Bipolar disorder

During my business trip to Singapore, I knew I would spent most of the time waiting. So, I grabbed one story book which I bought almost 2 years ago at book auction at a very cheap price. But never read.

At the airport, while waiting for my flight, I opened the book and started immersed myself into another world, far from my own reality. That's the best part of reading books! Oh... I miss the moment I used to read in MRT on the way to and from workplace. Since moving back to KL, I couldn't get such moment anymore since I have to drive!

Love Comes Tumbling, that's the book title. To my surprise, it is not merely a love story but more than that. I never realized that I have kept such a great story book for such a long time, unread. I'm glad that I finally read it!

The story brought me to understand a mental illness called bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder or manic-depressive disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders. Greg, the best-selling author, experienced mania and depressive episodes. His mood swing from abnormally elevated energy levels, referred as mania or if milder, hypomania to depression which associated with distress and disruption and elevated risk of suicide.

During his mania episode, he met and fell in love with Lucy, an Artist who run her own graphic design firm with her partner, Fint, a gay. Lucy who was just lost her fiance, Brendan, due to car accident was reluctant to start a new relationship but eventually she fell for Greg, the energetic guy who lifted up her melancholy life to cheerful, worry-free life.

After Greg was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she hang on to the fragile relationship and took care of Greg's motherless children, Rachel and Toby while Greg struggling to fight his disease with psychiatric treatment. Long term treatment with lithium will help the imbalance chemical in the brain for mood stabilization.

I have always enjoy reading materials with facts and reality than merely empty entertainment because I can learn and explore new things which I never encountered.

Thumbs up to the writer, Denise Deegan!