the untamed snarkdump

Tis but a short linkdump this week – and not a sweet one. I’ll add trigger warnings to items I haven’t snarked at, mkay? Barring that, I’m in bad tempered bastard mode – lock up your sheep post haste and with alacrity. Actually let me add my pick of the nose week right here.

How I coped with Bipolar Disorder I love this article absolutely unreservedly, not least because it originates in the developing world (India in this case) and is thus of greater relevance to me than the first world stuff. It’s by Vijay Nallawala and as well as his own blog, he’s all over Bipolar India, which is a very cool site indeed. He’s pro psychiatry, medication and meditation and honestly, I’d far rather hear about meditation from him than from a boatload of Western mindfulness coaches. The mysticism isn’t my route, but I can respect his nonetheless. I really hope that the first world branch of the tribe will enjoy reading him too. I’m including a quote about a psychotic episode, which struck me as truly beautiful.

Vijay Nawallala

Okay fuck the sugar, let’s SNARK.

Every week, at least one celebrity saves us all from the stigma against bipolar. Usually it’s Demi Lovato (I’ve still never heard any of her songs), but this week we are graced by royalty. And by grace I mean condescension.

Princess Kate connects with bipolar teen saying, “did you find it hard to tell your mother?”

Is it me, or do her arms look unnaturally short in that photo?

“Did you find it hard to tell your mother about it, not wanting to worry your mother? I always find you never want to worry your family about anything.”

Fuck yeah Kate, it’s the most serious aspect of bipolar, like, evarrr. Is your tiara heavy? I always find tiaras heavy.

“I keep thinking about what else we can do and how we can raise awareness. Keep the ideas coming. We think it’s so important. Talking about mental health is so important.”

I keep thinking about how you could funnel some money into raising treatment. Keep the money coming. We think cures are so important. Curing mental illness is so important.

tribal wisdom

Testify!

Bipolar can’t stop this University of Colorado senior

Oh yes it can, little duckling, oh yes it can.

“I say I am bipolar and that’s not the case. I have bipolar. It makes such a difference. I think (it’s important to realize) that whatever mental illness you have, it doesn’t control you; you control it,” she says.

If it’s not the case, then why you say it huh? And regarding control, the following:

Bipolar! You’re not the boss of me!

TRIGGER WARNING I ARE GONNA SAY QUITE A NICE THING NAO!

I do, however, feel sad for her that she got booted from the ROTC because it’s illegal for her to be in it. Can’t it be about “medical unfitness” rather than o0o0o0o scary mental illness?

tribal wisdom

News & “Research”

I really hate it when research papers are either behind a paywall, or restricted access. Hate, it. Any of you got university level access to such things? Shrink one will get me stuff that she or the pharma reps can access, but it’s slow and tbh I’d rather save that for the stuff I research obsessively in my own time. Also, papers with funky and fascinating titles.

How Your Smartphone Can Detect Bipolar Disorder The sensors in smartphones can accurately detect the changes in mood that are indicative of bipolar disorder, according to a new study. That could lead to faster treatment and better outcomes for sufferers.

That sort of article, which is relevant to the undiagnosed (and obviously I’m all in favour of diagnosis being sped the fuck up), makes me want to say in very melodramatic tones, “it’s too late for me… save yourselves!” anyroad up, the lab rats in the study numbered 12.

Bipolar Disorder In Children: Lithium Proven Safe, Effective For Short-Term Treatment In Children

To be honest, the first query the above article raised for me, was wtf is the image they used for the article supposed to illustrate? Lithium will be administered to kids by way of facepaint and fear? Only smurfs will get it? What? They did the research with 81 kids – it would’ve been 82 if they hadn’t discovered that one child was actually papa smurf masquerading as baby smurf.

tribal wisdom

Managing bipolar moods without medication: A qualitative investigation. (Journal of Affective Disorders)

And that research group, o people of the tribe, constituted interviews with 10 (ten) people. My favourite response in the self evaluation of moods category is Leanne, who said “Compare my current mood to Winnie the Pooh characters”. What I’d like to know is whether she used more characters than Eeyore and Tigger. Leanne, by the way, uses scented candles to improve her moods. Simon, by the way, works on maintaining his moods by “going to France at certain times of the year.” Kevin, on the other hand, employs the methods of “self medicating with alcohol” and “staying high“. Fear not though, we can be assured that it is srs bsns by the presence of a flow chart! The only saving grace in the entire paper was this note, which would have been better added at the top in large lettering, “The study was completed as a requirement of the fulfilment of a doctoral award, and received no external funding.” Of concern is the fact that the three people behind the farce will now have PhD tacked on to the end of their names.

tl;dr bipolar can be cured by getting drunk and reading Winnie the Pooh in French in France. You’re welcome.

No standardised measures of current functioning were employed. However this may be inferred from information given by all participants, all but three of whom were in some form of education or employment. Of those who were not, two (Leanne and Nicole) expressed satisfaction that they were better able to participate in valued activities such as volunteering than when they took medication. This might therefore be considered a sample who were, on the whole, living satisfactorily without medication for their bipolar moods. As no participant׳s latest mood episode culminated in hospitalisation, all participants could be considered to be managing their moods without major crisis.

Qualitative investigation my ass. Anyway, that item leads us beautifully to this…

Thanks for the entire next section, JasmineHoneyAdams. (Her description is hysterical too.)

tribal wisdom: the bipolar bullshitometer™

Fuckwits of the week:

Probably the Stupidest Bipolar Website in the World: a page quoting water statistics, they think WATER can cure BIPOLAR. FFS. The rest of the site is just as stupid. They don’t even know the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Schizoaffective Disorder. Here’s another STUPID excerpt from their site (because reading it all will make you wonder how very dare they call themselves “bipolar world” when they clearly hate everyone with bipolar disorder) it’s a story about Benny the Bipolar Puppy this was accessed via cached, I can’t imagine why they took the link down after 15 years, but they left all the pages on the website, so I’d laugh at it before it’s gone from Google’s servers….)

The treatment page is a total hoot as well. Here’s my favourite quote (I love being called “bipolars” as if we’re a type of animal): “Bipolars need to realize that taking medication for maintenance purposes is similar to that of a diabetic taking insulin to maintain health. Self medicating with alcohol or other drugs is common in bipolars and leads to mood instability. It makes long-term treatment of bipolar affective disorder difficult, if not impossible to achieve. ”

On the “fuck off and die” scale of bullshit I’d give that site an 11/10

BRB just going for a swim.

And in case you need a little snarkbreak after all that, here it is: Six myths about sleep: if you got up early to read this, you’re in trouble