Postcards from the Funny Farm

When Columbine happened I had this sick feeling.  I think everyone in the civilized world did.  I had that feeling again tonight as I read this story on Yahoo! of a man here in California who shot his entire family in their home and then himself.  What in God’s name is going on?  I keep asking myself.

I know most the people who read my blog as if they are friends.  So, when I write appeals like this I am thinking about those people … you.  We as creative possibility thinkers of our time have to reach out more.  We need to embrace one another and show interest in the dreams and hopes of those in our circle.  This mass murder reported in the news is nothing new.  I have heard about things llike this for years, long since Columbine.

We need to exemplify caring in our workplace and in our families.  There is no social program that will fix our society, it has to be one to one individual to individual.  Show you care for others today.  I won’t sit here and tell you there will be a return on your investment.  Of course there might.  But do it because it’s the right thing to do, not because you’ll get something back.

When I imagine that other people like you are showing caring in this world, I sleep better at night.

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*This post references depression caused by the stress of losing a job.  These tips in no way substitute for medication when medically necessary and the advice of a physician or licensed therapist.  Having said that, they are practical tips for anyone that hopefully help through a tough situation.

I listened to George W. Bush speak to the nation tonight.  He said recession twice but I have heard many intelligent people predicting depression for our economy.  Ever since I was a young man in high school I have pondered the trillions in our deficit.  I have always wondered: “When will it all collapse?”  I really hope that time isn’t now. Like a baby falls asleep quickly on freshly laden baby bedding, I hope we as Americans have not fallen asleep and accepted a lie.

I TIVO-d the speech and now my wife doesn’t want to hear it.  She seems to feel she’s heard it all before.  I hate to say it, but this might be different.  I can tell you with certainty that real estate will never be the same in my lifetime and possibly in my kids’ lifetimes.  I wouldn’t recommend it as a career to anyone.

But this site isn’t about politics, it’s about psychology so let’s examine what you can do to avoid “the great depression” yourself should you lose your job:

1) Don’t panic or despair.  The creative centers of the brain are not free when you are in this state.  Focus inward and meditate.  Develop a mantra to keep yourself calm and mellow.  In this place you can find creative solutions.

2) Go back to college.  These days the best degree to have is a trade or certificate.  An advanced academic degree will prove more useful in an education career.  Look into financial aid, it’s out there.

3) Take a walk every day.  this will help you sort through things.

4) Limit TV time.  Use the time to read self-improvement books and make lists.  When you get a job, you can go crazy on the tv watching :)

5) Call loved ones just to chat.  This gives health to your bones.

6) Create accounts at all the online jobsearch companies and put yourself out there.

1. Yahoo! Hot Jobs
2. Monster
3. other local

Stay positive whatever you do.  Remember your mind is a fine instrument.  The treasured memories of your life are stored there.  Take good care of it and it will take good care of you.

Before discussing the abstract art that we call bipolar, we have to look at diagnosis and what is required.  It seems like more and more news stories about rapists, murderers, garden variety psychopaths, and the like contain a tag at the end of something like:

“This story is truly a tragedy, such and such was being treated for bipolar before they went bad.”

You must have a heart for the bipolars out there who are living productive, often high-level professional albeit silent lives.  They are still dealing with the unbearable highs and lows (which we will discuss in a later post) and they also have to maintain in such a way as to never let anyone expect they have the specter.  After all, the evening news is no friend to bipolars.  They extend the stigma along with ill-informed people, the media, and Hollywood.  It puts an albatross around the neck of anyone who finds out they might have it. Many bipolars say it makes them want to search for the best flight deals out of town.

Even bloggers can spread false stigma about bipolar.  I remember reading one guy’s blog (I won’t link or mention it).  He would write everyday how the walls were breathing and making him angry and other outlandish truly psychotic things.  He would justify it by saying he was bipolar.  I wrote him a note saying his symptoms seemed more schizophrenic than and he said he had read a book and diagnosed himself as bipolar without ever seeing a psychiatrist.  Ah, the downside of the internet.

The number one enemy of people with bipolar is people who self-diagnose themselves as bipolar.

To be clinically diagnosed bipolar, according to the DSM, several quite explicit and profound symptoms must be present over time.  I read one doctor that said true diagnosis can take about 10 years.

The reason this is important is because we all have moods.  Just because someone has mood swings does NOT make her/him bipolar.  Often irresponsible people tell everyone they are bipolar before getting a medical diagnosis.  They do this for mixed reasons.  Bipolar unfortunately has become a “catch all” for people with issues.

Even if a responsible person feels moments of extreme highs and lows and goes to the doctor to get diagnosed, the doctor may be wrong.  Bipolars have to sort through feelings, facts, and the data day to day.  They have to become experts on their disorder because even the doctors can’t know for sure until time has passed and behavior observed.

Do you know someone who claims to be bipolar?  Have you seen a movie or news show that equated moodiness with bipolar?  Remember diagnosis is the key. If they aren’t seeing a psychiatrist regularly (either in real life or on the show) it is likely they are not truly the texbook bipolar.  Rather, they are part of a stereotype.  There is a lot more than mood to bipolar as you will learn in this series. Take this list linked below for example. It is famous people who have been clinically diagnosed as having bipolar.  Recognize any of them?

