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garbagekalekids's review against another edition
5.0
In the auto ethnography, Bipolar Expeditions, Emily Martin writes about her experience of being bipolar. Such auto-ethnography challenges the reader to consider understandings of diagnosis, what is mania and being manic, moods and emotions, rational and irrational, all while dealing within the medical sphere that is ableist against those with mental health disorders. Martin recounts her experience and diagnosis of manic depression, and relates it all to wider issues of American culture and historical insights of mental disorders. A notion brought forward by this book that was interesting, was how the American ideal of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps plays a role in how well we see someone who has manic depression. That if someone is creative and productive, they are working past their disability to be a functioning member of our capitalist society. Although if someone is displaying their symptoms and unable to fit the standard required for being in a job and working, then they are seen as deviant.
The role of support groups and psychotropic medications is an important aspect to those with bipolar disorder. A major key aspect to support groups is the notion of the first and second voice, and its relationship to being able to be rational vs irrational, controlled or uncontrolled. One with bipolar has a second voice that needs to be subdued to be able to live a normal and rational life. That those with this disorder are seen as without self-awareness. Although being in support groups, there is a place for those to express their self-awareness, and to be in a place that is safe to be manic (pg 76), and the lines of rational and irrational are blurred (pg77). Medications make grand promises (because of investors through advertisements) to make an individual be normal and continue a normal life. While also giving them side effects that are identifiable and seen as abnormal (such as drooling). The drugs are offered speed dating, where if one does not work you either mix it with something or try another. There is a complex relationship between the drugs helping but also hurting with side effects and needing more drugs to combat those drugs.
The role of support groups and psychotropic medications is an important aspect to those with bipolar disorder. A major key aspect to support groups is the notion of the first and second voice, and its relationship to being able to be rational vs irrational, controlled or uncontrolled. One with bipolar has a second voice that needs to be subdued to be able to live a normal and rational life. That those with this disorder are seen as without self-awareness. Although being in support groups, there is a place for those to express their self-awareness, and to be in a place that is safe to be manic (pg 76), and the lines of rational and irrational are blurred (pg77). Medications make grand promises (because of investors through advertisements) to make an individual be normal and continue a normal life. While also giving them side effects that are identifiable and seen as abnormal (such as drooling). The drugs are offered speed dating, where if one does not work you either mix it with something or try another. There is a complex relationship between the drugs helping but also hurting with side effects and needing more drugs to combat those drugs.
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