[HALLIEBETH87]

Have any of you read the book, "An Unquiet Mind?" I read it years ago but have forgotten it all. I remember it to be a good book though. I saw my Dr. today and she suggested I read it let me borrow it. This was after I shared a journal entry with her. She told me I am intelligent and I rolled my eyes and told her I don't know why she thinks that. She said something to the effect that she is qualified to decide it and does think I am intelligent. I said well ok....

Then she said that being intelligent can make it harder to deal with being bipolar. I said well I will read the book and see if I can understand what you mean by that...

[outlaw sammy]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

Have any of you read the book, "An Unquiet Mind?" I read it years ago but have forgotten it all. I remember it to be a good book though. I saw my Dr. today and she suggested I read it let me borrow it. This was after I shared a journal entry with her. She told me I am intelligent and I rolled my eyes and told her I don't know why she thinks that. She said something to the effect that she is qualified to decide it and does think I am intelligent. I said well ok....

Then she said that being intelligent can make it harder to deal with being bipolar. I said well I will read the book and see if I can understand what you mean by that...

You probably are of high intelligence; most BP's are. On the book "An Unquiet Mind," it's a good read. Very interesting story, but after I finished it, I was asking myself why I read it. It's adventure rich, but facts poor.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Yeah I have read it but its been SO long ago I don't remember anything except that shes bipolar. lol duh huh?

[StartingFreshNow]

Originally Posted by outlaw sammy

You probably are of high intelligence; most BP's are. On the book "An Unquiet Mind," it's a good read. Very interesting story, but after I finished it, I was asking myself why I read it. It's adventure rich, but facts poor.

I felt the same way! Plus I read it when I was first diagnosed and my symptoms were quite different so it kind of freaked me out - like maybe that's where I would end up. Once I learned more about bipolar I realized that's probably not the case, but it did scare me for a while.

Hi, yes, I've read An Unquiet Mind (I own it). It's certainly worth reading, but I don't think it's a work of great brilliance.

[Curiosity77]

I liked the book, but my experience of bipolar is pretty different than what she described.

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[Hedwig3.0]

She just takes Lithium. I have an "interesting case"; a tougher nut to crack. I kinda wish just Lithium would do it.

[sweepy62]

I read it it's adventurous she was all over the place though.

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[HALLIEBETH87]

Yeah Im reading it and I am almost done and while it is a bit interesting....I find it different to how I experience this hellish disorder. Her mania is wild and rampant and long lasting while I guess I have what she describes as "mild mania." And while I know deep down maybe others have felt this too...reading how she describes it makes me feel like I am stupid because it gets to me. I know my Dr says Im intelligent but I cant do all the things this lady did. I dropped out of second yr in college because I literally was losing my mind and I DID try to get help with counseling and taking meds and the clinic I sought help from failed me. I dropped out shortly after. I appreciate the book and the memoir and honesty but I cannot relate to her.

[Dix888]

It's a brilliant book by a highly intelligent, successful woman who has bipolar disorder, who has considered suicide, who had so many wild manias, she had to check herself into a hospital.
There is nothing wrong with being told you are intelligent. Not sure what you are getting at here....I think it's a blessing to be intelligent & can help a person understand this brain disorder through studying about it

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

Have any of you read the book, "An Unquiet Mind?" I read it years ago but have forgotten it all. I remember it to be a good book though. I saw my Dr. today and she suggested I read it let me borrow it. This was after I shared a journal entry with her. She told me I am intelligent and I rolled my eyes and told her I don't know why she thinks that. She said something to the effect that she is qualified to decide it and does think I am intelligent. I said well ok....

Then she said that being intelligent can make it harder to deal with being bipolar. I said well I will read the book and see if I can understand what you mean by that...

[HALLIEBETH87]

Well I certainly don't feel intelligent is what Im saying. And I don't understand what she means that it makes it harder really.

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

... I know my Dr says Im intelligent but I cant do all the things this lady did. I dropped out of second yr in college because I literally was losing my mind and I DID try to get help with counseling and taking meds and the clinic I sought help from failed me. I dropped out shortly after. I appreciate the book and the memoir and honesty but I cannot relate to her.

