Most People Don't Have The Advantage Of

Chaos And Intensity Are No Substitute For Lasting Love, Nor Are They Necessarily An Improvement On Real Life.

Who Would Not Want An Illness That Has Among Its Symptoms Elevated And Expansive Mood, Inflated Self-esteem, Abundance Of Energy, Less Need For Sleep, Intensified Sexuality, And- Most Germane To Our Argument Here-"sharpened And Unusually Creative Thinking" And "increased Productivity"?

Once A Restless Or Frayed Mood Has Turned To Anger, Or Violence, Or Psychosis, Richard, Like Most, Finds It Very Difficult To See It As Illness, Rather Than Being Willful, Angry, Irrational Or Simply Tiresome.

Others Would Say To Me, 'it Is Only Temporary, It Will Pass, You Will Get Over It,' But Of Course They Had No Idea How I Felt, Although They Were Certain That They Did. Over And Over And Over I Would Say To Myself, If I Can't Feel, If I Can't Move, If I Can't Think, And I Can't Care, Then What Conceivable Point Is There In Living?

Others Imply That They Know What It Is Like To Be Depressed Because They Have Gone Through A Divorce, Lost A Job, Or Broken Up With Someone. But These Experiences Carry With Them Feelings. Depression, Instead, Is Flat, Hollow, And Unendurable. ... You're Frightened, And You're Frightening, And You're 'not At All Like Yourself But Will Be Soon,' But You Know You Won't.