Insight into depression rare and precious
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Songdej Praditsmanont is one of my favourite letter-writers, and apparently more enlightened about clinical depression and bipolar conditions than most self-diagnosed "normal" people.
I was diagnosed as bipolar in 1995-96, retired in 1996, went to a US Veteran’s Administration office in 1997 and was told this: You have a temporary retirement, not a permanent one, so we can’t talk to you. (That was a lie, by the way.) You are bipolar and might be a genius one day but a nutcase the next, so we wouldn’t talk to you anyway. (That might actually be the unwritten policy.)
I live in a constant state of guardedness because, if I admit to anyone I don’t know well that I am bipolar or even suffer from depression, this is the attitude that I get: “We can lie to you about anything because you are depressive or bipolar.”
The real world, Songdej, is largely – sad to say – not as enlightened as you are.
Guy Baker
