You become aware of an illness by understanding yourself and understanding the meaning that that illness has in your own life, symbolically… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I am one of millions who have been treated for depression and gotten well; I was lucky enough to have a psychiatrist… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Mood disorders are terribly painful illnesses, and they are isolating illnesses. And they make people feel terrible about themselves when, in fact,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I think people don't understand how intimately tied suicide is to mental illness, particularly to depressive illness and bipolar illness. — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
There are scientists all around the world looking for the genes responsible for bipolar illness and major depression. — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I think you have waves of awareness and one of the things that I found with grief was actually - I was… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
The awareness of the damage done by severe mental illness—to the individual himself and to others—and fears that it may return again… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Because I teach and write about depression and bipolar illness, I am often asked what is the most important factor in treating… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Others imply that they know what it is like to be depressed because they have gone through a divorce, lost a job,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Who would not want an illness that has among its symptoms elevated and expansive mood, inflated self-esteem, abundance of energy, less need… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
If people can talk about having breast cancer, why can't people who have mental illness talk about mental illness? Until we're able… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Several politicians and wives of politicians have been public about their experiences with depression or bipolar illness, including Lawton Chiles, Patrick Kennedy,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I think one thing is that anybody who's had to contend with mental illness - whether it's depression, bipolar illness or severe… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
The Chinese believe that before you can conquer a beast you first must make it beautiful. In some strange way, I have… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I have often asked myself whether, given the choice, I would choose to have manic-depressive illness. If lithium were not available to… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I have had manic-depressive illness, also known as bipolar disorder, since I was 18 years old. It is an illness that ensures… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Far too many doctors-many of them excellent physicians-commit suicide each year; one recent study concluded that, until quite recently, the United States… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Others imply that they know what it is like to be depressed because they have gone through a divorce, lost a job,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
It is tempting when looking at the life of anyone who has committed suicide to read into the decision to die a… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
But then back on lithium and rotating on the planet at the same pace as everyone else, you find your credit is… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
the intensity, glory, and absolute assuredness if my mind's flight made it very difficult for me to believe once i was better,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
I think wanting to write is a fundamental sign of disease and discomfort. I don't think people who are comfortable want to… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Once a restless or frayed mood has turned to anger, or violence, or psychosis, Richard, like most, finds it very difficult to… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Anybody who's had to contend with mental illness - whether it's depression, bipolar illness or severe anxiety, whatever - actually has a… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
Everything previously moving with the grain is now against - you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and enmeshed totally in the blackest… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share Image
“...even though [my psychiatrist] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
When people are suicidal, their thinking is paralyzed, their options appear spare or nonexistent, their mood is despairing, and hopelessness permeates their entire mental… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
I think that for thousands of years people have made the observation that there are certain kinds of extreme depressive states that seem to… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
Mother, who has an absolute belief that it is not the cards that one is dealt in life, it is how one plays them,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
“I decided early in graduate school that I needed to do something about my moods. It quickly came down to a choice between seeing… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
When I'm talking about depression, I'm talking about the more severe forms of depression, and I think that conceptualising as a form of grief… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
the intensity, glory, and absolute assuredness if my mind's flight made it very difficult for me to believe once i was better, that the… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
I wish I could explain it so someone could understand it. I'm afraid it's something I can't put into words. There's just this heavy,… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
Moods are such an essential part of the substance of life, of one's notion of oneself, that even psychotic extremes in mood and behavior… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
We expect well-informed treatment for cancer or heart disease; it matters no less for depression. — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
Manic depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
People talk about grief as if it's kind of an unremittingly awful thing, and it is. It is painful, but it's a very, very… — Kay Redfield Jamison Copy Share
