May 2nd – Clive Edwards Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon 2011

Originally Post http://mentalhealthhero.com ©2011

May 2nd – Clive Edwards Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon 2011

Meet Our next Mental health Awareness Month’s Mental Health Hero… his nick-name is WILD!

Clive Edwards Mental Health Story

I am Clive Edwards. My story is about my struggle with Bipolar Disorder. I was born in England and lived there until was 32. I started a good IT career in 1972 and it lasted until 1999 or maybe 2000.

In 1982 I took a job in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to kick start my life. Back surgery triggered a first manic episode and a GP consultation led to a week locked in a psychiatric ward.

I returned to England but moved to America to work in 1984. I soon became manic and quit my job. I spent several months searching for a diagnosis and a new job, eventually finding both in April of 1985. I was put on medication and found stability until early 1992. I stopped my lithium and became manic almost immediately. I flew to England and disrupted the lives of friends and family. I returned to LA after being hospitalized for a few weeks.

1992 was a year of riots in LA and I entered a chaotic period of my
life. It included another manic episode and a flight to Singapore in 1996 for an ill-fated job that never really got going. A bad depression and a suicide attempt followed my return to England.

I survived the experience amazingly intact and I became more positive and calmer than ever. I am recovering well but realize that it is a lifetime commitment and medication will likely be required in the long term.

I continue to use my insight to work on “myself” and my “condition”. I have had recent severe setbacks but I generally feel very positive. The only fly in the ointment is poor sleep. This may have begun in a recent pseudo manic period and it has continued after wards. Some poor sleep and time management has not helped.

I have always worked towards recovery. I have never taken what the condition throws at me and I have never rested on my laurels. This has led me to the situation where each episode is more manageable than previous ones. I have become unable to work but I have always retained hope, hope that recovery would come one day. I prefer the term “wellness” because recovery implies some sort of cure. I know a cure is unlikely but I do feel better than I have in my whole life. Weight loss and the resultant improved physical health have also contributed. I am continuing to work on “myself” and particularly on my lack of sleep. Something good happened to me very early in January of 2011. I don’t understand it but my mood has been much better since that time. I can put any downward blips to over tiredness and that makes it imperative to work on my sleep. I feel a new sense of balance, of calmness, of productivity and renewed hope. I think it comes from my feeling of wellness and the understanding that recovery is attainable.

Blog: http://bipolarfella.blogspot.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/CliveWildEdwards
twitter:    http://twitter.com/Clive_Wild
Book: My Life as a Mood Swinger
Website: http://clivewild.co.uk