Remember seeing any of them frothing at the mouth or filmed in a straight-jacket?  Hardly.  Most of them are/were world changers and that’s one thing science can associate with bipolars.  I’ll bet you never heard that in the media!  Consider the silent bipolars when you hear and see the loud ones on your television screen.  Based on what I have researched and experienced regarding bipolar, I think society needs a real paradigm shift toward the truth about it.

Wiki partial list of Famous people with Bipolar

This is another link-love post. I call these Blog Safaris. I hope you like these links as much as I do.

This week’s Safari (it’s a good one folks!) wheels in at Ginger M’s Useful Things in My Wallet. I love Ginger’s blog. I discovered her writing about three months ago and she’s a blog worth visiting. In between the kids screaming and during those precious breaks at work I always find something artsy, thoughtful and cool at Growing Happiness.

Next, I hit the berm and throw a curtain of mud and then Jeep into Jessica The Rock Chick’s Build Me Up. Most my readers know that I am a big fan of this blog. Jessica used to strive for A-List status at Technorati but she’s come to a realization as I have it seems that the good words are most important. Ranks and social bookmarks feed the image but it’s the words that bring (and keep) the peeps! Her blog Life is RANTastic! is a great read and she’s one of the coolest people on the web as well. I’m lucky I ran across her through a mutual friend.

Next, my Jeep stops at a big read heart (get it?): Chelle’s Free Date Ideas and Free Things… at her blog It Might be Love. I think every person who values love should have this blog on their reading list. It’s just a great idea that plays out post after post as the great idea it is. I also guestblog there from time to time. I have an informative and helpful series coming up there for couples called “Love Homework” so watch for that.
By the way, I ran across a website where you can buy exquisite silk flowers for the lady in your life. Check it out.
The next blogger is a delight. It’s Katelyn’s Feature Friday. Katelyn is always coming up with great ways to grow her blog. This would be a place for the noobs reading to watch and learn. In addition, she is dedicated to Etsy and other passions she writes about on her blog. Check her out.

I heard on the radio that George Carlin died and I was sad about it. He was a true American comic. I was getting tired so I jeeped into the Giraffe Bistro and ordered a thick Espresso. The next thing I knew I discovered that coffee is good for you. Soon after that I found that Twitter might be going under before long, which didn’t bother me much. Finally, I got into some always cool discussions at Blog Catalog.

I turned the muddy Jeep back toward camp after a pretty full day of exploration. Hopefully you found a few spots to take a gander at in your own vehicle of choice. See ya next time.

I just read this article this morning on how Britney Spears’ lawyers are quitting her case. Her story has gone from bad to worse and I guess there is further down to go. First, she got married overnight in Vegas, then divorced. Next, she had kids and married Keniv Federline, then divorced. After that she was filmed with her baby on her lap while driving down the street. Soon after all that, a separation from Federline precipitated her shaving of all her hair on camera in a local salon … no need to email me, I am sure I missed something. What the hell is wrong with this woman? I think I might know.

Imagine a young child, say six or seven years old sitting in a playroom with 20 or 30 toys. Now watch that child play for a while. Next take another child and put them in a similar room with 2 or 3 toys. Give them a few hours. Watch how fast the first child gets bored. I’ve seen it happen and its uncanny. When we have everything we want and more, we tend to have a tough tie making choices on what to do (and/or in the case of the child “play with”). Brit (as she is called in the press) is like the first child. She has more money than she could ever spend and access to anything money can buy. What’s missing? The ability to know what to pick. If she would have had someone holding back her giant payroll when she was younger, she might have better discernment today.

Rich people who fall into scandal such as Britney are victims of “freedom anxiety,” a syndrome where the high number of choices and possibilities actually causes stress and anxiety. Those of us in the middle class who have to get up and work to pay our monthly bills often become jealous of rich entertainers like Britney Spears. This is foolish. Often times, they are jealous of us.

Brittany’s kids are now in the custody of their father and she is gallivanting around with her new beau. I read yesterday that Brit was down in Dana Point last weekend where I grew up. How much of it did she enjoy I wonder? For example, walking down Del Mar street taking in the sights and sounds while shopping and buying snacks is the best part of Dana Point for me but Brit couldn’t do that, not without a disguise anyway. To me, the tension of hoping I get in enough overtime hours to buy the new “fill-in-the-blank” is a happy trade off for being able to be myself and know myself and be comfortable in or out of public with myself.

Here’s the original article that spurred this post:

-Britney Spears Arrives to Give Deposition in Cust...

Another distinguishing feature on the new models is face-recognition technology that allows users to instantly log on to their computer by looking at the screen.

-Lenovo Puts Style in New Laptop

the nano-Bible itself, which is the size a grain of sugar

-Bible put on a pinhead-size chip

TT#13. I shall not disappear again without warning

-My wife is back at her blog!

Obama represents the best chance for a new politics of civility and purpose.

-Marcus Alexander Gadson

I’ve heard Obama say a lot of things and yet, I still don’t feel like I know what he stands for. I get it that he would be the first black President, that to me is exciting. But what about policy? I keep hearing about universal healthcare. If healthcare becomes universal, will I get to keep the hundreds per month currently taken out of my paycheck for mine? Just a thought.

How a Double-edge Razor Can Change Your Life

I agree with this article linked above that a wet shave is the only way to go. If you are a guy, you should definitely read it. Like the author, I also have a double edge razor in my shower. I would add to the article by saying however that a Norelco shower electric shaver is the Mt. Everest experience of all shaving endeavors. I’ll have one for life.