Looking for Manic Depression coping strategies? Want to know a drug and therapy free method for managing your Bipolar Manic episodes? Do you want to know how to cure yourself of the symptoms of and prevent episodes of bipolar disorder mania? Then this video is for you.
I have tried six times to make this video and get it right. Finally, months after my first attempts, I present to you, a one hour and four minute lecture on how to permanently rid yourself of the Mania portion of Manic Depression. I hate calling it Bipolar. However, this video will teach you how to deal with the *bi-polarity mood swings* heading North. This was how I finally learned to manage and then beat my manic thoughts and delusions while keeping my creativity intact.
The video is basically two parts. In the first 30 minutes I talk about classic symptoms from the DSM. I talked a bit about how I experienced some of them and how I was able to determine what they were. I make no apologies for my take on hypomania. I have been *hypomanic* and have gone on *bipolar powered shopping and sex sprees* and you know what? I don’t think that was evidence of an incurable genetic brain disease. No way Jose. I don’t buy it. I do not believe in hypomania whatsoever.
I do believe that most of the other symptoms are signifying a certain kind of cognitive pattern that goes on largely unnoticed by the person experiencing it until it is pointed out to them by family, friends, therapists and the like. You don’t have to agree with me. You don’t have to like my opinions.
However if you are like me you are looking for alternative mental health treatment for your thought problems I suggest you tune out what you don’t like and keep watching, knowing the good stuff is coming.
If you like your meds and you think I am full of it than pass on this video and nothing will come of it. Frankly I found myself dying a little bit each day on psychiatric medications. It was intolerable.
Unfortunately as an adult unless I was heavily sedated under the effects of marijuana daily I lived in an unquiet mind that seethed with an endless, sourceless seeming, living rage. A mind that raced along like a drunken driver in the wrong lane on the highway. A mind that slammed me with violent imagery and self destructive impulses sometimes from morning until bed time.
I had no choice but to find a means to live with myself and control my thoughts in order to have a meaningful useful life and remain out of some kind of institutionalized living. It was that or drug addiction for life or suicide.
I used meds alright, just not doctor recommended pharma approved meds. In time I gradually learned self psychotherapy and a kind of DBT or CBT with mindfulness and journaling sans the actual journal. Gradually I grew a mental circuit of stillness. Meditation helped develop my prefrontal cortex. That is the area of the brain responsible for emotional and cognitive processing.
Now Kimberly of Bipolarsurvivorback has a video called Bipolar Medications: The Truth.
At around 4:45 and on she launches into every pseudoscientific cliche and fallacy in the book. It’s genetic. It’s a chemical imbalance. It’s like diabetes. But it gets downright intellectually dishonest for her to make the following claim.
In the description box on the right she states this at the bottom “Bipolar disorder, like schizophrenia, requires medications for the amelioration of symptoms, and there are no alternative options.”
This is one such alternative. The techniques that I teach you in this video are not entirely unique to me. I learned some of them from a meditation master and some of his better pupils. However I have been told before and reminded (recently) that these techniques are occasionally to be found in a rare and dying breed of therapists scattered around the world. Psychology degree wielding practicing humanistic psychotherapists occasionally impart this information to their clients. Rarer still is the outlaw psychiatrist heretic that will also teach this information.
Some feedback I have already received indicates that some people vehemently disagree with some of my opinions on bipolar at the beginning. Look, if you storm off in a huff and unsubscribe, obviously I have hit a nerve. However, for those of you who are absolutely serious about beating bipolar mania, I enjoin you to reserve judgment until you get to the second part of the video.
The second part of the video is the most important information I have ever released on my youtube channel about the mind and how it works. This is real psychology folks. This means something to me to share this hard won knowledge with you. This is my version of The Secret and my Theory of Everything (Bipolar).
Information is power and the truth will set you free. The second part of this video contains both. Understanding and practicing this information may empower you and change your life and your relationship to mental illness forever.
