May 24, 2005

Long ass post, written last night and modified today, so there.

By Tony Brown

So…update for today.

Couple of sharing things…

1. I mentioned some new info re: bipolar disorder that I find really fascinating, and I think it rings true.

My Therapist attended a convention last week that included a presentation on the disorder and some new findings regarding a symptom that hitherto has been little understood. It’s well known that bipolar sufferers have sleep issues, but no one’s ever tracked them before. Turns out, there are patterns to them – and there’s some evidence that behaviorally controlling the patterns affects the condition.

Here’s the deal: most people get attuned to a 24 hour cycle of waking/sleeping – roughly 16/8, give or take individual differences. The bipolar sufferer, though, undergoes what is called “randomization” – the cycle is not static; it moves from 24 to 36 to 12 to 13.7 to…you get the picture.

The really interesting thing is this: there’s a definite hierarchy to the cycling.

Cyclothymic patients, the “least affected” (relatively speaking), tend to randomly cycle only irregularly.

Bipolar II patients (my category) truly are randomized – the cycle never settles at all.

And Bipolar I – the full-on manic depressive psychotic blowout – SETTLES into a 48 hour cycle of sleeping waking – 24-48 hours of waking followed by parallel crash time.

Now, whether the cycling is cause or effect is not clear…but they have studied this from a therapeutic standpoint, and what they’ve found is that artifically forcing a cycle on patients makes a difference to the severity of the condition.

Recommendations:

1. Regular bedtimes.
2. DON’T nap, as it reinforces the irregular cycle.

For the record, the idea that this is social conditioning has entered my head…and how any poet/artist is supposed to adhere to it I have no idea…but I have to say, it does ring true. And one of these days when I’m done with school and with staying up late to write and surf, I fully intend to try it.

Truth: I’ll try it when I can and see how it goes.

2. I got an e-mail last night that blew my mind.

Remember a few days ago when I had the post about “permission?” I mentioned a student teacher named Jack Halacy who introduced me to Robert Bly, Etheridge Knight, and others, and who critiqued my poetry at 14 as ruthlessly as if I’d been a seasoned adult?

He was googling his own name and found my references to him in the interview I gave to getunderground.com a few years back.

He lives in Northern Virginia, where he works as a real estate agent and doesn’t write anymore.

I’m going to write a long post to him later, but I sent back a short one last night…anybody want to guess what I said? 

3. I still feel like crap – have added a headache to the stomach stuff. Will be going home early, I think; feel bad about it because I’ll miss my friends’ Carolyn and Laura’s wedding shower, but sick is sick.

That’s all for now, I think…

About Tony Brown

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A poet with a history in slam, lots of publications; my personal poetry and a little bit of daily life and opinions. Read the page called "About..." for the details. View all posts by Tony Brown
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