A Note to the Reader..

Hello friends,

Anna's Official Blogger Profile

My name is Anna (I also answer to Ann, Annie, Annabell, and Betty-Sue and Charlie on Sundays) and I am a 25 year old white female with the bipolar disorder going on. I am in college currently, expected to graduate this spring in May and then tote my bum off to graduate school. The simplest way for me to describe my research interests would be to say I am interested in Clinical Neuroscience programs. I'm passionate about the frontal cortex and underlying regions, psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, and the wild and crazy things that the limbic system and orbitofrontal cortex control. The brain has always mystified me, and I couldn't be more pleased to be pursuing my education in this field.

This weblog/blog/journal is a "safe" place for me to vent about this bipolar disorder business, its effects on my life and relationships, and to share bits of research I gather (typically neuroscience related), my random thoughts, adventures, R-rated antics and whatever else strikes my fancy.

Writing is the medium which I can release the things I carry wrapped up in my head throughout the day. I am not here to offend or influence; you are in control of choosing to read or not.

Comments are most welcome, as are links to and from my pages!

MY BIPOLAR BACKGROUND...

I symptoms all of my life, even when I was a child (this is a hotly debated phenomenon; one camp says BP can exist in children, the others say no). However, I was diagnosed at age 23, which was such a relief to know I was not simply a bad person and there was a reason for the way I have felt.

Yet I have been struggling to cope and understand this disorder... what does it mean? How do the brain imbalances affect my behavior and moods? Why do I rapid cycle? Why do I get obsessive thoughts? Is there a link between mania and memory? Is there a link between craving sensation (i.e. over eating or pulling hair) and being manic?As you may have guessed, these such questions has been what has spurred me towards my field of study for my PhD!

My blog also shares my experiences with episodes (in the form of journals) and I hope my raw emotion as I go through episodes will help others no longer feel alone (or as much alone :) Hopefully in reading the journal entries family and friends of someone with bipolar will have a deeper insight into what this disorder is like for their loved ones.

Please feel free to email me about any of the content, ask questions, give advice, or suggestions for material and links I could add to make this page even better!

Thanks, and enjoy reading!

~Ann

The Midwest, USA

AnnHertel@Gmail.com