How Is Bradley?

I'm Coming Back

2009-06-27T14:58:00.001-07:00

I have a promise. Sometime this week I'll back and will continue to write about this crazy life of mine. I appreciate all the comments and emails that were sent. You will see me but there is a slight chance that I will be on Jury Duty. I'll know Monday if that's going to happen. Hugs to all of you.

What Do You Believe?

2009-01-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite websites is Belief.net It's a treasure trove of information about all the major worlds religions. It's an especially good place to go if one is searching for others who may fall within their same belief system.

My favorite part of Belief.net is the Belief-O-Matic. It's a fun test to take in which you answer a series of questions about your beliefs. Once done, the Belief-O-Matic will provide a list of approx 25 religions or belief systems and will give you a percentage which shows how closely your beliefs are in line with those. Here's the top five that were on my list:

1.	Mahayana Buddhism (100%)
2.	Liberal Quakers (94%)
3.	Unitarian Universalism (92%)
4.	Taoism (90%)
5.	Theravada Buddhism (90%)

As you can see, Belief.net also provides links to each all the religions you match so you can read and understand what their belief system is. My results aren't surprising because I am a Unitarian Universalist who practices Buddhism and I've always had a huge respect for the Quakers.

Here's a link to Belief-O-Matic.

Go ahead and check it out. It's fun. If you feel up to it, please post your top five list here in the comments. It'd be fun to see the difference we all may or may not have.

Dancin' with Myself

2009-01-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

I woke up to the blues this morning. It doesn't happen to me as often these days, but this was a morning where depression hit me again. As in the past I resigned myself to accept it and wait until it passed over, but then something changed about noon.

Just before lunch I was still feeling depressed but I had a sudden burst of energy. This 284 pound man was shaking his booty as he prepared tuna salad for lunch. Guess what? Suddenly I found myself feeling a little better.

After lunch I didn't feel like going out for a walk but I still had some energy in me. I had talked with my pdoc about dancing to lose weight but hadn't really done it much, but this time I put on some old disco music and proceeded to knock all the plaster off the ceiling of my downstairs neighbors.

It was fun, good exercise and I feel much better now. In fact, if it continues I'd rate myself as having a damn good day.

Everyone gets the blues. The difference is that it's easy for people like me to allow the blues to take hold and drag you down into major depression. It's one of the more difficult things to deal with when suffering from depression or bipolar. How do you determine that you have the blues and it's ok as compared to major depression. I now believe one of the differences is whether you can dance with yourself around the apartment or not.

I've decided this will be the way I will monitor my feelings in the future. If I start to feel down I'll get up off my ass and shake my thing and hopefully bring myself up again. If I can't get my ass up or just can't get into it then I probably am in the pits of depression. Still I can try and dance then anyway, but that's easy to say today when I'm feeling up already.

Time to put my dancing shoes back on and shake my bon bon and then get ready for an appointment with my pdoc. Here's a video you may enjoy and may get you a movin' and a shakin' too.

2009-01-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Click Here to find out why Carrie Fisher is my new idol.

Follow the link and then click on the video in the top right corner. It's her interview with Matt Lauer on the Today show. She's amazing.

Back to the Hospital

2009-01-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

I've become way to use to emergency rooms. Last year when I was having seizures galore I became a regular. The other day I showed up again but this time it was because of chest pains.

If you ever have an opportunity to have an elephant stand on your chest, I suggest that you decline. I think I have a pretty good idea what it feels like and it ain't pleasant. Every breath was difficult to take and would cause stabbing pain throughout my chest. I refused to accept that anything was wrong so I decided that the pain was cause by Maurice sleeping on my chest all night. Nevermind that his head would have to weigh as much as a bowling ball to cause this much pain. His head on my chest for hours was my diagnosis and that is what I was sticking to. I should have called 911, but I'm a stubborn dumbass.

The pain became less intense on Thursday and Friday and started hurting on only one side of my chest. I still shouldn't have ignored it, but I decided that if it was my heart that I'd be dead already so why bother going to the emergency room. I could live with a little intense pain now and again. Besides, the pain was dissipating. Dr. Bradley determined there was nothing to worry about.

