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Why Bipolar?: The Demystification of Bipolar Affective Disorder
Declan Henry has been a social worker for over 20 years, dealing with people with a wide range of social and mental issues, including bipolar. What inspired him to write this book though was witnessing the intense suffering of a personal friend over many years of 'treatment' for bipolar.
In Why Bipolar? Henry pushes back against the catch-all mythology of a condition for which there is no scientific evidence. He reveals the convenient collusion between the psychiatric profession and big pharmaceutical companies as they claim to treat an 'illness' so poorly and vaguely defined while they themselves grow rich and re-write not just history but the bounds of medicine in the process. Henry's collection of 26 Life Stories illuminates the world of the bipolar sufferer, and heartbreakingly show the cavalier treatment deemed acceptable for those with this diagnosis.
But Henry also offers hope to those with a bipolar diagnosis, claiming that by becoming better informed, both about the condition itself and the alternative treatments available, and by practicing self- management, the dream of living drug-free with bipolar is not only a possibility, but an inspiring reality.
In Why Bipolar? Henry pushes back against the catch-all mythology of a condition for which there is no scientific evidence. He reveals the convenient collusion between the psychiatric profession and big pharmaceutical companies as they claim to treat an 'illness' so poorly and vaguely defined while they themselves grow rich and re-write not just history but the bounds of medicine in the process. Henry's collection of 26 Life Stories illuminates the world of the bipolar sufferer, and heartbreakingly show the cavalier treatment deemed acceptable for those with this diagnosis.
But Henry also offers hope to those with a bipolar diagnosis, claiming that by becoming better informed, both about the condition itself and the alternative treatments available, and by practicing self- management, the dream of living drug-free with bipolar is not only a possibility, but an inspiring reality.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2013
7 people want to read
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November 8, 2020
There is a lot of misinformation around Manic depression / Bipolar and this book helps dispel some of the myths out there. The author goes through several moving case studies and personal narratives of those with this diagnosis. He then goes into detail, with the help of some experts, on various alternative ways of managing, stabilising and healing this condition, giving hope to many who have been told this illness is incurable and lifelong.
In the book the author points out that moods can become more unstable after taking prescribed psychoactive drugs and I firmly believe that, based on my own experience. The prescribed drugs also delayed my healing journey. I didn't get to work through root causes of my distress and to build the necessary resilience.
My experience matches what the author says. 'Treatment', and the initial approach taken, turned what should have been a temporary crisis into a more chronic, enduring disaster and severe distress. Under the guidance of the medical profession and psychiatry, I was literally poisoning my body and expecting my mind to heal, which is not going to work. In order to be mentally healthy the person needs to be physically healthy. This includes good nutrition, exercise and good quality sleep.
Manic depression used to be a rare condition but is now a lot more common. There has to be a logical reason for this. One of the reasons myself and people like Ivor Browne put it down to is the overuse of anti-depressants, which are known to cause mania and psychosis in some. There is a Yale study on this from 2001. Not forgetting the work of Yolande Lucire and the fact that some people don't metabolize these drugs very well.
The author highlights that "you have to be proactive and seek the alternatives that work for you. After all it is your life". He goes into the difficult subject of drug withdrawal and references a good book on the subject by Dr Peter Breggin.
Personal responsibility is one of the 5 key concepts of WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) which I have used as part of my journey. "It is paramount that the cause of highs and lows is identified." The book goes through several possible causes that the medical profession tend to overlook. In my own case I felt my initial symptoms in 2008 were a reaction to stress but also an adverse reaction to the anti-depressant I was on for anxiety. And the other powerful but potentially damaging drugs I was prescribed fuelled the symptoms.
Keeping a journal of thoughts, feeling and behaviour is one of the suggestions. Developing self-awareness and self-reflection has been a big part of my own healing journey. I also start each morning with some yoga stretches and meditation. It has become a habit and routine.
The author mentions the use of EPA fish oils and goes through several methods of overcoming symptoms of manic depression. This includes aromatherapy, the potential benefits of psychotherapy, spinal alignment, gut health and many other methods that individuals can pick and choose from depending on what may work, what their issues may be and their preferences.
