My minor experiences with psychosis

Here's my own experience with psychosis. Like I said before, I'm bipolar 'with psychotic features'. This just means that there are tiny things here and there which don't fit nicely into the definition of a mood disorder. I have had one 'episode' which was caused by a sudden stoppage in a medication but nothing serious apart from that. But all the same it would be elucidating to share.

Read on!

What on Earth is Psychosis?

People with psychotic disorders are subject to extreme stigma. This stigma comes mostly from simple misunderstanding as to what exactly psychosis entails.

What kind of things does the word 'psychosis' immediately conjure in our minds? Screaming, blood, murderers with split personalities who dance to Huey Lewis and the News? Or could it be things like crazy homeless drug addicts?

Don't feel bad, it's what we're led to believe by the media. But psychosis is at its most basic level is an extremely debilitating and serious illness which greatly affects the quality of life of tens of thousands of people in Australia.

An introduction to my own story

As today it's Odd Socks Day, which is an initiative to break the stigma about mental illness in Australia I thought it would be fitting to begin my sharing my own story in brief (there will be more specific things later).

I am diagnosed as Bipolar type II with psychotic features. I have struggled with the illness proper for six years but it has manifested itself in some way since I was about 5. What does this confusing epithet mean?

First Transmission

Hey,

I thought I'd start up this blog as right now there are a few awareness campaigns going on about mental illness. This seems like a good place to share my own experiences and observations, particularly relating to the stigma around mental illness in Australian men. I hope that it will be elucidating and provide some things to think about and provoke discussion.

Peace!