Essays in Depression and Bipolar

Here you will encounter the convergence of my illness with my spiritual journey, together with whimsy, rumination, and observation. Virtually all these essays date from pre-2002, most from my first year of writing about my illness back in 1999.

"Job and Me" is about wrestling with God. That is what Israel means - wrestling with God - which is exactly what happens when one battles major depression.

"Two Wise Beings" examines two of history's finest psychologists - Jesus and Buddha - and finds striking similarities.

"Biblemania" looks at the Good Book from a depression, madness, and dysfunction point of view, and concludes the trick to greater understanding is making all the pieces fit.

"A Cosmic Bargain" asks God about the deal we made when we chose a deeper humanity and spirituality over a life of ease and happiness.

In "Mania - A Christian Perspective", guest author Gayle Darhower brings her Christian insight to bear on her illness.

Then we have my movie articles: "Christmas Movies" looks at those two holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th St, from a depression and persecution point of view. "Going to the Movies" examines three films with mental health themes: Girl Interrupted, Hilary and Jackie, and Shine. "Cuckoo's Nest" looks at the book, play, and movie without being swayed by the pro and anti psychiatry forces. To round out the film section, "A Beautiful Mind," based on the life of Nobel laureate John Nash, and "The Hours," based on a fictional day in the life of Virginia Woolf.

My next two articles are a light-hearted departure from my usual fare, of a superhero locked in deadly combat with a fiendishly clever arch-villain. The fate of the world is hanging on whether the Man of Tungsten can muster the energy to get out of bed.

"A Plague Upon Us" is a personal look at what statistics cannot explain, at why depression continues to remain a major health threat.

"Two Mini Essays" ruminate on a parallel universe and father-daughter relationship while "Oh To Be Hypo" challenges hypomania as a pathology. In "Voices of Depression and Bipolar," the readers have their say while "Out of Mind" examines how our excess of doing right gets us into trouble.

Featured Article

Job and Me

Wrestling depression is kind of like wrestling God.

Post your opinion here.

John McManamy

Pre-order my book on Amazon

Pre-order now

Newsletter

Your online source for issues that matter to you.

For free samples, email me and put "Sample" in the heading and your email address in the body.

Find out more.

Bookstore

Shop for depression and bipolar books online here.