While modern medicine doesn't always support alternative therapy, in a world where the drugs industry is a billion dollar one, I found a lot of relief and grounding in such methods, including reiki and spiritual practices. Once I got the right information from honest doctors and reliable sources I gained the knowledge that got me as far as I have today, with a lot of resistance and lack of understanding from those around me. But that just reflected the dominance of the biomedical view that we have been fed from birth in the Western world.
For myself and many others, this approach of treating symptoms instead of addressing underlying causes, turned out to be a very flawed and damaging method. The psychotropic drugs e.g. minor / major tranquilizers sometimes have their place when used ethically, and for as short a term as possible, but not at the level that psychiatry continue to use the drugs today. Lives are being shortened, and at the same time no true healing is occurring.
But this well researched book gives a holistic view and hope for recovery, because without hope the person is unlikely to get better. It is probably one of the best books I've read on the subject and I wish I had it in 2008, when things were falling apart, as I would have had a lot more success on my journey.
In the book the author points out that moods can become more unstable after taking prescribed psychoactive drugs and I firmly believe that, based on my own experience. The prescribed drugs also delayed my healing journey. I didn't get to work through root causes of my distress and to build the necessary resilience.
My experience matches what the author says. 'Treatment', and the initial approach taken, turned what should have been a temporary crisis into a more chronic, enduring disaster and severe distress. Under the guidance of the medical profession and psychiatry, I was literally poisoning my body and expecting my mind to heal, which is not going to work. In order to be mentally healthy the person needs to be physically healthy. This includes good nutrition, exercise and good quality sleep.
Manic depression used to be a rare condition but is now a lot more common. There has to be a logical reason for this. One of the reasons myself and people like Ivor Browne put it down to is the overuse of anti-depressants, which are known to cause mania and psychosis in some. There is a Yale study on this from 2001. Not forgetting the work of Yolande Lucire and the fact that some people don't metabolize these drugs very well.
The author highlights that "you have to be proactive and seek the alternatives that work for you. After all it is your life". He goes into the difficult subject of drug withdrawal and references a good book on the subject by Dr Peter Breggin.
Personal responsibility is one of the 5 key concepts of WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) which I have used as part of my journey. "It is paramount that the cause of highs and lows is identified." The book goes through several possible causes that the medical profession tend to overlook. In my own case I felt my initial symptoms in 2008 were a reaction to stress but also an adverse reaction to the anti-depressant I was on for anxiety. And the other powerful but potentially damaging drugs I was prescribed fuelled the symptoms.
Keeping a journal of thoughts, feeling and behaviour is one of the suggestions. Developing self-awareness and self-reflection has been a big part of my own healing journey. I also start each morning with some yoga stretches and meditation. It has become a habit and routine.
The author mentions the use of EPA fish oils and goes through several methods of overcoming symptoms of manic depression. This includes aromatherapy, the potential benefits of psychotherapy, spinal alignment, gut health and many other methods that individuals can pick and choose from depending on what may work, what their issues may be and their preferences.
While modern medicine doesn't always support alternative therapy, in a world where the drugs industry is a billion dollar one, I found a lot of relief and grounding in such methods, including reiki and spiritual practices. Once I got the right information from honest doctors and reliable sources I gained the knowledge that got me as far as I have today, with a lot of resistance and lack of understanding from those around me. But that just reflected the dominance of the biomedical view that we have been fed from birth in the Western world.
For myself and many others, this approach of treating symptoms instead of addressing underlying causes, turned out to be a very flawed and damaging method. The psychotropic drugs e.g. minor / major tranquilizers sometimes have their place when used ethically, and for as short a term as possible, but not at the level that psychiatry continue to use the drugs today. Lives are being shortened, and at the same time no true healing is occurring.
But this well researched book gives a holistic view and hope for recovery, because without hope the person is unlikely to get better. It is probably one of the best books I've read on the subject and I wish I had it in 2008, when things were falling apart, as I would have had a lot more success on my journey.
Displaying 1 of 1 review