I came across this article on the web at BP Magazine. It's an interesting perspective and if you are dealing with a child who is struggling with mental illness it's a nice re-frame.
--Ed
On my mind: Superheroes unite!
When I was a kid, I was a fan of the TV show The Incredible Hulk. At the time, I figured the Hulk’s mental issues led to his outbursts, just like my own. Later, I enjoyed the superhero movies Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. I have long thought these characters portrayed mental illness in a quirky way, but I never realized the significance they had for me until I watched the latest installment in the X-Men films.We are the X-Men.Stan Lee’s comic book heroes have special powers. They also have idiosyncrasies. Most of all, they struggle with their inability to handle their powers.There are several characters in X-Men: The Last Stand who wanted to live a “normal” life. They couldn’t see the benefit of a power they couldn’t control. They were subjected to pressure to get “cured,” and many succumbed to the promise of a normal life. Others fought to harness their powers for good. As they gained mastery over their unique gifts, they found they could not only control their superpowers, but turn them into an advantage. Like the characters of Stan Lee’s imagination, I would have done anything to become “normal.” In the end, I chose to engage in the ultimate battle: getting control of my own powers. As I wrestled with my bipolar disorder, I learned that even some of the powers that seemed to have no apparent benefit were a source of great strength. I now see that my “superpowers” give me the ability to do things a normal being couldn’t even fathom—like living daily life while experiencing full-blown depression. The problem is not that we’re mentally ill. It’s that we experience 150 percent of what others do, and we’re frustrated that we haven’t yet learned how to handle it. But gaining control isn’t impossible.Like those who tried to get the X-Men to become normal, far too many people talk about “changing the stigma” while creating the worst stigma of all: the idea that we’re not capable of greatness. This “can’t-do” attitude is rampant in the bipolar community. So attached are many to this self-defeating view that they attack anyone who suggests we can have a better life. It’s time to stand up to such negativity by spelling out results worth striving for: clear insight, true freedom, real stability, equanimity, self-mastery, and great relationships.It is impossible to have a life worth living that eliminates depression. The “cure” for depression is not making it go away. The cure is to get to the point that the symptoms lose their power over you. Equanimity means that even though the symptoms are still there, you function normally and understand something that few ever will.It takes equanimity to understand the bipolar advantage. Once you view depression and mania from the perspective of equanimity, you see how such richness of experience brings insight and understanding that those without our condition couldn’t imagine. Of course, the only way to prove that we have attained equanimity is to change our behavior, which is what self-mastery is all about.By facing your condition instead of avoiding it or hoping it will go away, you will discover superpowers you never knew you had. Best of all, you will discover your true self and realize that those powers were given to you to help you along the way. As Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, says: “You have more power than you can imagine. The question is: Will you control that power—or will you let it control you?”-----Tom Wootton’s mission is to help people with mental health conditions shift their thinking and behavior so that they can lead extraordinary lives. His books include The Bipolar Advantage and The Depression Advantage. Visit his Web site at http://www.bipolaradvantage.com/.
--Ed
On my mind: Superheroes unite!
When I was a kid, I was a fan of the TV show The Incredible Hulk. At the time, I figured the Hulk’s mental issues led to his outbursts, just like my own. Later, I enjoyed the superhero movies Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. I have long thought these characters portrayed mental illness in a quirky way, but I never realized the significance they had for me until I watched the latest installment in the X-Men films.We are the X-Men.Stan Lee’s comic book heroes have special powers. They also have idiosyncrasies. Most of all, they struggle with their inability to handle their powers.There are several characters in X-Men: The Last Stand who wanted to live a “normal” life. They couldn’t see the benefit of a power they couldn’t control. They were subjected to pressure to get “cured,” and many succumbed to the promise of a normal life. Others fought to harness their powers for good. As they gained mastery over their unique gifts, they found they could not only control their superpowers, but turn them into an advantage. Like the characters of Stan Lee’s imagination, I would have done anything to become “normal.” In the end, I chose to engage in the ultimate battle: getting control of my own powers. As I wrestled with my bipolar disorder, I learned that even some of the powers that seemed to have no apparent benefit were a source of great strength. I now see that my “superpowers” give me the ability to do things a normal being couldn’t even fathom—like living daily life while experiencing full-blown depression. The problem is not that we’re mentally ill. It’s that we experience 150 percent of what others do, and we’re frustrated that we haven’t yet learned how to handle it. But gaining control isn’t impossible.Like those who tried to get the X-Men to become normal, far too many people talk about “changing the stigma” while creating the worst stigma of all: the idea that we’re not capable of greatness. This “can’t-do” attitude is rampant in the bipolar community. So attached are many to this self-defeating view that they attack anyone who suggests we can have a better life. It’s time to stand up to such negativity by spelling out results worth striving for: clear insight, true freedom, real stability, equanimity, self-mastery, and great relationships.It is impossible to have a life worth living that eliminates depression. The “cure” for depression is not making it go away. The cure is to get to the point that the symptoms lose their power over you. Equanimity means that even though the symptoms are still there, you function normally and understand something that few ever will.It takes equanimity to understand the bipolar advantage. Once you view depression and mania from the perspective of equanimity, you see how such richness of experience brings insight and understanding that those without our condition couldn’t imagine. Of course, the only way to prove that we have attained equanimity is to change our behavior, which is what self-mastery is all about.By facing your condition instead of avoiding it or hoping it will go away, you will discover superpowers you never knew you had. Best of all, you will discover your true self and realize that those powers were given to you to help you along the way. As Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, says: “You have more power than you can imagine. The question is: Will you control that power—or will you let it control you?”-----Tom Wootton’s mission is to help people with mental health conditions shift their thinking and behavior so that they can lead extraordinary lives. His books include The Bipolar Advantage and The Depression Advantage. Visit his Web site at http://www.bipolaradvantage.com/.
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