Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 3, 1995 TAG: 9510030064
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Today: Manic-depressive disorder.
Wednesday: Children's disorders.
Thursday: Depression.
Friday: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Saturday: Anxiety and stress.
Twenty years ago, Johnny Beth Moore disappeared for three days. When her family found her, she was in a hospital. She had been diagnosed as manic-depressive.
Since then there have been highs and lows. She spent a year and a half in bed at home, so depressed she didn't want to get up, or read or do much of anything.
During these past 20 years she has become an expert in her condition, which she now controls with medication, and a true believer when it comes to educating other people about manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder.
Many people who suffer from mental illness want to hide their condition from others. Johnny Beth Moore is different. She wants people to know about her, because, she says, many people may have mental illnesses. Health care professionals have a hard time quantifying the incidence rate, but more people may experience such conditions as depression, and anxiety and stress, than those who don't. Hereditary illnesses, such as manic depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, may be on the rise.
"It's not something to be ashamed of, because I didn't do anything to get it. But I have it, and I'm going to deal with it, and I'm going to help other people deal with it," Moore said.
Having bipolar disorder is like riding a roller coaster. Sufferers experience manic elation, characterized by racing thoughts, grandiose ideas, and a feeling of invincibility. It is followed by depression, a time of no motivation or confidence, when negative thoughts overwhelm hope. The cycle time may be as long as several months or as short as a few hours. Anything may cause a change in mood.
Health care professionals - and patients - say the 1990s are an exciting time for the treatment of mental illness. Sufferers are finding more understanding, and importantly, researchers are developing better drugs, making the discrimination that Moore said is all too common increasingly inappropriate.
"With the proper medication, you can lead a perfectly normal life. Most people with mental conditions are intelligent, hard-working, likable people," she said.
Moore, a 52-year-old Christiansburg resident and one of the leaders of the New River Valley's Mutual Help Support for the Mentally Ill and their Loved Ones, said that because anyone is a candidate for mental illness, everyone has a reason to learn about these conditions. The first step, she said, is "You have to get to know yourself. You have to get to know your thoughts, your moods, because if they start changing, you want to be aware of it."
Once mental illness strikes, Moore recommends quick treatment. The first stop can be a family doctor. Raft Community Crisis Center, a service of New River Valley Community Services Board, also offers emergency help through several local offices. For non-emergency help, residents can call their Community Service Board.
"If you deal with it, and you're up front with it, you can lead a very productive life," she said.
Learning about the condition from books, doctors or support groups is also a good idea, she said. "Support groups help because when you get sick, your confidence goes first. Most people just sit and watch TV because they're afraid," Moore said.
"When I first got it, we didn't know anything about it. We didn't know what to do, what not to do, and we became afraid. That fear should be replaced by information."
by CNB