Mood swings?
• Have you ever been depressed (had a low mood for days on end)?
• Had high moods with perhaps so many great ideas that you cannot sleep?
Recovery
Roger Smith experienced extreme mood swings leading to a diagnosis of manic depression (bipolar disorder). On his own journey of recovery from this disorder he is sharing the knowledge and experience he has gained over 19 years of mood swings and now 9 years of stability.
The Stop Paddling web site is a source of information as well as a showcase for Stop Paddling services. The News page is just one of many that are updated frequently, with more information regarding stress and bipolarrecovery being added. New information is also added in the Links section of this site.
The following is about the book that this business is named after.
Book Description on Amazon:
Stop Paddling/Start Sailing is an amazing book. The concept was born
out of a period of hypomania when the author, unable to sleep, imagined a
very different way of looking at his life and life in general.
These imaginings give rise to the central theme of a journey on the river of life. The main story is overlaid on the fantasy journey, bringing real people and events in, to tell of times spent in and out of psychiatric wards.
He makes no attempt to write an autobiography detailing each and every high
and low – mania and depression. He instead focuses on 3 of the episodes
that landed him in hospital during the year before and after his diagnosis.
You may be surprised to hear the author say that being diagnosed Manic Depressive
or as he now refers to himself, a Bipolar Person, was one of the best days
of his life. He says this because, after two decades of no-one being able
to put a name to his psychological problems he could at last focused on understanding
and self-managing the disorder.
This book has been described as a gentle introduction to bipolar disorder.
It goes some way beyond this as it also gently introduces the idea of using
memetics (a bit like genetics but relating to thoughts) as a tool that can
be used alongside other self management techniques. This is a big step away
from the wisdom of a few years ago when psychiatrists would tell patients
it was all about finding the right combination of drugs.
It is suggested that memetics can dispel thoughts & feelings such as,
"it all depends on me" and the other extreme "I can't do anything
about it" and thus be one more idea for reducing the likelihood of future
mood swings.
There is a brief mention of self management training from MDF the Bipolar
Organisation for which the author continues to be grateful.
This is a book designed to be read more than once, passed around friends,
perhaps relatives and health professionals who may benefit from seeing bipolar
from the survivors’ perspective.
Bookstore
Some notes:
> Stop Paddling, "Working with bipolar people who want to understand and overcome stress."
> Bipolar Disorder is also known as Manic Depression.
> Bipolar is sometimes written as bi-polar, Bi-Polar, BP or MD
> The term bipolar spectrum is increasingly being used to describe people experiencing mood swings (up and down) but not having been diagnosed.
> hypomanic = a little below manic
> Stop Paddling may be referred
to as the Bipolar Recovery Consultancy or the Bipolar Stress Consultancy.
> All content of the Stop Paddling web sites is provided for your information. It may be used in conjunction with medical advice of your own doctor or other health care professionals. It must not be used instead of medical advice of your own doctor or other health care professionals.
> Always take medication exactly as prescribed.
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