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Monday, November, 23, 2009
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Scenes from San Diego

John McManamy
John McManamy
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Author and Advocate

John McManamy is an award-winning mental health journalist and...

John McManamy

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
View All of John McManamy's Posts
This is a story about parking. Hear me out.Lisa stops the car. I get in. We're off to a function celebrating San Diego NAMI's 30th anniversary. We get lost only once. We pull into a gated parking lot. Lisa grabs the ticket from a robo-dispenser. We park. We get out.It's a warm San Diego evening. We'r...
  1. Phenomenal
    Thrasher
    Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 10:33 AM

    Your story read so well. It was as if I was there with you. It is true and unfortunately I am not there yet... I talk about my diagnosis to my family and friends whom I trust. I feel still like I am mourning my "sanity" and need to move on but I feel like it is coming. I need to focus on something other than my diagnosis and am searching for bright and interesting things to take up my time.

     

    Thank you for writing your story it inspires me to reach beyond what I have been diagnosed with and move through it with grace

    Reply
    re: Phenomenal
    John McManamy
    Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 11:28 AM

    Many thanks, Trasher. Don't feel you have to force things. First we have to grieve and then enter a state of acceptance. Acceptance involves embracing and identifying with our diagnosis, and may last forever, which can be a good thing. If we try to move beyond our diagnosis too fast we risk flipping back into denial. By all means, feel free to imagine a day when you're not constantly relating to yourself and others as a person with a diagnosis. But also enjoy the acceptance phase. It's a very good place to be and is very healthy.

    Reply
  2. About Parking
    HeyJude
    Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 02:53 PM

    John...Thank you for sharing your story...you and your friends are truly blessed.  It is rare that a bipolar comes to the place that you have come - a place of helping others and being a shining example to us all.

     

    There's room for all of us to grow in the direction of which you speak.  I have not accomplished great things, but in my own way, and on a small scale, I have become an advocate for others.  It feels good to make a difference for my peers.

     

    And so we move forward and do what we can for others.

     

    Judy

    Reply
    re: About Parking
    John McManamy
    Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 08:12 PM

    Thanks, Judy. Funny thing ... As I was writing this, I couldn't stop thinking how long it took me to reach this place. :)

     

    Reply
  3. Oh well done
    Narelle
    Friday, November 21, 2008 at 12:50 AM

     A great piece of writing John, and I can only hope that one day I am there with you (in that "Place" where Bipolar no longer dominates). I think they are going to be fiddling with my meds for some time to come as blood levels are still so very low.

     

    Cheers

    Narelle

    Reply
    re: Oh well done
    John McManamy
    Friday, November 21, 2008 at 02:28 AM

    Many thanks, Narelle. Please be hopeful. Your time will come :)

    Reply
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