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ePaper created 2014-12-04, 01:15:59 | version 1.33.01
26 started screaming. I fell on the floor in self-induced convulsions, positive that I was contributing to God's Master Plan. Was I right? Probably not, because a few seconds later I was strapped to a gurney headed to the hospital. A few years of experience have shown me that several mental patients experience the exact same thing when under the influence of a severe manic episode. My advice to you if you find yourself in the same situation is this: tell somebody! Let somebody know what's going on. The best thing you can do for yourself is to let someone in on the madness flowing through your mind. Not only will you receive help faster, but you'll feel a whole lot better after you unload those thoughts. Sometimes during emergency room trips, neophyte bipolar patients get scared, and don't really want to tell the evaluating psychiatrist what's wrong. This is the worst thing you can possibly do. That is what they are there for, after all! They are there to help you! They are there to listen and get you the help you need. Keep in mind that doesn't always mean a trip the hospital. Sometimes they will just set up a doctor's appointment for the next morning. Emergency room visits don't always end in the Quiet Room, which we'll talk about later. So remember that when you make the trip to the ER, you are taking care of yourself. You are making sure nothing crazy happens while your disorder is doing a number on you. A lot of new patients have no idea what it is like to really go full force into a manic or suicidal episode. Well, let me tell you that it is not fun. A lot of folks don't even make it out of them alive. Speaking as one who has, I want to convey to you how important it is to have a cutoff switch. You must work really hard at training your mind to just pull the switch if need be. You must be able to sit or lie down, and allow others to care for you. I call it the "Prime Directive". You must be able to say to yourself, "I will not die today. I absolutely positively will take every step necessary to stay alive." This is a must. I suspect most successful bipolar patients have one of these. We are able to just stop the actions, and just lie down. Without this ability you are in trouble. If you don't master this, there will come a time when people will have to bring you down. You may have to spend time in jail, or you may be severely drugged for long