Saturday it got worse again. The pain was still on one side of my chest but was now shooting up to my neck. I didn't think that was a good thing at all, but wanted to wait awhile so that Maurice and I could enjoy a nice picnic on the beach. The beach wasn't a good place to go since the lifeguards are sparse this time of year. It'd be hard for Maurice to get help if I needed it, but a picnic seemed a helluva lot nicer than going to the emergency room. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. We nixed the picnic idea and went to the emergency room instead.

I don't know about the rest of the country, but emergency rooms in California are bursting at the seams. The large number of people who have no health insurance are forced to go to the emergency for non-emergency problems. They can't afford a regular physician. The waiting area was standing room only.

Fortunately for me, chest pains are taken very seriously, so I was immediately escorted from check-in and taken in for some tests. Yippie! I thought. No waiting for me tonight. I was wrong. Jose, the cute guy conducting the tests said that I'd be going back to the waiting area and that I should hope for a long wait. A long wait would show that I wasn't dealing with anything immediately dangerous. That was logical , but I sure didn't feel lucky. I waited for over 20 hours after having my tests done. I was given tests for a second time, including a CT scan and then was taken to the trauma center. Finally a bed and some morphine and I was able to get some sleep. Poor Maurice had to sleep in a chair next to me.

The doctor determined that I wasn't having any heart problems. My tests came back looking good. He had no idea what was causing the pain but my heart was in fit condition. It's just like my seizures. There was never any diagnosis why they occured, they just did. We discussed that it likely was pleurisy, which is a reduction of the lining/fluid around the lungs which prevents them from rubbing against other things in my chest. It can be deadly, but usually goes away after a brief period. For me, the pain was completely gone the next day.

30 hours in ER was no picnic. We should have gone to the beach afterall.

The Hardest Pound I Ever Worked Off

2009-01-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

My first week on Weight Watchers has passed. I converted the fats, fiber and calories into points. I logged every point in my tracker. I ate my veggies, ate small servings in general..and so on. I marched up to the scale at the weight watchers meeting with no fear. I was ready to boast about my tremendous weight loss. I hopped on the scale full of excitment when BAM...I was told I lost exactly one pound. ONE POUND???? What the hell? I know so many people who swear by the Weight Watchers plan and boast about how much they lost. Why did I not lose as much as I thought I would? I was told I didn't eat enough. The plan keeps me full all the time and I'm not eating enough? (sigh).

This week I have to ensure I eat all the points available to me daily. That's going to be tough to do. I get 39 points a day, which is meaningless to you if you haven't been to Weight Watchers. For those of you that aren't familiar - 1 cup of beef equals 8 points. If I only ate beef all day then I would have to eat 6 f*****g cups of beef in a day to reach my total points allowance. That's a helluva lot of beef. Imagine trying to reach that while eating mostly fruits and vegetables as expected. It aint easy.

Anyway, I'm going to try and bask in the fact that I'm one pound less and that I didn't gain any weight.

What I Did on my Winter Vacation

2009-01-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

It was a good break away from the blog for the last couple of months, but now I'm back.

Somehow during my vacation I lost almost 10 pounds. I can't figure out how. I sure as hell wasn't trying. But, now I'm down to 284 pounds. I've joined Weight Watchers to keep the trend going. It's kind of a pain in the ass tracking points for the food I eat, but I've heard nothing but good feedback from friends of mine who joined. Now I get myself weighed each week and sit in a meeting with a group of women.

Balanced, balanced, balanced. That's how my mental state has been. I've had no wild roller coaster rides with my emotions. No large highs followed by deep lows in awhile. It feels good to feel good. I do still suffer from large anxiety that keeps my body shaking virtually all the time, but at least I'm not suffering crazy manic or depressed stages and major anxiety too.

Thanksgiving was spent with friends, Christmas with Maurice's family and for New Years we celebrated at our church.

Sorry for the uneventful writing but I'm still working on the final tweaks on a website and I need to get back to it now. I should be done this week though.

Vacation is Over

2009-01-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to all three of you who realize I'm finally back and are reading this post. I popped on to say nothing fancy, nothing funny, just a little note to say thank you for staying with me during my absence. I'll now be posting regularly again. Check up on me tomorrow.

