Description

By Marci M. Manna

ISBN: 978-1-84747-489-6
Published: 2007
Pages: 57
Key Themes: poetry, bi-polar sufferer and professional clinical psychologist, activism, understanding

ALSO AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

Description

I want to invite you to take an experiential and phenomenological journey through one of the most misunderstood psychiatric disorders – Bipolar Disorder. This piece of work highlights it’s nature: it’s circularity, particular cognitive style and of course, it’s mood. The cognitive style of the depressive portion of the illness is kind of like looking at the world and yourself through a carnival mirror, reality becomes very distorted. One’s perceptions, thoughts, feelings and interactions with others are all in response to what one sees in the mirror – and it feels as if there is no way out.

When you are finished with this book, my goal is that the reader will be able to understand and identify both depression and Bipolar in your world. Depression alone is the most frequent, but most treatable psychiatric disorder that exists. I hope this material is disturbing. It was meant to be. Do something about these disorders in your world. Encourage loved ones to go for help, because this disorder can be lethal for some, but for most it’s just constant despair.

About the Author

Marci Manna is a clinical psychologist who resides in Branson, Missouri. She has been in private clinical practice for 11 years. Her main clinical interests are mood disorders and pharmacology. For the past 5 years, she has chaired a committee for the advancement of prescriptive authority for medically trained psychologists for the Missouri Psychological Association. She has suffered from Bipolar I disorder since the age of 18. Her interests include writing, Taekwondo and caving.

Book Extract

The irritated cat on the couch
The stillness of it all
I think I’ve lost myself in you again
Mislead by starry-eyed dreams
Didn’t read the signs right
She’s blind from the blotted out night