The Bipolar Burble welcomes guest Karen Tyrell. Karen is an Australian mental health advocate and author of the new mental health memoir Me & Her: A Memoir of Madness.
Writing for Bipolar Recovery
Today Karen shares a little about her life and the place writing has had in her bipolar disorder recovery.
1. What was your life like when you began treatment for bipolar disorder?
I didn’t seek treatment. Police and a medical team forced me into a psyche hospital under an involuntary treatment order. At the time I was severely anxious, manic and psychotic.
2. What lead you to writing?
Writing at first was an obsessive compulsion to express myself. As I became more well, I used it as a pro-active tool for my recovery.
3. How did writing interact with bipolar disorder treatment?
Daily writing became a positive way to reflect on my issues and my ongoing treatment. I trialed different coping techniques and noted down which strategies worked. I wrote down goals and plans for my recovery.
4. How did writing help with mental health treatment specifically?
Daily journal writing produced a powerful cathartic effect. When I scribbled down my honest reflections and my inner most thoughts and feelings, a weight was lifted from me. I connected with my emotions. Writing gave me a voice, a way to express myself, to make sense of what was happening to me. Later I turned my daily scrawls into my gutsy memoir.
5. What would you recommend to others in terms of bipolar treatment and recovery?
Learn what your triggers are, and how to avoid them. Develop your own individual wellness plan with a wide repertoire of strategies to combat any fluctuation in your mood. Strategies include daily morning exercise, breathing techniques, a healthy food plan and lifestyle, a calming sleep routine, meditation, free flow consciousness writing and a whole lot MORE.
Me & Her: A Memoir of Madness
If you would like to read more check out Karen’s website or pick up her book Me & Her: A Memoir of Madness. This is her brave account of how a teacher reached breaking point, after parents at her school repeatedly harassed her. It reveals Karen’s journey into and out of mental illness.
Book Giveaway
All you have to do is comment here to be entered into the drawing for a free ebook. There are two copies to be won.
I do beleave any diacnose of psyche/psychiatry..
All theory its commercial and they have to you need of medicin, which they do by manipulatinfmg..you have this and that…its like marketing people greate a need…
In psychiatry maken need of they product they must brutally take you compolsory out of you home to getto. .
And any people who have not laboratorio pase test for manipulate any medicin it not mast used..I cant see hiw person who have not too much dibamine..can benifit blocking a dobamine.. They all explain for market…fir market…
I cant newer acsept so brutal practise as psychiatrys theory are labelling like hitler to jew.
I do not newer cant walue any people who use agains of others rude psychiatrics terminilogy, because no one who walues others cant newer ewer use so prutal name ogains of others…newer
so psychiatry its hitler and peoples are jew..
I HOPE THAT ONE DAY PSYCHIATRICS ROBBISH LABELL WILL BE ONE DAY ILLEAGALL
I HOPE THAT ONE DAY WE HAVE A TGEORY FREE SCHOOL MEDICIN…WHICH DOES NOT GREATE ANY THEORYS FOR ANY THEORY ITS NOT SCUANCE ITS A OPINION WHICH HAS BEEN PRONANCIATE TO BE SCIANCE..BECAUSE ITS PRODUCE A BILLIONS TO MEDICAL FACTORYS…
ALL SCIANCE WICH HAVE PASE TO THEORYS (ITS MEAN EXAMPLE FREUD OR JUNG OPIINIONS WERE PRINTIT SCIANSE IMMEDIATETLY WHEN THEY OPEN THEY MOUTH..BECAUSE THEY HAD TO DEVOLOPE A THEORY FOR OPIOID MARKED..WHICH THEY MARKET US PSYCHIATRICS DRUGS)
AND THEY REALUSE A HUGE MONAY THEORYS BRING TO MED.FACTORY
SO THEY CONTINUED..AND NOWERDAYS IT WORKS SIMILIAR..
OF CAUSE SO BRURAL THEORY WOULD NOT BE MAINTAIN BUT ONLY FIR MONAY OF MED.FACTORY…WHO ARE LEADER OF SCHOOL MEDICIN
Hi all,
Winners to this contest have been announced here: http://www.karentyrrell.com/announcing-20-winners-me-her-a-memoir-of-madness-book-giveaway/
And will be contacted by email.
Thanks all for entering :)
– Natasha Tracy
Thanks Natasha for hosting this leg of my ME & HER Blog tour, and adding to the forum of strategies for recovery.
Thanks to all your readers for their fabulous response asking questions and commenting.
If you want to know MORE about ME & HER, please check out my website http://www.karentyrrell.com
If you’d like to read The first 20 pages of ME & HER for FREE check out
http://www.amazon.com/Me-Her-Memoir-Madnessebook/dp/B008219QQS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&qid=1336914596&sr=8-2
Karen, I live in Melbourne Australia and was glad to read your post and that you have put out a book. I have been reading Natasha’s blog since I was diagnosed around 18 months ago with Bipolar II. Do you. have an Australian blog that I can also follow? Well done for putting your experiences into print. You are a very brave woman. Kind regards, Kim xx
Hi Kim, Thanks for connecting here and supporting ME & HER.
