The Psychosis of Bipolar Disorder Affects Entire Family, According to New Memoir

June 11, 2012 - PRLog -- Friends and family want to help, but they can also be confused as they are misled by a persuasive, intelligent person in the grips of a manic episode.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, students with excellent school performance (straight A’s) are four times as likely compared with average students of developing bipolar. This means a bipolar person can easily manipulate those closest to them, pulling them into the delusion.

“My mom was unsure how much of my breakdown I had brought upon myself,” says Laura Dennis, author of Adopted Reality, A Memoir, http://www.adoptedrealitymemoir.com. “For example, she wanted to believe me when I said I met a man—the head of the Illuminati—who drugged me. Turned out, I did meet a man but he didn’t drug me. Even so, my mom was worried something really bad had happened. As it was, I insisted my parents freeze my bank accounts to ensure the spies who were following me couldn't steal my savings.”

It’s well known that psychosis is culturally based. A religious believer who grew in a Judeo-Christian society is more likely to have a hallucination about the Virgin Mary or Jesus, not the reincarnated Buddha. It goes on to reason that after 9/11, Laura’s psychosis was based in the anxiety-ridden, grief-stricken environment of the U.S. following the national tragedy.

“In those early days after 9/11, no one had ever heard of al Qaeda,” says Dennis. “Conspiracy theories were running wild. Remember those Pentagon photos on the Internet ‘proving’ that it wasn’t a plane after all? My brother was very interested in conspiracy theories and when I told him about the Illuminati, he wasn’t taking any chances. He slept in the woods the night of my spy adventure.”

According to new research by Lancaster University, some people living with bipolar say they experience positive experiences from living with the condition, including increased creativity, focus, and clarity of thought.

Dennis agrees saying, “For a long time, I didn’t tell anyone about my breakdown, I didn’t want people to judge me or think I was incapable of holding responsibility. But I’ve learned how to manage my ups and downs and channel my bipolar tendencies into positive, creative outlets.”

Indeed, Showtime's new hit show, Homeland, follows Claire Danes' character as she uncovers a terrorist plot, while trying (unsuccessfully) to manage her bipolar disorder.

"When I watched Homeland," comments Laura, "I thought there were a lot of similarities. Like Danes' character, I also felt deeply guilty. I felt responsible for the terrorist attacks."

Adopted Reality, A Memoir is available at http://www.Smashwords.com and http://www.Amazon.com.