I Haven't Forgotten All of You

2008-12-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

I'm still around, just busy still. I decided that my "official" return date will be right after the new year. I may start back sooner, however, if the spirit moves. Enjoy your vacation from my nonsensical rantings until I return.

Hiatus

2008-11-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

I'm going on hiatus for awhile and am taking it easy. Basically a vacation from my blog. I hope to be back at it in a few weeks or so.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

2008-11-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

This blog has been a blessing to me. When my bipolar disorder was sending me as high as a rocket or made me want to crawl under a rock, I found writing in the blog to be extremely cathartic.

In addition to helping myself, I created this blog to teach others about living with a mood disorder. Based on the feedback I've received I feel that mission was accomplished for many.

So now my life is balanced and I'm at a crossroads. My meds are working great so I'm not having the high peaks or low valleys in my mood. In the process I seem to have lost my creative edge. I've heard from others in my support groups that this is not uncommon.

So now I have to decide what to do with my blog. Is it time to just say "mission accomplished" and move on? Sure I could continue updates on how Bradley is doing, but it would be routine stuff. Not much exciting. I had planned to switch to focusing on my diet and weight loss, but I don't have a huge interest in writing "today I ate healthy" or "I should have exercised today".

Based on all of the above I'm considering shutting the blog down. It's a difficult decision to make because I still have a strong love for it and don't want to let it go.

I'm seeking advice... Have you ever been at this crossroads? If you continued blogging, how did you become motivated again? Should I change the format? If so, to what? I've asked these questions in an older post, but now the situation is getting more grim, so I thought I'd give it another shot.

I've Been Tagged Again

2008-11-13T04:49:00.000-08:00

My good friend, BigD at gaviotacoastline has tagged me with a few questions. Here they go:

1. My favorite Saying: There are no bad days, just bad attitudes. While I don't believe this is always true, it's probably true 90% of the time.

2. What part of your personality do you wish not to pass on to your child? I'm a chronic worrier and I hope she does not turn out the same. So far it's looking like she is.

3. While driving, what’s your biggest pet peeve? People who don't understand that the right lanes are for slow driving and the left lanes are for faster driving. When someone is driving in the left lanes slowly it should not only be my right, but my duty, to run them off the road.

4. If you could change your name, what would it be? Adam has always been my favorite name. Marcus is a close second.

5. What’s the best excuse you’ve ever heard? A kid who missed baseball practice and then claimed in all seriousness that he missed because he had hoof and mouth disease.

At this point I'm suppose to tag others, but I typically skip that part. If you'd like to consider yourself tagged, then be my guest.

Another Cartoon Repeat

2008-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Since my brain is still not functioning the way it should, I'm still having difficulty writing. My scanner is now working, but I'm having the same problem with cartooning. For now, I'll re-post another of my favorites that I've done.

Keith Olbermann Speaks Out

2008-11-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

There's nothing I can say to add to this video. Olbermann says it all:

Marching For Liberty

2008-11-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

I'm still licking my wounds because of the passing of proposition 8, which designates that marriage is only between a man and a woman. I'm still dumbfounded that it would pass in California. We are now in a world where people actually vote to add constitutional ammendments to restrict the rights of a group of people. Gay or not this should scare the shit out of every U.S. resident.

Friday night Maurice and I joined the protest march in Long Beach. The silver lining was the sense of uniting a community. I believe the churches that pushed for this ammendment succeeded in getting it passed, but they aint seen nothing yet. Over 2,000 joined the Long Beach protest and we were 5 - 6 blocks long. Other protests have had significantly more people join.

It appears to me we may have the sixties all over again. The protests are spreading and I believe they may start reaching nationwide. The strong sense of unity and community was powerful. It's time for those in the LGBT community unite together and no longer accept being second class citizens.

It's the dawning of a new era and the religious right and all those who want to restrict the rights of others have awakened a sleeping giant.

Back to Walking and Embracing AA

2008-11-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

I finally got back to walking this morning. It's been awhile. I don't know my weight right now, but my clothes are telling me I've gained a bit again. DAMN CLOTHES! I go to the doctors this afternoon and I'll go ahead and weigh myself again. I haven't checked it for awhile.

My walk this morning was to an AA meeting that is one mile from my home. One mile there, attend the meeting and then one mile home. A great way to start the day. I am full of amazing energy and it's not mania. It's been a long time since I've felt like this - I hope it keeps me motivated to continue.

