Sylvanna Devlin

Apparently a few women (and only a few), didn’t get the memo that stigma isn’t going to fly anymore.

I’m mentally ill and you don’t know what that means – particularly in me.

Allow me to elucidate.

Bipolar I is categorized by long periods of depression or mania and, untreated is usually only dangerous to the pocket book! A bit like being too buzzed all the time. You are certainly more capable than average in a fight. And if you have the cranky pants kind, you’re just as likely as anyone else in a mood to get into fisticuffs. Just more likely to be in a mood.

What does more capable mean? If you’re manic your reflexes are faster, your overall movements quick too. And speed matters!

That’s without rage which also has pain suppression and the likelihood to hit as hard as fast.

I try to avoid mania like the plague, but am prone to more mixed episodes – which is harder to treat. While my mania was the lovey dovey kind, I am capable of depths of hell fury.

That I have to just sit with. I break something it’s broken. I make a mess I need to clean. I actually raise my voice and the building shakes.

Let’s not go there. Bone is fragile. Don’t be stupid. Leave the bipolar person with severe PTSD alone.

If you actually get violent? You have to attack and I’m ending it. Do not go there you foolish child.

What do the little cowgirls want? To double down that my posts objecting to abuse are personal to them?

Interesting

As a side note. Some of the brightest minds in academia are specifically bipolar. If you really are interested in learning “what I’m made of,” there’s a good book, “An Unquiet Mind” written by Kay Radfield Jamison – the psychologist and most successful author of books on bipolar.

I’m made of other all kinds of interesting academic resources. Read a book and learn consensual academic debate.

Otherwise, bipolar people are relatable. We have the same triggers and traits as anyone else could be expected to have. We just have reactions to a greater extreme.

Now, as much as I want to grumble on your decision for willful ignorance when it comes to human decency and reasonable behavior.

I am in the unfortunate position of being aware that the average Oregonian isn’t exposed to information on mental illness so you might not know there is anything to learn. So perhaps your position is less willful and more uninformed.

Please fix that.

For the sake of all that’s decent.

Please educate yourself instead of trying to eliminate me. You don’t understand me. You don’t know me despite your invasive surveillance. You must not be able to comprehend what you see as you would know I’m no danger to you by merely existing.

Do not test the bipolar former martial artist with severe PTSD. You say you see everything? Then you should know better.

Now stop spying on me.

Thanks.