A Manic Depression Primer: Preface

During graduate school, I had the privilege of getting to know Dimitri Mihalas, then a distinguished professor of astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (and a member of the National Academy of Sciences). Though he suffers from the bipolar illness (manic depression), he feels that he has actually "gained" from it instead of "losing" to it. He has also been, in my opinion, a pioneer in attempts to increase public awareness of (and therefore decreasing the stigma associated with) the bipolar illness by the act of being completely open about it.

Soon after a major life-threatening episode of depression (which was successfully treated with medication), he set upon himself the task of composing what I consider to be an excellent primer on manic depression. Because it is quite personal, it has been found by many to be extremely useful in gauging their own experiences. It also contains a great deal of useful information about the illness, about the spiritual aspects of recovery, and contains a bibliography for those who want to learn more. Someone who read it described it as a potential "life saver"!

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