I watched most of Kimberley’s vid, as it appeared as “related” (and without having seen any of her vids before). Not necessarily the Stockholm Syndrome, but clearly something along the lines of: “I don’t WANT to take responsibility for myself, no matter what! So, it just CAN’T and MUST NOT be my responsibility. HAS to be out of my control.” Wishful thinking. Accepting any other view would put her herself back to square one. She would have to start all over again, creating a self-image. This time based on her facing the/her own truth.
Another anecdote from my own experience: at first I thought: ‘Great, man! I’m nuts, so I can’t be made responsible for whatever I say or do (like going on shopping sprees, for instance). I can say and do whatever suits me, and no one can blame me for it.’ This is where people like Kimberley got stuck, as I see it. In my case, the next thought that struck me very very hard was: ‘Oh sh**! I can say and do whatever suits me, and NO ONE WILL LISTEN TO ME, NO ONE WILL TAKE ANY OF IT SERIOUSLY, if I adopt this I-can’t-do-for-my-behaviour-position.’
You’ve definitely hit a (very raw) nerve with this vid. But it’s also the most important to get hit, IMO. One fine day I might ask you, if you’d allow me to do Danish subtitles to some of your vids.
BTW: I’ve been so nasty, lately, in regard to my therapist, I just had to grab the opportunity to make up for some of it ;)
By: Marian on September 2, 2008
at 3:35 am
“clearly something along the lines of: “I don’t WANT to take responsibility for myself, no matter what! So, it just CAN’T and MUST NOT be my responsibility. HAS to be out of my control.” Wishful thinking. Accepting any other view would put her herself back to square one. She would have to start all over again, creating a self-image. This time based on her facing the/her own truth.”
Precisely.
“‘Oh sh**! I can say and do whatever suits me, and NO ONE WILL LISTEN TO ME, NO ONE WILL TAKE ANY OF IT SERIOUSLY”
Yeah.
Her whole spiel if you watch a few videos is basically an ongoing fear of what everyone in her life thinks of her coupled to her desire to be taken seriously.
Really a classic textbook case of misidentification of self and false ego. Concerned primarily of what she looks like in other people’s eyes.
When that day comes, please let me know and I will be happy to assist in any way. I have to say it’s kind of surreal and cool to be translated into another language. That’s a lot of time invested on your end and I thank you for it.
By: Jane on September 2, 2008
at 10:56 am
Jane,
You’re a valuable resource for me, and I would like to move much farther than that cold-hearted observation and be your friend! How I wish we could be come friends.
My husband, Dave, is bipolar and has managed his thoughts so well. His former psychotherapist says he’s the only one she knows who’s ever controlled his own bipolar tendencies without drugs. I’ve been soooo proud of him. When I came into his life 4 1/2 years ago, I introduced him to nutritional solutions for his brain too.
In your video, you mention maybe you should charge for your work, instead of just giving it all away. Would you be open to receiving an invitation from me to partner up some way?
At this time, I sell the powerful antioxidant juices that are helping Dave nutritionally. He thrives on them.
I would definitely be interested to be an affiliate of yours, selling your book and anything else you produce!
I’m just learning how to blog and be a presence on the internet. I submitted a comment on YOU TUBE just a few minutes ago…and now I present myself to you here at your blog.
My websites are: http://www.healthytipsforyou.com (audio) and http://www.enjoyingyourhealth.com (blog)
It would honor me if you’d come and visit…and make comment to me.
Warmly,
Dianne
406 882-4050 MST
http://www.linkedin/in/diannewandruff
By: diannewandruff on September 2, 2008
at 11:06 am
Jane: I’ll get back to you about the vids, that’s for sure. And I have to thank you for making them, and sharing them on YouTube!
By: Marian on September 2, 2008
at 2:15 pm
Dianne,
Thanks for the visit. I will be in touch via call or email. I’ll drop by your site when I get a chance.
By: Jane on September 2, 2008
at 7:37 pm
Hey Jane,
Do you ever think you were not Bipolar as a teen, and that given your circumstances that it might of been just some sort of post traumatic stress disorder.