I’m from Brisbane and had BP 2 first then it worsened into BP1… But now I’ve recovered.
Please check out my website … http://www.karentyrrell.com
Hope to talk soon … Take care x Karen :)
It never helped me to write and I really wish it did. Therapy helped me more-I guess I like the sound of my own voice…
Beata,
I also write and I’m working on a book. I recorded some meetings and interviews a few years ago and have been summarizing/transcribing them. Like writing, listening to myself talk about upsetting things has also been a form of exposure therapy. Hearing these stories over and over for hours desensitized me in the right ways and trained my body to stop getting so upset at the memories. My voice cracks at various points, I’m obviously on the verge of tears, which was hard to tolerate at first but I feel more distant from it now. If you also have PTSD or trauma from your experiences, recording and listening to yourself tell your stories would have a similar effect as writing if that’s what really works for you. =)
ren
Hi Ren,
That’s an interesting comment. I suppose writing trauma down, or listening to yourself say it, would be a form of exposure therapy. I would caution people though that exposure therapy without professional help isn’t really advised – it could make some people feel worse.
– Natasha Tracy
Hi Beata,
Well, I don’t know that writing is for everyone – some people just don’t think in that way. But that’s OK. Talking can be just as good :)
– Natasha Tracy
Hi Karen,
Thank you for your words which reassure me greatly in that my own ‘recovery’ is proceeding along a road somewhat followed by insightful others.I find the term ‘management’ more descriptive than ‘recovery’ which seems to have been analogised from its use in the drug/alcohol business. Whatever the words used, writing is an essential part of my process because its one of few expression media that do not demand the immediate time and attention of others.
All the very best,
David :)
Hi David,
Thanks very much for sharing your perspectives on the use of the word recovery VS management. Thrilled you’re using writing as a recovery / healing tool.
Thanks for entering the ME & HER: A Memoir of Madness competition.
The #20 winners will be announced on http://www.karentyrrell.com at 12pm EST on Monday.
Please say tuned! Good luck :)
Thanks Natasha and Karen for the Interview. The use of the word “recovery” is itself promising, since most of the people, including most of the Docs, to my knowledge, believe it is something like Diabetes which one can only “manage” and not “recover”. I use writing for venting out the emotional stuff out, like, I type in a mail what I want to write to a person, but may not send it to him, for reasons like – not hurting him, things like that. But I don’t keep that emotion bottled up in mind by way of writing it down somewhere. It helps me that way. Never tried to use writing as one of the means to recovery, I guess I should give it a shot. I wrote a couple of articles though to our Self Help Group, and I do not know for some reason, our Medical Adviser wanted me to write more. My plans were like: looking for the early symptoms, get the doc opinion immediately, regular sleep, avoid emotionally draining people and content, immerse in strength giving books, watching good comedy like “Friends” and laughing out to my hearts content, doing one thing at a time, not worrying about the past, be disciplined and systematic etc. I think I did a mistake by not listing down my recovery magic pills , and now I will do it after reading this interview for sure. It would help me. And you both are strength giving, that is why I am here. Thanks.
Hi Adithya,
Every time you create an email you don’t send …communicate your plans for your recovery … write on websites like this one … you’re expressing your inner most desires and thoughts. Every word will lead you closer to your recovery. Good luck on your journey.
Thanks for supporting ME & HER .. Karen :)
I am reading about the Bipolar disorder because I am very interested. I am treated with mood stabilizers and lithium although the diagnostic was never Bi polar disorder?
Hi Nikky,
Thanks very much for dropping by to read my interview with Natasha.
Thanks too for supporting, ME &HER, my Bipolar recovery memoir … Karen :)
Hi Nicky44,
I’m going to guess your diagnosis is depression, yes? If this is the case you should understand that depression and bipolar create a continuum where bipolar is at one end and true unipolar depression is at the other, but many people lie somewhere in the middle. So it’s quite possible that you’ve been diagnosed with depression but really you have bipolar tendencies (so you’re in the middle) and so these medications work for you.
Also, if you _are_ depressive and the antidepressants haven’t been working, doctors will often try mood stabilizers anyway as they can help some people in that situation.
Hope that helps.
– Natasha Tracy
Thank you very much Natasha for explaining. All the anti depressants i have tried didn’t give “enough’ result, almost nothing and lithium was given as a booster. That was what my psychiatrist told me. It’s when a new doctor prescribed on top of that lamictal that I started to try and understand better my diagnosis. I was told I have very severe depression, General anxiety disorder and post traumatic disorder as a result of the dangers i was exposed to during the war.
It’s just so comforting to know you are not alone.
Love your site!
Keep on fighting on!
L
Hi Laurie,
thanks for dropping by to support Natasha’s fabulous site
AND … my Bipolar Recovery memoir, ME & HER … Karen :)
It’s sounds a fantastic read, would be interesting to compare to wifes experiences with bipolar.
Hi Terry,
Congratulations on caring for your Bipolar wife.
One of the main characters in ME & HER is my husband, Steve. My #1 supporter.
He helped me to Recover … Karen :)
Thank you for sharing her on your page. Thank you for the stories of hope and survival. I know i need it!
