BipolarLab.com

We have finally encountered the expected enemy starship. The encounter was scheduled and its outcome more or less expected. We have opened hailing frequencies to begin negotiations. The commander of the enemy starship has shown little interest to co-operate despite our best intentions. Further contact has been extended with the high ranking officers from the mothership, seeking mediation and assistance with our communications. This is not the first time that we have encountered the enemy starship. Despite being out gunned and certainly less experienced in such matters we managed to survive our first encounter and to continue successfully our mission. We would not have made it without the assistance from our allies and the mothership. We may be slowed down, we may be further scarred and damaged but we believe in our true and moral course, and we will keep steady with our mission. In the meantime, we have lost a few members of our crew. This was also expected, not everybody will be able to follow our course. We hope they enjoyed our journey with us. The recruitment continues albeit in a much slower pace. One way or another we will reach our destination. The preparations for the battle continue. We seek peace but if a fight is required, a fight will be delivered. May the Greek Gods protect us. Captain out. OVER.

* A.S. = After Skinner

This is a midweek blog entry. The week started with a gloomy blue monday where on top of everything else a number of my participants were going through their own down phases. I am always grateful when they stick to their schedule despite having a rough time. I often tell to myself that you have done so many assessments (counting at least 300 from my first group), that you have enough stamina to get through this, you are insensitive, “psychopathic” enough to get through like a “mean symptom monitoring machine” you ought to be. But it’s often difficult to be bullet-proof enough. Nevertheless, using structured symptom assessments is protective for both parties. We get enough information to see how things are going in a structured and reliable way without losing track or touching more personal issues (not of course that bipolar symptoms are not personal, on the contrary).

Thank God, the gloomy monday was followed by a bright tuesday . Moods are contagious, no question about it. As many people with bipolar know, the downs will not last forever, and yes we do have minor ups as well. It really took one cheerful participant to brighten my world up for at least two days now. I sincerely hope it lasts (we all know it won’t), minor highs give you good positive energy to take you through a lot of hurdles. Of course, mood reactivity and such minor ups and downs are not a god given gift of bipolar people only. We all have the ability to experience these emotions and perhaps at a less “clinical” level the symptoms of bipolar disorder (as well as many other disorders). I am still waiting to see good studies to demonstrate this but it will take better measures to do so than what we have at the moment…one day!

As it is often the case, positive moods escalate as more positive events take place or are attended to, and good things have been happening (these are classified for now). It is a vicious cycle. One of my participants was recently joking with me online that with all the work that lies ahead of me and the project demands I will probably need a manic episode to get through (another one taught me how to pronounce correctly the word “diarrhea”). I politely advised her that in reality I would need more than that, at least 2 or 3 manic episodes would be required, but these are dangerous thoughts for researchers working at the infamous Institute of Psychiatry, my “Holly Temple of Madness” as I like to call it It is not the first time that my participants are cracking such jokes with me. But these jokes always contain a great deal of concern and emphathy, which is another bipolar quality that is really worth talking about. When jokes about my forthcoming insanity take place, it is actually a really good “warning sign” that recruitment is going well enough to keep everybody insanely busy, and having your participants’ empathy and concern is something I can only wish to any aspiring young researcher.

More bipolar projects are underway, more work, and hopefully some time soon a nice holiday break in motherland Greece. Don’t tell me about the fires, the bloody Greeks have done it yet again! They deserve their own special blog entry (i love ranting about my people). People need to learn about our contemporary greek reality and ways, they are often just as tragic as comical .

May the Greek Gods be with you! And let’s hope that the good spirits will last until the end of this week at least (we know they won’t)…