Millions Like Me: My Struggle with Mental Illness: Workings of a Bipolar Mind, #1

By John Medl

A riveting memoir, Millions Like Me, tells the stunningly brave and powerful true account of one man's descent into major depressive and manic episodes and how he found lifesaving therapy and medication to overcome and triumph.

 

When thirty-five-year-old John Medl is involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital, he is sure it is a mistake. A graduate from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, John's life appears ideal. How did he get here?

 

In this gripping and breathtaking narrative that makes the reader feel as though they are listening in on a private conversation, John reveals his delusions and battles with mental illness. Intriguing and riveting, this true story of perseverance, when all hope seems lost, is inspiring and unforgettable.

 

Millions Like Me shines as a beacon of hope for all struggling with their mental health that they can find their own path to healing. It is the first book in his Workings of a Bipolar Mind series.

 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Mental Health Matters
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215554036

Book preview

1 SYMPTOMS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

MANIC PHASE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

Signs and symptoms of the manic or hypomanic phase of bipolar disorder can include:

Euphoria

Inflated self-esteem

Poor judgment

Rapid speech

Racing thoughts

Aggressive behavior

Agitation or irritation

Increased physical activity

Risky behavior

Spending sprees or unwise financial choices

Increased drive to perform or achieve goals

Increased sex drive

Decreased need for sleep

Easily distracted

Careless or dangerous use of drugs or alcohol

Frequent absences from work or school

Delusions or a break from reality (psychosis)

Poor performance at work or school

DEPRESSIVE PHASE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder can include:

Sadness

Hopelessness

Suicidal thoughts or behavior

Anxiety

Guilt

Sleep problems

Low appetite or increased appetite

Fatigue

Loss of interest in activities once considered enjoyable

Problems concentrating

Irritability

Chronic pain without a known cause

Frequent absences from work or school

Poor performance at work or school

OTHER SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder can also include:

Seasonal changes in mood. As with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), some people with bipolar disorder have moods that change with the seasons. Some people become manic or hypomanic in the spring or summer and then become depressed in the fall or winter. For other people, this cycle is reversed — they become depressed in the spring or summer and manic or hypomanic in the fall or winter.

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Some people with bipolar disorder have rapid mood shifts. This is defined as having four or more mood swings within a single year. However, in some people, mood shifts occur much more quickly, sometimes within just hours.

Psychosis. Severe episodes of either mania or depression may result in psychosis, a detachment from reality. Symptoms of psychosis may include false but strongly held beliefs (delusions) and hearing or seeing things that aren't there (hallucinations). Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

2 WHAT ARE PANIC ATTACKS/PANIC DISORDER?

A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:

palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

sweating

trembling or shaking

sensations of shortness of breath or smothering

feeling of choking

chest pain or discomfort

nausea or abdominal distress

feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint

derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)

fear of losing control or going crazy

fear of dying

paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)

chills or hot flushes

DSM IV Criteria for Panic Disorder

A) Both (1) and (2)

(1) recurrent unexpected Panic Attacks

(2) at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one (or more) of the following:

(a) persistent concern about having additional attacks

(b) worry about the implications of the attack or its consequences (e.g., losing control, having a heart attack, going crazy)

(c) a significant change in behavior related to the attacks

B) The Panic Attacks are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

C) The Panic Attacks are not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g., occurring on exposure to feared social situations), Specific Phobia (e.g., on exposure to a specific phobic situation), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., on exposure to dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination),

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., in response to stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g., in response to being away from home or close relatives).

Panic Disorder is divided into with or without agoraphobia DSM IV Criteria for Agoraphobia

A) anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed Panic Attack or panic-like symptoms. Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd, or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile.

B) The situations are avoided (e.g., travel is restricted) or else are endured with marked distress or with anxiety about having a Panic Attack or panic-like symptoms, or require the presence of a companion.

C) The anxiety or phobic avoidance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g., avoidance limited to social situations because of fear of embarrassment), Specific Phobia (e.g., avoidance limited to a single situation like elevators), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., avoidance of dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., avoidance of stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g., avoidance of leaving home or relatives).

3 OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE BOTH OBSESSIONS AND