It's been a number of years since I read it, and while it was alright, one of things I couldn't help but come away with was, frankly, a bit of annoyance. She was/is one damn lucky lady. While she did acknowledge the support and stuff…. really, I don't think she really understands JUST HOW GOOD she had it. I can't recall specifics at this point, but basically, IIRC (outside of having to deal with the BP) -- she's lived a pretty advantaged life... Socio-economically, family, opportunities, support, means, etc.. It runs through the whole book, naturally, as this has been her life. I don't blame her for it, it was just a distraction to me. Main point: I just I couldn't relate to her story all that much.

Anyhow, I'm betting your Dr. is right, and that you are very intelligent. But intelligent people don't all follow the exact same route to get where they want to go. It's not that you "can't do all the things this lady did". (Italics mine.) You're living your life, blazing your trail, not hers, you know? It's a detour and a different situation, not a reflection on intelligence.

ETA… bit of a detour there myself… Basically,point is…. having to drop out because of BP stuff doesn't make you any less intelligent. (I got the sense you might be thinking that…"can't do all the things… followed by the dropping out part. Maybe I am reading too much into that, but I hope you don't feel that way.)

[BlackPup]

I enjoyed the book but I agree with innerzone, I think socioeconomically she was privilidged and had some very supportive people in her life. However she did have her share of difficulties and did very well considering which is to her credit.
I also agree with others that her experience of BP was very different to mine, probably as I am BP 2.
As for the OP, I don't think being intelligent makes BP or life in general harder. It just makes your interaction with the world different than if you were less intelligent. You think about things more - which is harder when thoughts turn bad but more pleasurable when you mood and thoughts are good. Anyway you can't change it so make the most of it and enjoy the blessings that come with intelligence.

[Marshellette]

Yes, I have. She reassured me that one can have a normal life even on large amounts of toxic drugs. She even had a page in there where she made fun of her own awful side effects. Like if your hands are shaking stuff them in your pockets. If someone on lithium can work as a doctor, wow! My hands shake so badly on Depakote I can hardly do anything. She seems intellectual and so New England and unlike her I hope to have a kid, just one someday if I get well enough. I mean she overdosed on lithium and is still ok. That so gave me hope.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I couldn't relate to her at all.

[BipolaRNurse]

I've never read "An Unquiet Mind", but I want to if I can ever scrabble enough brains together to read a whole book again. I know why it's harder to cope with bipolar when you're intelligent: the illness, and the meds used to treat it, make you feel like your mind has turned to mush. The worst part is, you KNOW it---you can remember when you were smart, and to not be anymore is really discouraging. At least, that's been my experience of it.

There are videos, on YouTube, of talks Kay Redfield Jamison has given. I read "An Unquiet Mind" & "Night Falls Fast". I thoroughly enjoyed both books.

[Curiosity77]

Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse

I've never read "An Unquiet Mind", but I want to if I can ever scrabble enough brains together to read a whole book again. I know why it's harder to cope with bipolar when you're intelligent: the illness, and the meds used to treat it, make you feel like your mind has turned to mush. The worst part is, you KNOW it---you can remember when you were smart, and to not be anymore is really discouraging. At least, that's been my experience of it.

Totally relate BP nurse. I used to be really bright and process things quickly. I was smarter than most people, straight A's in school, read constantly, could debate anything. Now i can barely focus to read, and i know cognitive abilities are dulled. I think it's partially the meds and partially just the progression and natural course of bipolar disorder.

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[PoorPrincess]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

Well I certainly don't feel intelligent is what Im saying. And I don't understand what she means that it makes it harder really.

Kay Redfield Jamison is one of the most courageous women of my lifetime.
That she risked all Professional standing by coming out publicly as bipolar and a medical professor, was unprecedented.

Sure she grew up with and has much greater more secure advantages than most of us. That doesn't minimize one's inner existential angst and suffering.
Kay is a brilliant, warm, witty, caring woman and scholar extraordinaire.

The intelligence thing, as I read it, is quite simply that the more you've got working 'for' you when all is well, that all can work miserably 'against' you.

I struggle with this in that sometimes I know perhaps more than is good for me sometimes. I cannot simply be passive, complacent
and wait out the depression on meds. I'm always reaching for more and get annoyed when the docs aren't up on the research and protocols we learn from in these threads.

Kay has contributed hugely to the Cause of every one of us.
Her work, studies, research, book Night Falls Fast is seminal on the highly unspoken, i.e. suicide. Nothing else in the literature comes close to her depth of inner knowing, how the mind works in those moments.
I have great appreciation and admiration for the woman, all she is.
My then young husband, Vietnam veteran, was a suicide. Kay for me helped enlighten some of those darker recesses of the mind that he never told to anyone.