“Un ser típicamente enfermizo no puede sanar, menos aún sanarse él a sí mismo; para un ser típicamente sano, en cambio, el estar enfermo puede constituir incluso un enérgico estimulante para vivir, para más vivir. Así es como de hecho se me presenta ahora aquel largo período de enfermedad: por así decirlo, descubrí de nuevo la vida, y a mí mismo incluido, saboreé todas las cosas buenas e incluso las cosas pequeñas como no es fácil que otros puedan saborearlas, – convertí mi voluntad de salud, de vida, en mi filosofía… Pues préstese atención a esto: los años de mi vitalidad más baja fueron los años en que dejé de ser pesimista: el instinto de autorestablecimiento me prohibió una filosofía de la pobreza y del desaliento…¿Y en qué se reconoce en el fondo la buena constitución ? En que un hombre bien constituido beneficia a nuestros sentidos, en que está tallado de una madera que es, a la vez, dura, suave y olorosa. A él le gusta sólo lo que le es saludable; su agrado, su placer cesan cuando se ha rebasado la medida de lo saludable.
Adivina remedios curativos contra los daños, saca ventaja de sus contrariedades; lo que no le mata le hace más fuerte *. Instintivamente forma su síntesis con todo lo que ve, oye, vive: es un principio de selección, deja caer al suelo muchas cosas. Se encuentra siempre en su compañía, se relacione con libros, con hombres o con paisajes, él honra al elegir, al admitir, al confiar.
Reacciona con lentitud a toda especie de estímulos, con aquella lentitud que una larga cautela y un orgullo querido le han inculcado, examina el estímulo que se acerca, está lejos de salir a su encuentro.
No cree ni en la «desgracia» ni en la «culpa», liquida los asuntos pendientes consigo mismo, con los demás, sabe olvidar, – es bastante fuerte para que todo tenga que ocurrir de la mejor manera para él.Y bien, yo soy todo lo contrario de un décadente, pues acabo de describirme a mí mismo.”Ecce Homo (Autobiografía)
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
lo que no le mata le hace más fuerte….
9 mayUnderstanding the family ties
9 mayBipolar disorder is a complex condition involving untold genes, and family history does not necessarily mean a person will inherit the illness. But it does play a strong role. According to NARSAD (the previously named National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression), children of one parent with bipolar carry a 15 percent to 30 percent risk of themselves developing the illness. Those with two parents with bipolar have a 50 percent to 75 percent risk of getting it.
“Bipolar disorder is one of the most clearly heritable disorders there is,” says Samuel H. Barondes, MD, director of the Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. “The evidence is absolutely overwhelming, and there is not much evidence that nurture has any influence at all.”
Although the genetic component is undeniable, the relationship is far from straightforward, he continues. There are an untold number of genes responsible for bipolar disorder, many of them overlapping with schizophrenia.
Roger McIntyre, MD and associate professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto says this about the genetic component: “Most individuals who have bipolar disorder can identify someone else in their family who also has a psychiatric disorder. As a point of fact, the other psychiatric disorder is not always bipolar disorder,” he says. “Major Depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders and ADHD are more commonly encountered than is bipolar. People need to think not only about bipolar, but other conditions as well.”
“Let’s say your wife is bipolar and you worry that your child is acting a little weird,” Barondes says. “I would say don’t. Just chill. Although the risk is greater, the odds are still that your kid is not going to get it.”
Still, it’s enough to make you wonder.
Unraveling the family tree
19 abrFor some families, bipolar disorder runs through the generations as invariably as freckles or cleft chins appear in other family trees. Even so, looking for your family’s source of bipolar disorder can be a little like searching for the headwaters of the Nile. You start backtracking through the generations and suddenly realize that the quirky behavior you once brushed aside as your grandmother’s eccentricity was really a signpost.
If only you had recognized her outlandishness or rage for what it was—the genetic source of your own bipolar disorder. You might have been more tolerant of her. Perhaps you wouldn’t have distanced yourself so much. At the very least, you might have asked some questions.
Unfortunately, many people never think to connect the dots in their family’s history of wellness until the day a family member is diagnosed with bipolar. Suddenly, it hits like a ton of bricks—everything falls into place. As one mother describes it, it wasn’t until her son was diagnosed that she recognized her own illness. “Oh my gosh, that’s what’s the matter with me!”