I'm continuing the web design project and I'm finding it somewhat difficult. My brain is still not all there to deal with details well. I'm doing it, but at a much slower pace than I use to. I'm forcing myself to continue, just pacing myself.

That's how Bradley is doing today. My scanner is still not working so once again I'll replay one of my cartoons.

A Bittersweet Day

2008-11-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

I've made it no secret that I supported Barak Obama for president. I was very excited when it was announced he won. This truly is a momentous occasion. Even those who didn't support him should feel proud that a black man can finally be president in the U.S.

Unfortunately, nearer and dearer to my heart, proposition 8 passed in California. Proposition 8 declared that marriage is between a man and a woman. Four months ago the state supreme court declared that I am an equal citizen. I could legally marry the man I loved. That all changed yesterday. The citizens of the state voted to overturn the Supreme Court's decision.

I don't really know what to say about all this. I've shed a few tears. I'm ready, without hesitation, to move to Canada, but I don't think Maurice is open to the idea. Many have already told me they would perceive that as cowardly. I, however, consider it just voting with my feet. If Americans want to consider me a second class citizen, then fine, I'll just go where they feel differently about that.

Three separate states added to their constitutions last night that marriage is only between a man and a woman. So yes, we finally have reached the point that a black man is in office, but there's still plenty of hate to go around.

Anger and sadness are ripping my guts out right now. Fuck you to all the haters out there.

ELECTION DAY

2008-11-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's election day and this political junkie can't tear himself away from the tv. See ya'll tomorrow.

Uncle Bradley's Words of Wisdom

2008-10-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

This weeks question is an important one that many of us have encountered at one time or another:

Dear Uncle Bradley,

I want to date, or I just started dating. When do I tell said date that I am bipolar, unipolar? Do I bring it up at all? What if I am rejected?

Signed, Anonymous,

Excellent question, Anonymous. If you are just dating someone then I personally see no reason to bring it up at all. Just enjoy your dates, and if you have those emotional times when you can't handle it then just tell your date you don't feel well and can't go out.

If you are dating someone with the assumption or hope that it will develop into something more then that's an entirely different story. I also think it's more likely what you are referring too since not many people just date anymore.

In the early stages of dating I see no reason to tell your suitor that you are bipolar. If you are experiencing mood swings or behavior to the point that it is very noticeable then you probably want to tell him. I would think your odds of keeping the relationship going are better if you tell him in this situation, rather than if you didn't tell.

Finally, what if you are dating an individual and then determine that the relationship is becoming deeper. My belief is that is when it's time to tell him. Honesty is an important part of any relationship including your mental illness. Try and have some pamphlets available to provide him after you tell him. You could even ask if he'd like to go with you to talk with your therapist so he has an understanding. Don't be too upset if he has a lot of indecision at this time because some people are very ignorant of bipolar and mental illness. I've had some people think that meant I was schizophrenic and some thought it must mean I become dangerous when I'm manic. Try and educate him the best you can.

What if you are rejected? It may happen and it's something beyond your control other than educating him the best you can. Mental illness is scary to many people. Depending on your situation it may mean a significant amount of support that your other half may have to give and perhaps he's unwilling or unable to provide that.

All you can do is be honest. Any relationship based on dishonesty is not a true relationship. Unless the situation remains as casual dating then there will come a time when you have to tell. All you can do is be completely honest and hope for the best.

If you are facing this situation, I wish you well.

Uncle Bradley

Uncle Bradley is not a physician or therapist. He's just a guy sharing his opinions based on his own life experiences.

If you have a question for Uncle Bradley then please feel free to leave the question in one of the comment sections during the week. If you prefer to remain anonymous then choose the contact button on the blog and email your question.

It's All About MEME

2008-10-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was tagged by Crighton Johin of The Guest House and ariadnek of Weird Cake. The spirits above must be looking after me because they both tagged me with the same meme and it's kind of a fun one. The rule is that I must list six habits/quirks about myself.

