Ellen Forney, an American cartoonist, went through a manic period before her 30th birthday. As a result, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Subsequently, she experienced a depressive episode, attempted treatment and painful life adjustment. This experience is easy to say. In fact, the story in the book spans 14 years. ...
She described her own experience and created the style of "visual autobiography", which vividly conveyed mania, depression and the process of feeling, refusing and facing these symptoms. About her own experience, she has written two books, Glass Marbles (20 12) and Rock Solid (20 18). The first is an autobiography with a strong story, and the second is a life guide that can be directly used by people with emotional disorders.
Although the content is quite heavy, the original work is very lively and humorous! Psychologists need such visual narrative!
In addition, I want to introduce this book for several reasons:
0 1
This book tells a famous illusion: I'm fine!
Several times I came across a case and said to me, "Nothing will happen if you are not sad!" " "
This is the same as when the protagonist in the book was first diagnosed as a two-way state.
The protagonist's psychiatrist asked: What are you like when you are depressed?
Protagonist: I can't remember. But I'm fine! I have a plan. When I am depressed, I can do research for my book. I made all kinds of arrangements-I can take care of myself!
Depression is coming, and naturally nothing can be done.
In fact, the author still tries to do some exercise, go to his ex's and close friends' houses to cry (or do nothing), call his mother, see a psychologist once or twice a week (her doctor can also do psychotherapy), read a book and do some work ... Finally, I found that the cure for myself is to draw my own inner picture.
Of course, in the book "Rock Solid", the author actually lists many things that can be done during depression and self-care methods (including: ways to calm yourself down, ways to make yourself feel safe, ways to cry in public, ways to come out ... Find information from mental health centers, learn information about mental illness, and read biographies of others to reduce loneliness and increase self-ability. Reading is highly recommended.
02
This book vividly describes the emotional peak that a person can experience (and the possible consequences).
This book begins with the author's first manic episode-incomparable self-confidence, gushing creativity, bold and radical photos, tattoos covering the whole back, gushing leadership talks and activities, huge birthday parties, very active sex life, strange confessions of first meeting, and all-night entertainment.
This experience is so dazzling.
Of course, this experience has also brought unpredictable results: spending too much money and doing too many things without income embarrassed some people who used to be friends, while others only appeared in their manic period. There are some things that the protagonist forgets: obsessive-compulsive disorder (tidying up his bookcase all night).
Moreover, manic periods are usually followed by unbearable and terrible periods of depression.
"The reason why symptoms are symptoms is mainly to bring pain to people."
03
This book depicts the famous mood swings.
In addition to bipolar patients, in fact, people with depression and those who have just experienced loss are prone to sit on the emotional roller coaster involuntarily, which means that they may experience a period of ups and downs in a short time. The diagnosis of different emotional disorders depends on the time and degree of this person's manic/depressive period.
Sometimes, people with bipolar disorder will experience an emotional roller coaster, just like a balloon in a storm. ...
What is described in the middle is a mixed state (emotional mixed attack)-in fact, such a state is not uncommon in patients with emotional disorders. Mixed state is a time when a person feels very desperate, unable to control his thoughts, opens his heart for a while, and is angry and annoyed for a while-it seems to be "too sensitive", or too excited/anxious/energetic, like depression.
This picture describes the range of emotions experienced by ordinary people and the range of emotional experiences that people with emotional disorders may have. Please note that what we call "Buddha" means that when we suddenly seem to want to open up a little, we may not really want to open up. We are still in emotional turmoil.
04
This book asks a classic question: Do I really want balance?
The world today doesn't know why, but it actually encourages fanaticism. The life described in the first part of the book-a lot of fitness and exercise, working or playing every day is like I didn't sleep, talking confidently in the crowd, constantly attracting new people and never staying in any interpersonal relationship. ...
"To be honest, if mania has no consequences, everyone wants to be manic. But beautifying mania has no good consequences: if bipolar disorder is not treated, it will become more and more frequent and manic period will become more and more difficult to control; Mania is usually followed by a terrible period of depression ... "
"I never wanted to be healthy and balanced. I always fall into the imagination of "tortured artist": enthusiasm, devotion, sacrificing sleep and health, bleeding and sweating … but if I can get rid of it, everything will be settled. How wonderful … In yoga, accepting challenges sometimes means giving up, not resisting, but accepting, acknowledging and liberating, just like going with the flow. I look forward to this kind of abandonment. "
05
It describes a beautiful moment (and many other touching moments) when a person walks out of depression.
The protagonist:
"When I finished swimming with a heavy body one day, my body became a little relaxed. When I was taking a shower, I found myself staring at the water droplets on the glass and thinking of them as revelers in the Woods in the moonlight-I almost forgot that I used to think of things as something else. I know that my long period of depression is finally over. "
When I was in the park, I felt so sensitive (surrounded by lovers, happy dogs and happy dog owners) and longed for comfort. I saw a big tree, quiet and strong, like my mother. I want to hug this tree with open arms-in fact, I want her to hug me. I took off my shoes, stood on the moss-covered hair roots, and hugged the trunk with my hands. My chest tightened, crying, crying, crying ... until I finished crying.
No one made a fuss. Everyone responded in a friendly way. The new lover in the lower left corner finally became the author's companion. )
06
Describe how difficult stability is.
Many people think that treating diseases equals taking medicine. Not exactly. Emotional disorder, like many other major chronic diseases, living with illness is a more realistic choice.
Bipolar disorder is a particularly difficult disease. It takes a long time to find the right medicine. In Rock Solid, the author described the treatment process more completely. After trying the drug for 4 years 16, once a week for 20 years (now once every 3 months), the author finally maintained a relatively stable state-note that stability is relative.
Stability means that you still have to fight your symptoms, pay attention to the emergence of symptoms, and respond at any time, and the enemy will block you.
Then why keep it stable?
Because you will be healthier; Can have better interpersonal relationships; Can avoid losing control or terrible depression (and higher hospitalization rate afterwards); And it feels good to maintain stability, and you deserve it.
07
This book explores a classic question: What is the relationship between drugs, emotional disorders and creativity?
Half of the bipolar patients I know are artists. And half of the artists I know have emotional disorders. In "Glass Marbles" and "Rock Solid", the author found a lot of information about celebrities with emotional disorders, as well as related research. Unfortunately, people find that high creativity and emotional disorders often appear together.
Part of it is a practical problem: when the creator is manic, he will be too easily distracted to create; When you are depressed, you will be too depressed to create; Only hypomanic people will experience an increase in creativity, not completely manic people. The premature death (suicide or accident) caused by emotional disorder undoubtedly weakens creativity.
The author looks back, although he started taking drugs purely out of a survival instinct (in a terrible period of depression). However, the author finds that creative thinking is actually more of a way of thinking, which is always present. Although I think my ideas are particularly good when I am manic, I feel not so good after I am manic.
But so many creative people have talked about their experiences of transcending/taming emotional barriers! In Rock Solid, the author designed a hall of fame+floor plan (museum shop) for people with emotional disorders. They include journalists, musicians, actors, funny artists, TV presenters, painters, photographers, Olympic athletes, politicians, writers and psychiatrists, all of whom have been diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder (lady gaga, sia, Stephen Fry, jk Rowling, to name a few).
Of course, there are many people in history (such as Van Gogh, Dostoevsky, mary shelley, Roscoe, Emily Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Gauguin, Monk ...). You are not alone! A detailed list can be found in the original book. But in the following platform, you can also find many clues.
Through the above introduction, I hope to attract more people to read these two books and look forward to the early publication of Chinese versions!