Study, Study, Study

By Debra Hoppe

The 3^rd part of our series is the need to study your mental illness.  It is important to find out what you are dealing with such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or depression.  The only way to learn about them is to study.

I access the library at work because it has a vast array of information.  It eases my tension when I can look at the bookshelf and pick out any book I want and study my heart out.  I don’t have to return it at any set time.  I can just study anytime I want to at any speed I can handle.  No worries.

There is also a huge amount of emphasis on the internet.  I found this resource to be never ending.  You can log on to www.namimt.org to find out more about bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression and the list goes on.  My coworker, Quentin Schroeter, has videos online to help people understand their conditions. (Here's one where Quentin discusses psychosis.) I have found that a person with a mental illness can alleviate their stress by reading and understanding their condition.  I know it worked for me.  I read about bipolar disorder and it helped me to understand more about myself and it helped me to get out of my funk.  It might not be that simple for some people but at least you can try to read something even if it is a pamphlet.  Knowledge is knowledge no matter where it comes from.

Another way to gain an understanding of your condition is to attend a NAMI conference.  There they offer a wide range of information and have a great line up of guest speakers that have so much to say about different things.  I have gone to 2 conferences and brought back many things from both of them.  I heard Kevin Hines tell about jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and surviving the fall.  I went to a Peer to Peer class where I got to tell a brief description of my story and boy did it feel good to get that off of my chest.  You see there is a place to learn if you just look for it.

Just remember that no matter what your situation is or what you may be going through you are never too old to learn.  I am 51 years old and am still learning about myself.  I don’t like what my bipolar disorder does to me some days but I do understand it more everyday because I study about it on a regular basis.  I not only do the studying but my family does as well.  Get people involved in your life because you will benefit from the outcome. 

Thanks for your time and I hope you have a nice day.  Stay tuned for the 4^th part of the series I will give you some hints on what websites may be beneficial to you.  See you later.