This experience was related in one way or another by several individuals interviewed for this story. Jolted by the diagnosis of a child or a grandchild, an older family member may reluctantly acknowledge the symptoms as his or her own. Sometimes, it comes as a bolt of self-recognition; other times, it’s a case of reluctant consent, a muttered admission, “Yes, that’s me.”
Scientists don’t know how many or which genes are involved in bipolar. But there is no way at pre- sent to determine whether someone will inherit the disorder. Nevertheless, according to a study published in the March 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, having family members with bipolar disorder is the best predictor of whether an individual will go on to develop the illness.
If you want to continue reading go to http://www.bphope.com/
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Canadian-born Sara Solovitch is a freelance writer based in Santa Cruz, California.
Bad Press on Bipolar Disorder
14 mayLately it seems that the media is airing a lot of dirty laundry about bipolar disorder, without showing the public that many of us are kind, empathetic, in active recovery, and are responsible individuals. I have yet to see any journalists mention the long list of bipolar celebrities of the past or present: Sting, Marilyn Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, Buzz Aldrin, Carrie Fischer, Francis Ford Coppolla…. Check the Internet. We hear little about how these influential people in our society also suffered from or were survivors of the brain disorder termed Bipolar Disorder, which affects approximately 1% of the general population.
It seems reckless and irresponsible for the media to continue to portray those with brain disorders, formerly labeled as being mentally ill, as raving psychotic lunatics incapable of making healthy decisions for themselves. As a woman with Bipolar Disorder, I am fed up with continually being misrepresented on television. If the media wants the drama and ratings associated with the psychotic and dissociative episodes that bipolars can experience, they need to air a show about bipolar recovery. Yes, recovery is possible for those with brain disorders and as a TV viewer; I would like to see shows that exemplify that.
One of my favorite TV series’ is Law & Order. I love the story lines and learning about the judicial system. However, as much as I love this show, it has portrayed bipolar individuals as criminals committing horrendous violent crimes. Only one time did it recently air a show about an extremely intelligent bipolar woman who wanted to make a clear and valid point to society about reality-TV shows and the harm they are causing on society. Her means were extreme yet brilliant in the effect they had on the viewer. But like many others, she was arrested and carted off to jail to join the masses of misdiagnosed and untreated individuals who are jam packing our prison system.
It’s time for our media to take a responsible approach when dealing with brain disorders. If a station decides to air a segment about the devastating effects of the illness or the high suicide rate of 20% then show a follow up segment about people who are properly diagnosed, medicated, and are in active recovery. Show the public both sides of the story. The best way to promote wellness in any society is through education.
Wake up people, it’s 2004. In a time where we have made incredible medical and technological advances, we still have not found cures for many illnesses; AIDS, cancer, Downs Syndrome, SIDS, and many brain disorders, including bipolar disorder. In the eighties, AIDS patients were feared, ridiculed, and ostracized. Today in our more educated society most have realized that AIDS, though not curable, is treatable with the right medication regimen along with proper diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. Today, one would be viewed as an insensitive clod if they were to hold to the 80′s stigma surrounding AIDS. The same holds true for individuals with Bipolar Disorder. Once properly diagnosed, bipolar disorder is treatable, and living a healthy balanced life becomes attainable. It is my hope and ultimate goal to see that the stigma associated with brain disorders fade as our society becomes educated about the illness. Fear is generally what motivates intolerance. If our media stood up and addressed brain disorders without any bias many people could be helped. (más…)
bipolar
28 febFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bipolar is a term used to define things with two (usually opposing) poles. It can refer to:
In Medicine
- Bipolar disorder and its subtypes:
- Bipolar cell, a second order neuron of the retina.
In Electronics and electrical engineering
- Bipolar junction transistor, electronic device.
- bipolar encoding, a type of line code used in telecommunication.
- bipolar high-voltage direct current transmission
In Science
- Bipolar nebula, a two-lobed, axially symmetric nebula
- Bipolar outflow, outflow of ejected materials from both poles of a star.
- Bipolar political system, a system where two political powers are equally matched.
In Mathematics
- Polar set, sometimes called a bipolar set, is the polar of a polar set.
- Bipolar coordinates, a type of orthogonal coordinates based on the Apollonian circles.
In Pop culture
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