Do WE Need A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain?
This week on April 13th, 2016 there is a New Movie on PBS about Bipolar Disorder titled “Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain” will be showing at 10 p.m.
Do WE Need A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain? YES, and the “Ride the Tiger, one-hour documentary, just may be our start to our google map to Bipolar. The documentary that tells the story of highly accomplished individuals—congressmen, attorneys, pastors, authors, and stay-at-home moms, – all of whom have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.“
Among the people featured in the film, most notably now, is the Oscar and Emmy award winning actress Patty Duke (Anna Duke-Pearce)…diagnosed with bipolar disorder (See † PATTY DUKE STORY by Dr. Scott West). Also in the movie is Patrick Kennedy, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ride the Tiger~all of whom have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
A while back, I talked to the WGCU editor of Expressions Magazines–Dayna Harpster. WCGU is a Public Media PBS Magazine with over 25,000 subscribers here in southwest Florida. She said she would love to do something with me and my story along with my Mental Health Humor cartoons. Then some time went by… weeks, months, and well life happens. Out of the blue, I get a call. She finally found the project she wanted to work with me on. I was happy to catch up on the phone as she told me a little about “Ride the Tiger” and how she would be happy to drive the 45 mins to an hour to meet for an in-person interview. “Sure, why not.” I had to Google “Ride the Tiger” and saw it was good size campaign. I meet with her and her photographer. I talked – and she took notes.
I’ve done many interviews. So, I hit the key points right away. But then, Dayna did something most reporters I have dealt with don’t do– she just talked to me. No question after question to write her version of my story based of prefabricated and leading questions. No, she listened and encouraged me to keep talking at times, even though, I already gave my normal spiel. I found “my bipolar story” widening with more depth and raw flowing truths more than ever before…I was revealing my story, and it could not be faked! I was “riding the Tiger” through the hard times Bipolar bumped on me and my family. I was riding that tiger coming out the other end of the conversation…safely.
By the time our lunch was over, I “almost” felt like I went to a therapy session. Except–I just talked to a reporter who is now going to take all the mixed-up feelings and emotions and turn my many moods into an article for 25,000 readers or more.
And if it gives them hope or courage to tell their own story… Then, I will believe that article is a wonderful success… only one person needs to say something encouraging. (I’m setting the bar at a reachable level.)
Oh, Special Thanks to the Charlotte County Library System as members they were the only place that had the Expressions magazine locally. You must subscribe to WCGU and get Expressions as part of the membership (as I’m now told).
I have talked to the Editor and have gotten permission to share the April issue about me, Chato Stewart: “When Moods Made The Man” – “Ride The Tiger. ” FREE PDF DOWNLOAD (Article share with verbal permission from Expressions Magazine.)
I want to Thank WCGU for giving me this platform to tell my story and for allowing me to be part of the “Ride the Tiger” movement in a small way… It was cool to see the Mental Health Humor cartoons as a centerfold in a magazine. In one article, I got 8 cartoons stuffed inside. That is AWESOME, since one of my goals for 2016: get “a” cartoon published in a magazine…NOW I HAVE EIGHT!
New Movie on PBS April 13th, 2016
Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain
Every now and again, while we ride the tiger–we might end up riding the Eeyore for a while. Do you “ride the Eeyore” when you want to ride the Tigger? Does the pessimistic, gloomy, glum, melancholy, sadness and depression overwhelm us? Making us resemble that little donkey from the Hundred Acre Wood? Well, unfortunately, that is what Bipolar is…the up’s are fun – sure to a point if you can control them. If the mania does not totally drive you insane with off the chart symptoms that are very acute… No, not a cute and fuzzy, but Acute: severe in effect; intense: extremely great or serious; crucial; critical! Dealing with Acute Mania, trust me, is not fun. Well from what I can remember, it gets foggy. Partly for me because it felt like I lost control, and it was a “different” person in charge of my body…it was still me, only the person I was at 17 years of age in control… No Fear, filled with deep-suppressed-self-hate now unleashed! Wild, untouchable…I was riding a dragon and fuming blazing fire at myself!
The CRASH from this or any manic period…has you at bottom fast. This is why research and understanding is needed to raise awareness about Bipolar Disorder with its extreme ups and downs. To help reduce stigma…to help identify the trigger, cause and effect. The Goal: improving the lives of us affected by Bipolar Disorder and other Mood Disorders. The one-hour documentary connects the power of OUR stories with an INNOVATIVE narrative:
“The film weaves together brave and compelling stories of people with mood disorders with a new narrative of scientists and scholars on the cusp of discovery. It explores questions and connections that are spurring four scientific disciplines of mental health research: genetics, the brain, treatment, and basic science.” ‡ BP HOPE
†West, W. (2016). Patty Duke. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 8, 2016, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/tms/2016/04/patty-duke/
‡BP HOPE (MARCH 29, 2016). New Movie – Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain. Retrieved on April 11, 2016, from http://www.bphope.com/ride-the-tiger-a-guide-through-the-bipolar-brain/