I was misdiagnosed Bipolar II in 1996. I was acting off my rocker, but I was also in the USA, and without insurance. The doctor said I’m a little “bipolar” gave me a heavy duty prescription of a typical antipsychotic/depakote and paxil, and tossed me out the door.
They accused me of being drunk when I wasn’t drinking.
I was not given appropriate help to say the least.
I stopped the medication, except Paxil, and recovered. I took Paxil short term (two months) and recovered fully.
So am I Bipolar? I don’t think so. I do still have issues. I’m in my 30’s, and I struggle with mood and anxiety, but I’m more sure it’s not bipolar. Just a reaction to life experiences.
I am doing CBT because I believe exposure therapy will help me. I will get follow up treatment to that. I also meditate, and exercise and eat well.
However, I do think some people need their medication. I do not shun their side of it. I have a friend’s mom who is on medication, and has been for years. I would never advocate she stop her meds due to my own experiences.
To come to a conclusion about my so called bipolarity I looked into my past and when I was supposedly manic, and depressed; and it turned out I didn’t have any real mania. I had something maybe that looked like mania but did not fit the criteria much, and I am wondering if it was just a reaction to stressful life events, spanning from childhood to adulthood.
I did feel it was necessary to create a trusting relationship with the medical profession after that experience; so I did.
My clinical psychologist saw no bipolar. A psychiatrist I saw when I was stressed out by social phobia saw no strong indication of bipolar. The clinical psychologist who screened me for CBT saw no Bipolar.
I am wondering if a lack of money in the US means a lack of better treatment, and having pills shoved at you?
I’m in Canada and let’s just say universal healthcare does not see me as bipolar.
I do identify a little with what you are saying, but do you think that meditating your way out of Bipolar might not work for some?
By: leeanne2001 on February 17, 2009
at 6:29 pm
It looked like you had two questions Leanne
Last one first.
Do I think that meditating your way out of bipolar might not work for some? I have never believed or said otherwise.
In the same way drugs are not for all people, neither is meditation. Not because meditation isn’t effective but because quite frankly it’s hard to do properly it takes a long time see results and people don’t have time and some are just not cut out for it all.
The second question.
Did I ever think I didn’t have bipolar? Sure. But we know from Philip Dawdy,
‘Once diagnosed, never undiagnosed’
But in all seriousness, the answer is yes and no.
Did I have depression? Surely
Did I have mania? definitely
Did I have disordered thinking? Yes
Did I have an incurable genetic disease? No
Do I have bipolar now? No
Did ptsd play a part of my problems? Yes
Did ptsd serve as a catalyst for other problems? Probably
In the final analysis you could assemble an entire room of professionals and they could debate endlessly about my ‘true’ diagnosis without coming to a clear consensus. Why? because diagnosis is arbitrary and there is no medical test.
The methods I used cleared out and resolved my problems. It does not matter what the label was, what I did worked just the same.
If you can have misdiagnosis in the first place, what does that tell you about appropriate diagnosis? Diagnosis is in the eye of the beholder and subject to personal opinion.
How does one person have bipolar one day and suddenly it’s actually borderline or unipolar depression? How does that happen? How does a person’s Dx change over time?
it doesn’t
Most mental health symptoms are part of whole cloth of cause and effect in the brain. It’s not dozens of separate disorders but more along of the lines of one condition that can manifest in different ways in different people.
The primary mover of many mental illnesses is stress of some kind. remedy the stress and reorganize the mind and the problems may remit no matter the original dx.
I will never believe that meds are the best for some. There is something of a holdover it seems from Victorian era thinking, the Industrial Revolution work ethic and Puritanical thinking that I think goes into that line of thought.
I think we all know these drugs have horrible destabilizing, toxic side effects on the mind and the body. So how is it ok to use them on anyone?
It reminds me of punishment. You have mental illness, you take your drugs and you suffer their effects for your own good. it does not matter that the drugs don’t cure you and that your health goes down the drain you take them for your own good and suffer those side effects like a good trooper. Your bear that cross like a good Christian. Your misery means it’s working and that’s healing!
