[Gabyunbound]

“We know that many people with bipolar disorder, for instance — a serious, lifetime condition — do very well after treatment, and end up in creative jobs,” said Sheri Johnson, director of the mania program at the University of California, Berkeley. “But we can’t predict who. So it would be very important to have this kind of information, to know more about that group. Imagine if doctors could give you some sense of what’s possible.”

This is from an article in the NYT about how little is known about those who have recovered from depression (not BP specifically). But I found the quote hopeful. According to experts, it is possible to experience stability between episodes. At least after one has found the right treatment. My old pdoc, at the Stanford Bipolar Clinic, told me that she had 'plenty' of patients who had been stable for at least 10 years. Hope is there...

However I do NOT like the stereotype she perpetuates of those with BP being creative. Many are not, much less end up in creative careers.

I agree with you, Gabyunbound, about the creativity. I am not against the whole creativity and bipolar thing, but I think it's over emphasized.

I do like the idea of research to determine how/why some people with bipolar recover more fully than others. I'd also like to see research on how people with bipolar disorder who struggled for years finally recovered partially or fully. I don't believe we are all neatly fitting into categories, but some insight would be more helpful than none.

My concern about "if doctors could give you some sense of what's possible" is with doctors who are pessimistic about recovery. I know for a fact there are doctors out there who say "You will never be able to..." or "You should just settle for..." This is not to say doctors should be overly confident. I just think doctors need to be determined always and never write anyone off or tell people their struggles shouldn't be continuing for this or that reason.

[Gabyunbound]

I agree with you, Bird Dancer, I really don't like the idea of pdocs being so pessimistic with patients; it hasn't been my experience, but I've heard about it here.

There IS expert evidence out there (this isn't the first time I've read about it, and even the DSM -though not referring to getting rid of BP altogether- says that stability between episodes is actually a feature of BP and others say it helps to differentiate it from other illnesses) that BP can go into remission for long periods of time. It IS possible, and I think it should give us hope. Finding the right med combo and doing therapy to cope with the BP itself and how it has affected one's life and also to learn coping mechanisms to deal with other, un-related, issues that might trigger or exacerbate BP symptoms -I think- are key.

Again, I just wanted to point out that there is hope at there; both short and long-term. We shouldn't give up!!

[*Laurie*]

In my experience people with BD do tend to be more creative than the nuerotypical population is. And not always in the arts, but creative in technology, science, etc.

Originally Posted by Gabyunbound

I agree with you, Bird Dancer, I really don't like the idea of pdocs being so pessimistic with patients; it hasn't been my experience, but I've heard about it here.

There IS expert evidence out there (this isn't the first time I've read about it, and even the DSM -though not referring to getting rid of BP altogether- says that stability between episodes is actually a feature of BP and others say it helps to differentiate it from other illnesses) that BP can go into remission for long periods of time. It IS possible, and I think it should give us hope. Finding the right med combo and doing therapy to cope with the BP itself and how it has affected one's life and also to learn coping mechanisms to deal with other, un-related, issues that might trigger or exacerbate BP symptoms -I think- are key.

Again, I just wanted to point out that there is hope at there; both short and long-term. We shouldn't give up!!

I know for me that stability between episodes has happened many times. Actually, in my youth, bipolar episodes were an off and on thing, more off than on. I was able to be successful more often than not. It has only been as I aged (unmedicated), and experienced significant triggers and severe episodes, that absolute full stability between episodes is rarer than before. This is not to say I am not mostly stable a lot. I am more stable than not these last 6 years, but for me other challenges developed as a result of severe bipolar episodes; certain degrees of social and performance anxiety, the situation of being more easily triggered and having a thinner skin to endure stress.

I often wonder how my life would be now if I had been properly treated earlier in my life. I'll never know that, but I think that if I knew then what I know now, I would definitely have sought proper help. If only I had better insight then.

I'm not giving up either. I do still have hope. Plenty of hope. I'm fortunate that I can see success in my present and future, even though it's not the same type of success I used to seek out when I was 30 years old. I don't mean that I've lowered my expectations. Just tried to shift them into a different realm.