Hi Justina,
Thanks for dropping by and good luck on your Recovery.
Thanks for supporting ME & HER! … Karen :)
Thanks for sharing this interview and pointing me to yet another brave soul, willing to share their story. Sometimes I don’t get specific help ideas from these stories since I have done so much research on my own over the many years, BUT, what I do get from the stories of others is HOPE – hope to keep on keeping on. When I read these great stories I say ‘if they can do it so am I’ and I am encouraged to go on for another bipolar day! Thanks.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for sharing your experiences and your very positive attitude.
You WILL recovery with determination, time and by developing your own wellness plan.
YOU’re right, ME &HER is a memoir of HOPE! >..Karen :)
Can you please say more about your process? I’d like to advise support group members who’ve asked me about writing through their traumas. how did you get started? what kind of detail did you concern yourself with initially? did your writing trigger you, and if so, how did you manage? how long did you need to go from sorting out your experiences privately for yourself to bringing it all to life in a book?
Hi Ren,
Writing started off as an obsessive compulsive behavior, part of my mania. Over time, I learned to turn my creativity into a healing tool.
In 2006, I joined writing groups, writing courses and had my memoir assessed several times over the years. I had PTSD too so initially I could only write those events as flashbacks. Eventually after 5 years, I wrote my story in detail, when I was ready. After 100 drafts, ME & HER was published.
I have never been able to write anything down, even before I was diagnosed with bi-polar. but I find that reading helps me a lot..
pS – I do not need to be in the book draw :-)
hi Steph,
Thanks for joining into the conversation.
What I mean by writing … is a simple reflection / self awareness on how you’re feeling each day.
If reading helps you to stay well, that’s fabulous too… Karen :)
Excited to read the book. I write as well. It has been at times the only thing that kept me alive.
Thanks Jen,
for sharing your positive experience with reflective writing.
Thanks for your enthusiasm for ME & HER.
If you want to read the first #20 pages for free its up on Amazon.
Let me know what you think … Karen :)
Hi Karen
Besides using writing as a pro-active tool for your own recovery, what other strategies did you use that you felt really helped you. I also wonder if you are still writing and keep a journal.
Cheers
Ani
Hi Ani,
Thanks for supporting my Blog Tour.
I have a HUGE tool kit of pro-active strategies to keep me well … my own wellness plan, avoiding my triggers, monitoring my moods, meditation, a calming sleep routine, … just to name a few.
Of course I WRITE every day. I start off with a stream of consciousness pen writing, expressing what’s on my mind.
Thanks for that Karen. Yes, I pretty much knew you would write daily. My own personal writing is suffering at the moment because I am in the middle of my masters so even though I am writing, I am not writing for me as much as I should be. You are inspiring me though…Enjoy your day…
Karen, great interview. You are going to help so many people who have been and are suffering and who think there is no way out. I love the fact that you used writing to help your recovery. My therapist also got me writing to get myself through not only my depression (which I am now completely over and got through in around 18 months), but also about my family issues.
Writing is unbelievably powerful and thank you so much for sharing your story with everyone.
Thank you Rebecca,
for sharing your healing experiences with writing.
When we write, connecting with our inner most thoughts, issues and emotions, we can truly begin to Recover!
I’m curious to find out if Karen returned to teaching, or has given it up and is making it financially with her writing.
Hi SM,
After both severe psychotic episodes I returned to teaching to prove that I could.
My passion for writing slowly too over my one for teaching.in 2008, I became a full time writer completing six books, 4 of which are for children.
I have published articles on mental health on many sites and magazines.
ME & HER is the first book to be published
Hi SM,
After both severe psychotic episodes I returned to teaching to prove that I could.
My passion for writing slowly took over my one for teaching.
In 2008, I became a full time writer completing six books, 4 of which are for children.
I have published articles on mental health on many sites and magazines.
ME & HER is my first book to be published. I’m writing a sequel atm.
Hope to get your book soon. Read the excerpt on Amazon.com’s website. In some sentences, it’s like you took the words right out of my mouth. I was diagnosed in 2005 as well, but never hospitalized. I’m licensed to teach but not keen to teach in the classroom. I like teaching outdoors, but not sure if I can make a living at it. I do find that writing is where I can express myself best…
Thanks for sharing. There are so many nuances to bipolar that reading about how others work with it helps a great deal.
Thanks Annette,
Bipolar disorder can be managed with determination and a tool kit of strategies to combat any early warning symptoms …Karen :)
Thank you for the Q&A!
I never hit the point of the hospital and still hope never to. But the breaking points… those killed me (almost)
Thanks for the small insight! I hope to read this book at some point soon!
Hi Carey,
Thanks for reading the interview and sharing your experiences here.
Once you read ME & HER> Please give me your feedback on all the positive strategies explained there >>>Karen :)
Thanks so much Natasha for hosting my Guest Blog on HOW I used writing to connect with my emotions and reflect on my ongoing recovery.
I invite your Readers to comment here or ask a question on the different strategies that empowered me to recover
All those who comment will be in the DRAW to WIN one of #2 FREE copies of ME & HER!
I’m here *LIVE* to personally reply to you… Karen :)