I always love it when I run across articles such as the one appearing in Emotional Health titled: "9 Famous People With Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar Disorder and Fame Have Been Linked Both in the Present and the Past." By Juhie Bhatiatled.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-diso... In this article, we learn what we really should know already and that is that we are not alone. Bipolar is a chemical imbalance that crosses all races, socio-economic status, ethnicities, s*xes, religions, hobbies, professions, and careers. There is no cure. So why is it a big deal that Brittany Spears is linked to a mental condition (Bipolar?).
Well, I think the issues with Brittany's public persona are amplified because of her celebrity status. Because of her celebrity status, she also helps perpetrate the stigmas associated with persons with a mental condition. This makes me frustrated and angry, but I still cannot figure out how to change the world.
Anyhu- there was a time when the hollywood folks were highly respected so that if Elizabeth Taylor is linked to a mental condition, the media handle her with dignity and respect and not flaunt her mood swings in every tabloid. We know that when we live in denial of a mental illness, our behaviors are out of our control. We know about Anosogia that I wrote about a few weeks ago. Remember that some Bipolar episodes will not be remembered by YOU, but family, friends, and strangers will certainly remember them.
So, please, please take your medications as prescribed and avoid the tabloids, so to speak. We love Brittany and we know that she is finding her way and growing up at the same time. The issue with the famous celebrities is that they are unfortunate enough to have to deal with mood swings in public such as on the set of movies, concerts such as Mariah Carrie. Their privacy gets violated and they get made fun of or they receive nasty/negative press such as Lauren Hill.
Imagine if YOU did not take medications and did not stick to a wellness plan? You probably have already become the celebrity in YOUR family with a negative reputation for being "crazy!" If you pay attention to the symptoms of depression, you could avoid a permanent mental condition in a lot of cases, too. The best way is to stay educated about mental conditions and seek professional help immeidately. Seeking prompt help does not automatically mean you will have to take medications the rest of your life. ONLY your doctor can decide on the duration or necessity of medications, but don't rob yourself of the chance to receive beautiful press (so to speak) in your family!
Now, I'm sure the celebrities will tell you that negative press is NOT cute or funny. Everybody's reputation has a way of getting "there" before YOU do! Wouldn't it be so much nicer if you were the celebrity in YOUR family due to your natural talents and God-given gifts? Your children and others would be so proud of you and it would be a warm and fuzzy experience to have you at gatherings without any drama.
A few years back when I began walking in obedience to the Lord's call, I was conducting family interviews for our family archives. Each month, I interviewed a senior member of the family and then I worked my way down to the next generation. Well, we have a celebrity children's Author and playwright in our family and when I interviewed her, she said some very profound words to me. She said, "You are and will always be in charge of writing your own press."
I thought about that after the interview as I drove home. The words dug deep by taking me to focus on my behaviors. Now, we often say we don't care what people think and we shouldn't as long as we are confident in ourselves and purpose. However, reality is, we don't want people saying negative things about us because it challenges the truth. So, if we are truthfully acting the fool because we live in denial, if we like hurting because depression hurts, if we make our family ashamed to be in public with us because we cannot control our mood swings, then we need to write a different and better press for ourselves. Imagine reading good, positive press about ourselves. It does wonders for our self-esteem and that alone encourages us to continue to reach even higher personal goals.....
Do you know of any famous people linked to Bipolar? (Noah, Albert Einstein, ???)
Ok, here's what I want YOU to do. Review your wellness plan and ask yourself would your press be positive or negative? Be honest with yourself, too. If you know that you could be splattered all over the tabloids, commit to doing something different with your wellness plan. If you do not have a wellness plan, make that a goal this summer. It can be done painlessly and free. Be realistic.
In my book, "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An
African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 13 978-0-9754612-0-4, I show readers the step by step journey I had to take to reach personal goals. Imagine standing at a sink of dirty dishes and setting a goal to wash one fork. It was quite an overwhelming experience but one day I looked in that sink and all the dishes were washed!!!! What was the press written by me at that time? That I kept a dirty kitchen. The truth was, due to the affects of Bipolar and medications, my energy was zapped and a fork was all I could manage. What is the press I have written about myself these days since I learned to cope and manage my Bipolar? That I keep an immaculate house ~ whoo! whoo!:)-
Agnes B. Levine is the Author of "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An
African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 13 978-0-9754612-0-4. Please visit Amazon.com to order your copy today.
PLEASE CHECK OUT THE LATEST PIX OF MY JUNE 6, 2009, BOOK TOUR STOP IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. What's stopping YOU from ordering YOUR copy today?
Would you believe that more sales were made to black men at this downtown Baltimore book tour stop! Each man stated they were purchasing the book for their sister or wife and one -- daughter. Ladies, what's going on here:)-?
Posted By: agnes levine
Saturday, June 13th 2009 at 5:21PM
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