Mental Illness Yes I am writing about a group of people with different mental illnesses and I was wondering what it is like to have one of these. As I would hate to turn it into a massive cliche, or give them wrong symptoms for their illness. Basically I'd like to know about: 1) Bipolar Disorder 2) Schizophrenia Anything else is also helpful.
Check out the DSM IV on Bipolar I Disorder and Catatonic Schizophrenia. I assume those are closest to what you are looking for. The DSM IV has a list of symptoms and behaviors to look out for in patients with most known disorders. You might want to consider looking into General Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder, as those can be interesting to work into an "insanity" plot. Other than that, the DSM IV covers just about everything you need for this subject.
Google is your friend. We're writers here, not psychiatrists. If you want detailed knowledge about certain mental illnesses then you're the one who needs to do the research. As for "insanity" being offensive, well, it's not for me, bit it may be for others. But then, some people will take offense to anything If you want to use the word "insanity", then go right ahead. You can never please everyone, and trying to will only get your writing into a politically-correct mess.
Thanks but I was more wondering from someone with this disorder. One can write about something but it they have no firsthand experience it will just sound stupid.
I want to point out that I and any one eles will be upset by being called "insane" just cause we have bipolar they are not the same thing Bi polar is a chemical imbalance that affects the brain its medical not psych (though it can help to talk about feelings sure and what not but for the most part bi plaor just needs a nomal doctor ) Bi polar is emotions being more powerful no deferent form when a girl is prenate or on her period dose that mean they are insane? of couse not Its just chemicals (hormones) going crazy mass prducerd not proudced enogh ect its not insainty How ever Bi polar and scyphiaon or how ever you spell are often together and the other one is Bi polar is not a mental illness or at least dose not meant you are insane
as for bipolar what do you want to know? how dose it feel? what is it like? do you need only the manic side? or the depresing to? Do you know there are three types of it? What are you looking for I'll be glad to awnser but evrey one is defrient
Well, the main way to characterize a disorder is if there is suffering. In the case of Bipolar Disorder, the victim suffers in that he or she has periods of euphoria and depression with stints of stability in between. It isn't an abrupt switch in most cases, but rather the person feels normal one day and something triggers the depression or euphoria. Depending on the severity, the person can be stuck in that state for days, weeks, or even months before that switch goes off and the next stage strikes.
euphoria is also called manic and the periods defier form person to person, I hapeen to have mainc and depressing only for a few mituins (in most cases) but my cosuin stays in them for weeks how ever mine are more powerful in that I can't really do ANYTHING ELSE in till it passes
Wolfi, that is exactly the information I needed and I thank you. You see I have two goals in my writing: 1) To be accurate in my representation of my characters mental illnesses(as I believe most of them will have one) 2) Not offend anyone in the way I write it. I don't want to stereotype anyone.
Some things may helo, at last evry one is defrient so thuis wont work for all of us Manic: most pepole think its "happy" but this is not so, the aftec it has on us is it makes us "hyper" some things it CAN do 1. make us more creative, to be fair its more of we are sure we are right and the stuff we make seems good, we could rewrite twlight andf think its good 2. we have to stay active we get frustrated if we stay in one place to long and often fidget trying to inore it 3. tempers get bad, we tend to want to agure with evrey one and anything 4. we feel "free" 5. we get some obsessions some will go out and buy stuff with money they don't have, I clean my room to my figners bleed or i pass out form exsuating like many orthers i become a clean freak, some writer 80+ pages of their books in a few short hours, we do those obessions to the point where we can be some what dangerous to our selfs and others, as we are so hyper Manic is more or less a good feeling but it has draw backs as you can see Depression is the opposite
