She of the shaved head and impulsive gesture [remember the torn up picture of the Pope?] has made her way to the Oprah show. Four years ago she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.
Only four years ago? Too bad she didn't ask me.I could have told her she was in deep do do way before she ever shaved her head. Except that the buzz cut was the public's first outward sign of her inward turmoil. Speaking of shaved heads -- Earth to Britney -- OMG Oprah just asked Sinead for her opinion on the miniature madwoman. What is it about cutting our long luxurious hair down to the nub that is so defining for a woman on the brink? I did it once when I was stressed out from working/commuting and raising kids alone. At least I didn't have to worry about having a bad hair day. I had the same hair every day until it grew out.
My biggest problem with these babes is that they have made babies. I can't bring myself to call them mothers because that implies nurturing, caring, and other-focused behavior.
Now Oprah is having the discussion of the drug of choice for bi-polar -- Lithium. Lots of bi-polar folks don't like it because the highs and lows are more exciting than the deadening, flatline effects Lithium creates.
All I know is that when I was asked to start a milk bank for a local hospital many years ago -- back when docs didn't think anything went through the milk no matter what we said -- almost every woman who donated breast milk was taking Lithium. I can only imagine what that nasty drug can do to a baby's brain.
I wonder if anyone else bothered to ask.
Okay, fun's over I have to get dressed for a conference call. Just kidding. [About getting dressed.]
8 comments:
Those women aren't mothers or parents. They are genetic contributors. That's my new term for the less-than versions. It beats what I call them when I get back to the station.
O'Connor reminds me of Demi Moore. Without the boobs.
Wow, you must've been stressed to the max to shave your head! One of my neighbors is having a terrible time with bi-polar disorder. Dr.'s can't seem to get the right dosage on her meds. She's taking Lithium as well. Breaks my heart when I talk to her. She's just pitiful.
Hope you weren't on a video conference call!
Robin in Texas
Having a bipolar son myself, I know that there are many drugs, besides lithium, to treat this disorder. Usually people that are bipolar (notice there is NO hyphen) have more than one disorder. The DSM-4 manual for psychiatric illnesses lists so many disorders that I am sure everybody must have something. The sad fact is so many people that have bipolar, as well as other diseases, will go on to have children. One can not help having a mental illness, just as one can't help getting cancer. The big difference here is that the people you mention have so much money that they are living their illness in public and are not able to face their consequences by bottoming out. Anne
NOTE TO ROBIN: I didn't shave my head. I cut my hair very short. So short it didn't move. The only down side was having to wear earrings so people wouldn't call me SIR, being so tall and all.
Mrs. L
NOTE TO KQUESTER: "One cannot help having mental illness any more than one cannot help getting cancer."
Let's agree to disagree. One can do things to keep from getting cancer, to the best of one's ability, by not smoking or chewing tobacco, not taking HRT, not having unprotected sex with multple sexual partners, not drinking to excess, not working in a cardinogenic environment, not living in a radon filled house, etc., etc.
In the nature versus nuture argument regarding mental illness, I believe that you may have a genetic propensity for mental illness but traumatic life experience can become the catalyst that sets it off. Also it never ceases to amaze me how many times physical, emotional and sexual abuse lie beneath a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, clinical depression, etc., etc. It is equally unfortunate that we often hold mothers and fathers accountable for a child who exhibits mental distress, when priests, scout leaders, nannies, and the like may be the real culprits.
Also now that research has shown that schizophrenia may occur when young brains [15 and under] are exposed to remarkably small amounts of marijuana and/or alcohol, not to mention LSD and other hallucinogens, So I also subscribe to the belief that mental illness might also be the result of some bad personal decisions, too, genetics or not. One could be held accountable for causing one's own mental illness in some cases.
We learned awhile ago that fetuses' developing brains are particularly susceptible to alcohol. I can only imagine what we'll discover as time goes by about how what we ingest contibutes to the myriad destructive illnesses that later reveal themselves in our children.
Mrs. L
I agree to disagree, althought I think we BOTH may be correct in a lot of areas. My son was raised in a wonderful enviorment with parents who loved and nutured him. HOWEVER.......on both sides of our family we have close relatives that NOW could be called bipolar. In our case it is clearly genetic and it runs on the male sides of both families. I wouldn't wish this on any family. I am just glad that more and more information and research is being done in this area. I always respect what you say, even if I don't 100% agree. Anne
LOL! Bless your heart. I'm sure you had a few choice words for anyone that did call you sir.
Robin in Texas
When am feeling a bit manic, I just open my camera up and lick the lithium batteries.....then I shave my head.
Have a great weekend!
Chris
http://inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings.blogspot.com
Post a Comment