It’s intentional self harm in my opinion and i don’t think that’s good for anyone. It’s not the path to wellness. It can’t be. Your mind and your body cohabit the same space and what you do to one you do to another. It can’t be any other way.
If your body is suffering from side effects, then so is your mind. Your mind is precious and treating your body like the temple of your consciousness that it is is paramount to achieving real recovery. That can’t happen under the influence of anti anxiety, anti psychotic, anti seizure meds, lithium, SSRIs or another inhibitor drugs. they make you toxic and I don’t think that’s fair a trade off.
Although I understand where you are coming from I will never believe that meds are ‘for the best’ for some people. Not in a million years.
By: Jane on February 20, 2009
at 4:45 pm
Dear Jane,
1)Thanks for your courage and wisdom. I think you are one of the personalities who take humankind forward.
2)Besides the unhealthy side-effects with meds, the problem I have with them is that they don’t work. Perhaps like Sean Blackwell http://bipolar-or-wakingup.blogspot.com/, I see bipolar disorder as a mismatch between your soul urges and your daily self or ego. In my case these two characters take clearly the upper hand and thus keep speaking despite being on lithium. (Surely I don’t won’t to be on meds. Yet this was the only way to get out of the psychiatric where I partially voluntarily got in to discuss “the nature of bipolar disorder”, and be able to remain at my mother’s house where I provisionally reside. Indeed both psychiatrist and my mother are convinced about the chemical imbalance going on in my brain!)
3)What do you make of this video http://bipolarspirituality.blogspot.com/2009/06/1-real-cause-of-bipolar-disorder.html ? According to Sean the cure to your manic episodes, which by themselves are highly spiritual and healing experiences, is an upgrading of your lifestyle so that the soul gets a better representation in your daily life.
Super if you could say something in reply.
Rachel
By: rachel222 on June 19, 2009
at 5:32 am
I have never had a healing psychotic episode so I can’t really talk about that.
In my personal experience there was nothing healing or spiritual at all about mania. Mania always seemed like my natural personality. It seemed like I was born to be a manic person. The flight of ideas, racing thoughts, grandiosity, nonspecific irritation and impatience. I thought I was born like that until I started doing meditation.
After a few years of practicing meditation religiously all the manic traits were gone as though they never existed. Gradually I grew a brain that no longer reacted in a manic way. My brain was quiet.
That’s what I know. I know that mania is noise in the brain. I know that noise can be prevented in a natural way until the brain forgets it ever operated any differently. To me, mania represents the undisciplined, untrained mind. Meditation makes your brain mature and grow and become orderly.
Upgrading your lifestyle in ways that are conducive to bringing about inner peace is something I fully endorse and talk about.
Misidentification of Self is a mental illness and it’s partly a spiritual one too. That’s what our lifestyle does is divorce us from ourselves and get us occupied with consuming and our place on the status pole with regards to our friends and family who are also consuming.
From birth we are taught different ways of identifying ourselves. eg. I am girl. I am student. I am the daughter of my parents. I am a friend of Marie and Paul.
We identify ourselves by our achievements. eg. I am a college grad. I am self employed. I am the managing director. I have children. I make 200k a year.
We identify ourselves with our possessions and things we do. eg. I drive a red Mustang convertible. I downhill ski. I sky dive. I hike mountains. I raise pit bulls. I am a homeowner.
We identify ourselves politically. eg. I am conservative. I am democrat. I am an American. I am a patriot.
When we lose parts of identity structures the ego can very well collapse but a healing psychotic manic episode is not a guarenteed outcome of such a scenario. Suicide or major depression is a big time possible result when you lose some of the things you were misidentified with from the get-go.
In any event, right around that point of suicide where you are thinking about what the point of life is when everything and everyone can slip out of your fingers in an instant, meditation can allow you to see who and what you really are underneath it all. You can have a spiritual awakening and the result will be you know who you are and you trump your ego.
You build a foundational sense of Self that is based in granite rather than in shifting sand. In that way you solve your spiritual dissonance and heal yourself and extreme states like mania or depression may no longer be part of your life as a result.
By: Jane on June 19, 2009
at 2:55 pm