“The awareness of the damage done by severe mental illness-to the individual herself and others- and fears that it may return again play a decisive role in many suicides.”

-Kay Redfield Jamison

Book 1: Manic-Depressive Illness, Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression
By: Kay Redfield Jamison

Professor in Mood Disorders and Psychiatrist at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Clinical Psychologist & Writer, Numerous Awards and published over 100 academic articles

1,262 pages, published in 1990 by Oxford University

Obviously a very big read, I read this book after I was diagnosed with Bipolar I: Manic Features, Suicidal Depression and Psychotic Breaks in the Psych Ward at MyMichigan Hospital in Midland, Michigan. The best part about this book and the information with in it was that a professor with the illness wrote it. The research and helpful information graphics made it easy to understand. The book is all about the condition and up to date studies that really kept me interested to the end.

I remember reading a section about how a bipolar speaks in a conversation in branches…I had this style and laughed so hard because it is the part of my personality that is hard to explain. Especially when meeting a new stranger, I jump topic to topic that in no way relate to each other. My significant relationships have complained before that I need to slow down and keep attention to my stories. I’ve never lost my sense of humor, it usually is hypersexual and my filter can be turned off at times.

All my life I have had realized I am not an average normal human and would use this book to explain why I am different. Studying medicine for five years in my undergraduate work, I felt like I could grasp more topics she covers and that is why this long book goes on my top three that taught me about my personal life.

Book 2: How To Win Friends and Influence People
By: Dale Carnegie

Self-help book published in 1936, sold 30 million copies world-wide, best selling book of all time
320 pages, 4 parts, 30 chapters

This may seem impossible but I came across this book and read it when I was in the 4th grade. The book covers: self improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and interpersonal skills. It’s no wonder that I won many awards from that way forward because I knew how to get along with students, parents, teachers, administration and law enforcement. -Not just an over-achiever, I actually used “interviewing” questions and enjoyed learning about other peoples lives. I was voted “Most Spirited” four years in a row and voted “Most Outgoing” in my senior year of high school. It was all due to this book that taught me the skills to sell myself and see that every person in life had a special quality that kept me listening year after year.

During my long five years in college, I held down 3-4 part-time jobs and had a fabulous career in Award-winning Graphic Design and Layout and in Radio Broadcasting through Clear Channel, later changed to I Heart Radio. My training as a little girl still has a grip on me today and it really helped for the last two years I was a Magazine Journalist for a local Hispanic publication as a volunteer. I still have this book on my shelves with notes on the sides and underling important content…personally I feel like it helps me remember what was useful and all I have to do is skim through the many chapters.

Book 3: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)

Framework for classifying mental disorders and defining prototypes considered to have a disorder,

886 pages, lists 410 disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association

Used for the awareness of the damage done by severe: mental health, personality disorders, general medical conditions, psychosocial, and environmental problems

Picked up this heavy book to get insight on my conditions and to me identify symptoms that I have suffered with for years. The more I read, the more I could identify some disorders of friends and family! Not being raised around my mother that passed on the Bipolar illness, I had no clue what I was in for. I had triggers from a very traumatic childhood and other big events in my adulthood that caused for mental breakdowns and needs to stay in over ten psychiatric facilities.

My list of my medications to assist with my condition had side effects and my weight gain was probably the worst of them all. I moved here at 180 lbs. and six feet tall. I now weigh 355 and had to buy new clothes to fit my new frame. I’m getting off of Seroquel so I might lose this hunger that takes over me. I swear my mind is fixated on food and sex. Not a good combo.

I write a list for my Psychiatrist so he knows what things are going on with me. He really helped me out with my Bipolar medicine and hooked me up with a new ADHD medicine named Staterra. I feel better than I have in years! I’m doing things that I couldn’t do before because of my high levels of distractions and my short concentration span. Right now, I am writing my journal of three pages a morning, a weekly blog, reading two books and planning out a Graphic Novel I have named “California’s Junior Miss”.