One thing I'm concerned about the UW, is ever since I've been on medication, I've needed a TON of sleep. I typically sleep about 11 to 12 hours a night, and if I don't get that, I'll just be dead the next day. I HATE it. And I'm concerned that everyone in the dorms is going to stay up and party all night, while I won't be able to. That will suck. Sometimes, I can't STAND medication!!!

Our family and I are presently vocationing on the Oregon Coast, and it's great here! My dad just took us fishing off the shore, and I caught two cute little fishies! The best part though, is when my brother got bit by a crab. It was halarious.

My dad used to be a proffesional fisherman, and had his own business in which he produced fishing equipment. It was very successful. And he also wrote a lot: He was a freelance writer for about two dozen newspapers and magazines, and then had his own column in in about 10 others, all around the country. He also published a book, which is a bestseller in its genre. He's so cool!!!

But now, alas, he's not doing any of that anymore. Now he's into teaching athletics in high school. I disaprove. He has a PhD, and what I think he should do, is teach on the college level. Or something else. I HATE hearing about basketball all day! With his brains and talent, he should be doing something else. Not stupid basketball. It's really annoying.

Anyway, the coast is nice.

ECT is popular with CEO's with depression, who cannot afford to be "open" with their mental illness.

The treatment effect (don't quote my stats)lasts about 3 months, and provides a non pharma approach to depression that people can live with (?)

I do know it can cause some memory loss, and when I inquired about it as a last resort for my daughter for psychosis, the doc didn't want to do it, but openly discussed it, which I liked.

I have had people ask me why she was "allowed" to remain so sick for so long when she was starting to appear "med resistant".

Personally, I could not consider ECT for her, being she couldn't understand what might happen.

On that note: it opens discussion for the chemical lobotomy that sometimes happens to patients, and why the pharmaceutical route is an "okay" approach to take when dealing with severly psychotic patients.

They do have a right to refuse medication. (I'm talking in hospitals now, and basing this comment on my personal experience with my daughter)When a person is so psychotic, they do not know their name, or any one in their life, how do we really justify the medication guessing game?

I have walked a fine line with this issue.

Wanting to do the right thing, and feeling conflicted all at once.

My daughter was lucky: The last med on the list worked.

The side effects are questionable, and she has a way to go, I truly feel, when sick, depressed, psychotic, whatever, that the brain reacts as if it has been injured, and needs a lot of time to return to where it was before, and sometimes, it cannot.

There is a lot to think about regarding mental illness and the underfunded and inadequate system we all deal with on a daily basis, just to get up and feel good enough to go to work, or the grocery store.

The indignities we face as a result of pure survival are rediculous.

I want the word dignity to run parallel with mental illness.

I think what we are talking about here is quality of life, and at what expense do we live half-lives.

Do we settle for these stats or want to change them?

I say, never settle for less than what we truly want, to be happy and feel good, and until that day comes, the pharma companies can keep working, cuz they don't have it right yet.

Gwen-

Life in the dorms is going to be fine. Your suitemates will respect your need to sleep, just speak up.

Also, most dorms have quiet hours, especially before finals.

Sleep is an important part, as you have discovered, it, in my opinion, as important as meds.

One of my daughters(I have 3) requested to have a single room, so she could sleep, close the door to noise, etc. This doesn't keep you from socializing, just gives you a place to go and have solitude if needed, so that is an idea, if needed in the future.

Best of luck-
Stephany

It so weird -- it seems that everywhere I look nowadays, there's advertisments for bipolar disorder. In magazines, on billborads, on the radio... Everywhere! And I think to myself, Why? And I think and ponder, and contemplate, and then it comes to me: On the bipolar advertisment in Time Magazine, underneath the type, way there in the little itty bitty corner, is a logo: ASTRAZENCA!!! Oh my gosh!!! It's all scam, as I think back to Philip's site, where it talks about how pharmasutical companies absolutly love people to buy their medication... Now it all makes sense! The reason for all those bipolar adds are to convince people they have serious probs and that, ultimatley, they can't live without those beloved little pharma pills... those beloved little pharama pills which rack up the big bucks for the big guys behind the big not-so-patient-oriented pharma industry!!!

Isn't it nice when the world makes so much sense?

Yes, Gwen!
Awesome observation.
Keep observing with an open mind, and you will discover a lot of information.

I LOVE it here at the UW!!!! It's FANTASTIC!!! My roomate is so nice and sweet and everyone here is so friendly and chill. It's AWESOME!!! I'm in a really nice dorm, and our room has a STUNNING view of Lake Union -- it's GOREGEOUS!!! This is so great! My class hasn't started yet, but I began reading the book, and it's really, really nice. It's dense, thick reading which I LOVE! It was so thrilling to go through it with a highlighter, and absorb every detail. I LOVE challenging academics. LOVE it. I thrive off using my intellecutal capabilities. This class is going to ROCK!!! It's just so great here. Living on my own is wonderful! Really, really nice. This is all so nice. I'm so exicited! This is so much better than hospitals and community colleges -- much, much better. Anyway, I'm having an excellent time, and this whole year is giong to be SO much fun!!! I LOVE THIS!!!

Gwen,
This is wonderful news Gwen, good luck and enjoy the learning and fun times ahead, Stephany