to Heal,” by David Servan-Schreiber, Md, Ph.D support this theory.
Thank you for the thought-provoking question.
Because of increased awareness and understanding, bipolar disorder is being diagnosed more frequently. That’s what a doctor might say. However, I see it differently. I believe, especially in highly developed cultures, that we have reached a critical mass, a kind of psychological break-point brought on by our own cultural practices, and that drugging patients may in fact prevent them from crossing the threshold to a better life.
I hope that in the near future, psychiatrists and psychologists will take a fresh look at alternate approaches to managing thoughts and emotions. Based on my own experience and that of a few others I know, I believe that it is possible to learn to manage thoughts and emotions through a combination of meditative and rational practices leading to a calm mind and healthier body.
The potential exists to end many physical and mental disorders brought on by chemical imbalances triggered by “false emergencies” of thought without the use of medication. Books like “Rewire Your Brain,” by John B. Arden, Ph.D and “The Instinct to Heal,” by David Servan-Schreiber, Md, Ph.D support this theory.
Thank you for the thought-provoking question.
Ken Dickson
Hi Littoface,
I'm glad that you enjoyed the book. Beth and I are still married, but it has been a struggle off and on. An experience like this changes the dynamics of a relationship, but I think that you can see from how hard Beth fought for me that she is not one to easily give up, luckily for me.
Surprisingly, my writing has been the biggest challenge. It took me two years to publish Detour from Normal and it has taken nearly two years since then to complete my newest novel, The Road to Amistad, which I expect to publish in a few months. I still work full-time as an engineer and these efforts consume most of my spare time. I enjoy writing immensely, but have to take breaks occasionally to return to the present and take care of important relationships.
Thank you for writing!
Sincerely,
Ken
I'm glad that you enjoyed the book. Beth and I are still married, but it has been a struggle off and on. An experience like this changes the dynamics of a relationship, but I think that you can see from how hard Beth fought for me that she is not one to easily give up, luckily for me.
Surprisingly, my writing has been the biggest challenge. It took me two years to publish Detour from Normal and it has taken nearly two years since then to complete my newest novel, The Road to Amistad, which I expect to publish in a few months. I still work full-time as an engineer and these efforts consume most of my spare time. I enjoy writing immensely, but have to take breaks occasionally to return to the present and take care of important relationships.
Thank you for writing!
Sincerely,
Ken
Ken Dickson
Often, I try to force what I need, but when I do, it never seems right. Eventually, the muse kicks in, and it is only then that I see the value of my forced efforts. The muse picks and chooses from everything I've tried, and assembles the proper narrative, or perhaps, takes a whole new approach. Either way, when that happens, the result is inspired. I call it the muse because it has a seeming life of its own, and I cannot predict when it will raise its mighty pen!
Ken Dickson
Some ideas beg to be written, and will not leave me alone until I've given them life on paper. I have many ideas I've recorded that will never go anywhere, but a few are masterpieces in their own right, and I marvel that something so creative can come from my own mind.
Ken Dickson
Write often and don't be afraid to throw what you've written away. I tell people that you know you are a writer when you can toss an entire chapter forever, or to be rewritten. When you rewrite it, it is better than before.
Make note of your best writing time. Mine is in the morning after a good night's rest and a hot shower.
If the muse is working, don't stop until it's done. You might never get that same creative energy back if you do.
Make note of your best writing time. Mine is in the morning after a good night's rest and a hot shower.
If the muse is working, don't stop until it's done. You might never get that same creative energy back if you do.
Ken Dickson
I recently completed the first draft of my next book: The Road to Amistad. It is currently in revision. The Road to Amistad is a fictional sequel to Detour from Normal that explores what might happen if people spontaneously "changed" as I envisioned while I was manic. Most of these changed people end up lost, confused or struggling to rescue hemorrhaging relationships, however, for a few, the change is their calling. These few set out to test the limits of human capability and prepare for a future that they feel is certain to unfold, but nothing can prepare them for the real Road to Amistad. Filled with passion, heartache and despair their journey takes them to places they never imagined and makes them question everything that they believe.
Update: the Road to Amistad was published in February, 2016. The audio version was released in October, 2016. Paperback, eBook and Audible are available now on Amazon.
Update: the Road to Amistad was published in February, 2016. The audio version was released in October, 2016. Paperback, eBook and Audible are available now on Amazon.
Ken Dickson
The biggest thing that inspires me is dreams. Every short story or poem I've ever written has been the result of a dream. Detour from Normal and The Road to Amistad both have several dream sequences which are based on real dreams. Often, when I know I need to write something and have tried repeatedly to force it, a good night's sleep and the accompanying dreams help to sort it out. I should keep a pen and paper by my bed, but instead, after awakening, I often rush downstairs to the computer to record my dream before it fades from memory.
Ken Dickson
After suffering from medically induced mania, I was desperate to prevent it from ever happening again. As I investigated my misadventure and began to write about it, a compelling story unfolded. Detour from Normal is the result.
After submitting the first manuscript of Detour from Normal to the editor for review, my creative energy drove me to continue writing as if my true story had never ended. During the ten days that the editor reviewed the first draft, I wrote 200 pages of The Road to Amistad, a fictional memoir sequel to my actual memoir, Detour from Normal.
That was in the fall of 2011. The Road to Amistad was put on hold while I completed Detour from Normal and was not published until February, 2016.
After submitting the first manuscript of Detour from Normal to the editor for review, my creative energy drove me to continue writing as if my true story had never ended. During the ten days that the editor reviewed the first draft, I wrote 200 pages of The Road to Amistad, a fictional memoir sequel to my actual memoir, Detour from Normal.
That was in the fall of 2011. The Road to Amistad was put on hold while I completed Detour from Normal and was not published until February, 2016.
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