[Note: I wrote this page in 1997, which describes the course of my first episode of mental illness. Rather than change it I've added an update as of December 2002]
I was diagnosed as having Bipolar Disorder in 1996. Until that year I had had no mental health problems. In Mid-may we went away as a family and everything seemed fine. In the two weeks following Memorial Day I was sleeping gradually less and less and very excited about various things. I was enjoying life; I was “on a high”; I had no idea that anything might be wrong. By June 10 I had had two nights with only two or three hours sleep. On June 10 I was having extreme mood swings and major delusions in my thinking (I know this now but at the time I didn’t realize it). My husband Steve was becoming more and more aware that I was talking and behaving strangely and he finally called my Mom early in the morning on June 11. Steve had no idea what was wrong but my Mom was sure from the symptoms that I was manic. She is familiar with them since my Dad is Bipolar. She suggested Steve take me to the emergency room of a hospital with a psychiatric unit for diagnosis and treatment.
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