Here's my list:

I bite my nails and I mean really bite them down to the quick. It's a habit I've tried to shake since I was a kid.
I'm a living stereotype. I'm a gay man who talks with a very pronounced lisp. When I was a kid I went to speech therapy for six years before they gave up.
My mom was 39 and had six kids already when she became pregnant with me. I didn't need to be a genius to figure out I was an oopsie baby.
I've worked as a salesperson numerous times in the past including selling auto club memberships, water filters and burial plans. I sucked at all of them. I just wanted to talk to people not sell them shit they didn't need.
I love to dance and don't do it nearly enough. Sometimes I'll just dance around the house (good exercise btw)
I'm a huge flirt. Doesn't matter who you are. Male, female, gorgeous, unattractive. If we have an interaction it's likely I'll flirt a bit.

At this point I'm suppose to tag six people, but I'm going to break that rule as always. If you'd like to be tagged for this meme, consider yourself tagged.

Growing Up

2008-10-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm becoming a big boy now. Becoming balanced again after all this time is like being born again (not in the religious sense...or maybe so). Anyway, things I couldn't do because of my crazy mind are coming back to me.

Here's what I should get gold stars for:

1. I cleaned the kitchen again last night.

2. I've been showering every day and taking care of my personal hygiene.

3. I started reading a book yesterday and am almost half way through it.

4. I'm working on a website and ran into some technical difficulties, as I mentioned yesterday. After freaking out for awhile I was finally able to calm down and find solutions for the problems.

These are all HUGE steps for me and it feels good getting life in order again, though I must admit it's damn scary. I'm trying to enjoy my new found freedom without overdoing it, but that's a toughie because I have to keep in constant check otherwise I won't realize when I'm pushing myself too hard.

The one thing I am missing is my ability to write funny stuff. I don't know what's happened but even I have become bored with my most recent posts. From my perspective it validates that being crazy or on drugs makes a person more creative. I wonder if there's been any serious studies about that.

The Stare

2008-10-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

I wish I was in a staring contest. I'm in the middle of redesigning a website and have had a major brain fart for two days now. I just stare at my screen and wonder how to do some things I should know how to do. Instead, I'm drawing complete blanks. I'm certain I've passed some record for going the longest time without blinking. I should invite the neighbor over with a stop watch.

I'm sure that part of my problem is having to get rebalanced on my meds since going off of them. I also think anxiety is having a lot to do with it. This is my first job in two years and I don't want to screw anything up. There's only a couple of items that I need to take care of and then the rest of the website will be relatively easy. Unfortunately, I can't go on to the other things until the problems I'm having are rectified. AAARGH!

Maybe I should consider driving an ice cream truck. I wonder how much they make.

That's it. Short and sweet today. I need to get back to my staring.

Huh? Wha? I don't get it.

2008-10-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have dual citizenship these days. Not only do I live in the state of California - I live in a state of confusion. Over a week ago my pdoc got the flu which led to pneumonia. During this time I ran out of several meds and made the mistake of waiting for her to come back to get my refills. Sure, I should have gone to the clinic and spoke with the doctor on duty, but I was stubborn and kept believing she'd be back in another day or two. Big mistake.

Fortunately, I'm not going into wild mood swings, but I am experiencing a lot of confusion and insecurity. I would be perfectly happy curling up in bed and hugging a pillow all day. I guess the good news is that I can keep myself from doing so these days. That wouldn't have been possible before. The bad news is, this feeling sucks. I constantly feel like bugs are crawling up and down inside me (there's a pleasant picture for you). I feel so insecure that I just want to hide from the world.

I'm back on my meds, but I have to go back on them slowly so it will probably take a week or so for them to kick in. In the meantime I'll just have to deal with it and hopefully function okay in the process. Today, I'm not functioning all that well. Anything I set out to do, I get disoriented in the process.

For now, I'll just have to hang on tight and wait this feeling out. It's something I can do, but it makes it hard to get anything done in the interim. I'll just have to hold on and do my best.

I lost the two pounds I gained and am back down to 283. This seems to be a magic number that my body seems to like. If I could just get below 280, I would feel like I made a major accomplishment. That's going to take some motivation to move which is a little tougher than normal right now. I'll just have to find the right attitude and perspective to look at it from and it should be easy to accomplish.

This upcoming Friday will offer another edition of Uncle Bradley's Word's of Wisdom. If you have a question on any subject, just leave a message in the comments section and I'll get to you. If you prefer to ask anonymously then drop me an email.

