This One Bears Repeating

I don't know how to re-post old diatribes so you're going to have to click on the title to see what I'm talking about.

Britney, that is.

If I may vent for a moment: I am so motherfucking glad I'm not a celebrity and wasn't hounded by paparazzi night and day, everywhere I went, when I had my breakdown. Whatever her relationship with her kids, the trauma of having a celebrity mom has to harder on them than having a bipolar mom.

I wish Britney had someone she could trust, someone she could rely on to recognize when she's not herself and spinning out of control. Someone who's opinion she cares about, someone who hasn't already let her down.

Like Britney, I had people around more than willing to exploit my condition. It's likely she distrusts everyone she knows right now and feels desperate, lonely and hurt. Hopefully , like me, Britney will have a moment of clarity long enough to surrender to the help she needs.

If You Ain't Bipolar, You Ain't Trying Hard Enough

Interweb scuttlebutt has diagnosed Britney Spears as being Bipolar. Clues cited include Ms. Spears shaving her head, waving her genitals at photographers, and generally losing her shit every chance she gets. Apparently, the poor kid isn't treated for this psychiatric disorder because she's busily working out another one: Bulimia.

Diagnosing Bipolar disorder is an inexact science, as any reputable psychiatrist will tell you. There is no blood test, no rash, no Xray image of throbbing craziness. Instead, doctors look at patterns of behavior in deciding if it's Bipolar, Depresssion, some combo thereof, or other mood or personality disorders.

Substance Abuse and acting like a batshit whorebag asshole are not precise symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. If that were true, a lot more than 2% of the population would be officially diagnosed.

It's entirely possible that Britney is Bipolar. It's equally possible that Lindsay Lohan is Bipolar. In fact, I would put my money on Lindz: she has the inappropriate sexuality thing happening, the substance abuse, the erratic behavior, the total lapses in judgement, and — tellingly, I say — the terrible rages. Where Britney is a sadsack, insecure cuckoobunny, Lindsay Lohan is a megalomanic, friend- and family-alienating nightmare.

Now throw Amy Winehouse into the mix. The Wino was officially diagnosed and — in all her clear-thinking sobriety — decided she didn't need medication and therapy.

I'm no spokesperson for Bipolar Disorder, or bipolar women, or celebrities, or anyone at all, I just don't want the world to associate the disorder with these skeevy trainwrecks. Amy Winehouse is not the fucking "face" of Bipolar Disorder, ok?

I have a diagnosis of severe Bipolar Disorder. I have suffered from the terrifying symptoms (which, for me, did not include waving my genitals or wrecking expensive cars in DUI stupidity)since I was a teenager. It's bad enough to encounter doctors who treat me like I have Down's Syndrome or Autism when I visit them for ordinary medical problems. Nurses often freak out when I tell them I take Lithium. Know what Lithium is? A common mineral, like table salt.

So, I'm not looking forward to the surely-upcoming news pieces about Bipolar, featuring Jimmy-Crack-Crackers Spears. Seriously, people, having Bipolar Disorder is sucky enough. Must we be lumped in with celebrity whoreflowers?

Last time I checked, acting like a thai hooker at dance clubs, drinking yourself half-to-death, and experimenting with drugs was a disorder called College. I guess every person in their early-to-mid '20s has bipolar, in addition to being worthless and stupid. How sad!

WoT Favorites: Maurice Benard

Let's all wish Maurice Benard, longtime General Hospital actor, a very happy birthday.

Maybe you haven't watched soaps since your high school days (if ever) and maybe you missed Maurice's many other acting gigs,so you don't necessarily consider yourself a fan.

I invite you to change your mind about "Sonny Corinthos".

Like me, Maurice Benard suffers from Bipolar Disorder. In a forward-thinking move, General Hospital wrote Maurice's real-life illness into his character's storyline.

It's widely believed among people who write papers and conduct scientific studies on such things that soap operas have tremendous influence on society. Presenting a tricky situation like interracial love, AIDS, and homosexuality on a popular daytime soap continually proves the notion that for many people in America, "If Erica Kane can handle it, so can I!"

Which explains why, when my step-mom picked me up from the train station last year, she solemnly described the Bipolar Sonny storyline and told me she at last understood what was wrong with me.

I wasn't upset or mad at her — why would I be? If you don't have some form of mental illness(and let's face facts: 1 in 4 adults in America do), then you know someone who does. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean stigma and ignorance about mental illness are no longer a problem.

Research in mental illness is direly under-funded. So are programs for the mentally ill at every point on the spectrum, from medical care to housing and beyond. Psychiatric treatment facilities are over-crowded, under-staffed, and broke. Let's think about that for a minute: 1 in 4 adults. 1 in 4 adults in America don't have cancer, or diabetes, or muscular dystrophy, yet the lion's share of funding and research goes to diseases and conditions such as these. Not that these are not valid and equally important medical problems, mind you, I'm trying to demonstrate a disparity in research and care. And attitudes. I won't further depress you with the data on comparative death rates, just trust me: it's shocking.

I'm what they call a "highly-functioning" Bipolar person. I lead a pretty normal life, I take my medicine and do whatever my doctors tell me to do, such as therapy and stuff like yoga and tai chi to calm my manic tendencies. I've spent time in psychiatric wards, but it was hardly tragic or scary: I played balloon volleyball and slept a lot. No matter how much I do the right thing I know that my disorder is unpredictable and mysterious, and I will have episodes. Manic-depression been around a long, long time, yet no one really knows why it is, what it is or how to stop it.

Want to know who else besides me and Maurice Benard are Bipolar? How about Jim Carrey, Linda Hamilton, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Evan Dando, Axl Rose, Sting, Ben Stiller...the list goes on

I can't imagine what these actors and musicians risked by going public with their illness, if anything, but I'm nonetheless impressed. It's brave and does society a great service. Jane Pauley didn't do such a great job of raising awareness, but Linda Hamilton, Carrie Fisher, and Patty Duke have. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)works tirelessly to not only raise awareness, but to force change in Washington and champion the rights and needs of the mentally ill, but they have a much harder time raising funds than other medical advocacy groups. Eventually, hopefully, mental illness will be accorded proper concern for its sufferers and better treatments — if not cures — are on the horizon.

My point in all this? Maurice Benard is a terrific entertainer who is kicking ass on raising awareness of Bipolar Disorder and changing opinions about mental illness. He rocks, and today is his birthday.

And so, on your birthday, Maurice Benard, I wish you the happiest of days and hope you enjoy every moment. And thank you.

Why it’s Easy for a Bipolar Person to Blend in NYC

• Everyone on the street hears voices. It’s called Bluetooth.
• Hallucinations, Part I: Bugs. Unfortunately, there very well can be (bed)bugs crawling all over you.
• Hallucinations, Part II: There’s a good chance whatever lunacy you’re seeing is real.
• Find me someone who doesn’t go on thoughtless and damaging spending sprees.
• Colossal lapses in judgment? Whassamattah, you don’t read the Post?
• Volatile mood swings are expected and accepted as perfectly normal
• Paranoia is a positive trait and the smart choice.
• So you’re unreliable. Everyone’s too jaded and cynical to care.
• Eccentricity is the norm. Topeka calls it “crazy”, we call it “inspired”.
• The average hipster can give you a run for your money on having a short attention span and little short-term memory.