Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Craig Hamilton – My Story part 1 of 3

Craig: Sports broadcaster, writer, and motivational speaker. Wow!

In September 2000 I was hospitalized for two weeks after suffering a psychotic episode at Broadmeadow Railway Station in Newcastle, Australia.

The subsequent diagnosis from the team at the James Fletcher Hospital was Bipolar 1 Disorder.

It will be ten years in September since that traumatic time and I have had time to reflect on a great deal about the illness and the best way to manage it and stay well.

Bipolar Disorder, like so many other mental illnesses has a stigma associated with it that makes management of the condition even more difficult than it should be.

 For many people with Bipolar disorder , managing the illness and coming to terms with the sometimes severe mood swings is something managed in secrecy, away from the prying eyes of even close friends and family.

My experience with the illness in 2000 was so traumatic and debilitating that upon recovery I felt almost duty bound to speak up about Bipolar Disorder and attempt to decrease the level of stigma around this illness.

Since 2000 I have been very well. That needs to be stated for the record. I’m still working for ABC Radio in Newcastle , who were my employers back in 2000 when the world that I knew went pear shaped for a couple of months.

I am never complacent about this illness because I have seen the devastation Bipolar can wreak when out of control, so I am constantly aware of the way I live my life. Stress levels, sleep patterns, medication, relaxation and exercise are all part of a management strategy that I have put in place to make sure that the events of 2000 are never repeated.

Craig Hamilton  

Click here for Craig Hamilton Part 2

Click here for Craig Hamilton Part 3

Britney Spears on Good Morning America in 2011

Here is a post I wrote when Britney Spears was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Do you think she should come out in the open and talk about the illlness? Or do we expect too much of celebrities? There is no reason they have to be role models. The topic is still interesting as she seemed to do so well and then she was pretty out of it again. If you saw her performaces of recent TV shows such as Good Morning America, she didn’t look well. Who knows!

The following picture was captioned:

Britney Spears is Back! Troubled Singer Britney Spears Performs For Good Morning America!

Isn’t it interesting how mental illness (brain disorders) are often labeled troubling, disturbed and out of

**  from 2009**

I wrote a lot about Britney Spears when she was going through such a tough time: from shaving her head in public to being taken away by an ambulance after she was found in her bathroom sobbing and possibly suicidal. I was interviewed in US Magazine about the topic as well. In the past few months, I’ve wondered if she actually does have bipolar disorder as was reported. She sure seemed to be doing well. I know for a fact that someone who went through the type of psychotic/manic episode that she experienced simply can’t go back to the same life within a year. Period.

I actually said to my mom, “If she has bipolar disorder, it’s the best recovery I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe she is actually going to go on tour. I could never handle that.”  My mom said, “Well, what do you think happened?” I said, “She definitely had a manic and psychotic episode and then depression, but people can actually have these out of the blue and then not have them again. But something doesn’t sound right to me. All of the magazines talk about her comeback and yet don’t mention bipolar disorder????  That is strange. It seems to me that she is trying to do things way too soon. I think she will get sick again if she goes on tour.”

Julie

2011:  It’s hard to go through what Britney Spears went through and then still have a high profile career. We will see what happens. I wish her luck. I’ve always found her very talented!