Have you checked out the Mental Health Blogging Directory? Get a list of some of the best mental health bloggers our there by going here.

Uncle Bradley's Words of Wisdom

2008-10-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

After last weeks post, I received the following question anonymously:

I guess what I need today is some words of wisdom about how on earth do I motivate myself to get out and walk. Cannot seem to leave the house, except for briefly, or on designated chores like grocery shopping. but then I want to get back as soon as possible. Even walking around the block daily, although simple in my head, is daunting in reality. I have no idea why, but that's unnecessary, I just need to do it.

I have prayed about it, but even that is not working. I know walking would be good for me, but sheesh, cannot take the first step. Even if I do get it together, rarely, to get out and do it for one day, and think to myself, "How good this feels," it does not carry over into the next day.

Any words of wisdom on exercise, would be totally appreciated

Dear Anonymous,

It sounds like you have taken some great steps to try and motivate yourself to get out and walk, but none of them are going to work if you aren't truly motivated. Perhaps walking isn't your thing. There's plenty of options to get out and shake your booty. Don't keep pushing yourself to do something that is not in your nature. That only leads to self doubt and shame, which will only make it harder for you to get the exercise you need.

Since you mentioned walking, let's stick with that first. Walking does not have to be an event in and of itself. Where do you park your car when you go shopping? Are you one of those who drives around for an hour hoping a space near the store opens up, or do you just casually park at the end of the parking lot and enjoy a brisk walk into the store? What about stairs? Do you take stairs or do you take an elevator? When the option is available I try not to take an elevator less than 2 or 3 flights. In those instances I choose to walk up the stairs. There are plenty of ways to be creative during the day and try to get some exercise in without having to "go for a walk".

Do you like dancing? You don't have to go to a club to dance, you can dance anywhere. The middle of your living room is the perfect place. I have a collection of songs on my iTunes called "Energy". I can pop in energy and begin dancing away and burn a lot of calories while having a great time. It's also something I can do while cleaning house which makes it less of a chore. Put some high energy music on and I can shake my ass while cleaning the toilet or washing dishes. Doing this not only gives me the exercise I need, but I get some chores done AND most importantly, it lifts my spirits.

Have you tried a gym? They can be intimidating, but there are plenty of cardio machines there. Is it easier for you to walk a treadmill rather than going for a walk? How about a stationary bike? Swimming?

The key is to be creative and get your body moving anyway you can. Once you get stuck in that slump and stop moving then it becomes harder and harder to get the exercise you need. Rememember it's one day at a time. In fact, it's one hour at a time. Remind yourself that you don't have to exercise forever, but you do need to exercise for a little time today. That's all. Tomorrow will come around tomorrow and that's when you can decide if you want to do some exercise again.

I'd also like to suggest a walking partner to help keep you motivated if walking is what you want to do. If there is a mall near you, most now have walking clubs that begin about an hour or so before the malls open. Near me there is a walking club that meets on the beach each morning to start their day. I'd guess there's something similar in your area.

Once again, I want to point out to be creative. Don't think of it so much as "EXERCISE" that must be miserable and that I must do for a certain period of time each day. Take baby steps throughout the day. Don't allow your body to become too stagnant. Move, move, move in one way or another. And keep trying different options to find the right kind of exercise that may work for you best.

Lastly, the tougher part of my answer. Sometimes Anonymous, you've just got to do it. That's the cold hard reality. Hopefully some of the suggestions I listed will help.

Uncle Bradley's Words of Wisdom appears every Friday. Questions can be placed on any comments section during the week or email if you prefer to be anonymous. Remember to consult your physician before beginning any type of health or fitness plan.

Finally, a reminder, that I am not a physician or therapist. I am just a regular guy giving my own opinions based upon my personal experiences.

I Feel Truly Honored

2008-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Psych Central has awarded me as one of the top ten bipolar blogs of 2008. Their review of my blog can be found here, along with their reviews of the nine other recipients.

A special shout out to my friends Susan and Chica. Susan of Wellness Writer who made the top ten list and Chica of Bipolar Chica "Conversations in my Head" who received an honorable mention. You're both top winners in my book.

This put a smile on my face for the day.