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Quiz: How much do you know about NAMI's perception of bipolar disorder?

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Okay, boys and girls, today we're going to have some fun. If you're like me, you love quizzes, particularly the stupid ones in, say, Cosmopolitan that ask "How good are you in bed?" If you're like me, you get all excited and grab a pen to do the quiz and then think, "Wait. What if I answer wrong the first time?" And then you actually rifle through drawers for a pencil, even just a weird nub that you last used for the SAT.

Today, I offer you the NAMI quiz True or False? The Top 10 Myths About Bipolar Disorder by John McManamy.

Since NAMI calls this "Top 10 Myths," you already know that most of them will be at least partly false. But there are only three statements below that are completely false, according to NAMI. Whoever guesses correctly which three those are will get a free copy of The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, signed by me. Ear not included.


1. Everyone has their ups and downs, so mine aren’t that serious.

2. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder.

3. Yes, but bipolar disorder is still a mood disorder.

4. Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood swings ranging from severely depressed to wildly manic.

5. Mania is like being on top of the world—if you could only put it in a bottle and sell it.

6. Bipolar disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance of the brain.

7. Medications are all you need to combat bipolar disorder.

8. Medications don’t work for me.

9. Lower quality of life and sluggish cognition are fair trade-offs for reducing mood symptoms.

10. Once you’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you can forget about leading a normal life.

Comments

My guesses:

#5 and #7 for sure and maybe 10?

Hi, Liz. Love your blog. I think I just flunked my own quiz. I was very amused to find that my own perception of bipolar disorder has become NAMI's perception of bipolar disorder. I first wrote this for BipolarConnection back in October, who in turn allowed NAMI to run it.

I urge you to check out my own award-winning website, McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web, with more than 300 articles (www.mcmanweb.com) and sign up for my (also award-winning) newsletter.

Also, check out my blog at www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/index.html

In Oct, HarperCollins will be publishing my book, Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder. In an advance review, Frederick Goodwin MD writes:

"While among the ever expanding array of popular books on mood disorders there are many to recommend, here is one that truly stands out."

Please let me know if you want a review copy.

1,7,10 Did I win? what is url?
I really want the book

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About

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Liz Spikol is senior contributing editor of Philadelphia Weekly. She writes the award-winning column The Trouble With Spikol, which began as a chronicle of her struggle with mental illness, and has since expanded into humorous musings on everything from graphic novels to how to use a mop. She also writes the paper's book review column, Lit Gloss. This blog -- named one of the Top 10 Bipolar Blogs of 2007 by PsychCentral -- is about mental illness policy, news, personal journeys and more.