"The Dividing Line"

So, were is it ... the line that divides a dual diagnosis. I know, dual diagnosis usually refers to MI and alcohol / drug dependency. But I think it can be used as any illness that has any two causes. So, with that in mind, back to my point.

Suffering from two illnesses that effect the brain can be confusing.Why does it matter. Why do I even care to know the difference? I*t involves more than simply getting an answer. Each illness is unique, One is like a distance runner, setting an individual pace, maintaining this pace from beginning to end. And, like a seasoned runner, nothing gets in the way of this tempo. The other, like a middle-distance runner, runs at varying speeds, sometimes putting a surge of speed, often settling into a manageable stride.

Throughout the day there are many things that happen to a person's mind, most of which we take for granted. We have stimulus coming in, our brain processes it, generating a reaction of some type; talking, running, moving, sniffing, etc.This how the brain was designed to function, and for most people this is all that happens. For me, and for you, our brain functions in an entire differently manner, and it functions differently for MI than it does for Alzheimer's.

I am certainly no neurologist, but I am living what the book only describes, and I think it much more valuable for the sufferer to know the real-life ramifications of their brain problems.

Mental Illness

The brains response to mental illness is unique, but for me fleeting. I might feel a surge of mania, but I know that, through the continued use of medications, and consciously trying to control my moods and the things around me  I will come around to a plateau, I refer to this plateau as my "floating normal" ... it moves around, but is a time between highs and lows. It is a safe place, no matter how high or low it ends up. I can feel when the lows come upon me, and they can't be stopped, but they never last too long. Fortunately my mania and depression episodes are not real extreme, as a rule. The bad thing is that the frequency between them is much quicker I am an Ulltradian Bipolar; I can experience many episodes every hour

Alzheimer's

Although my awareness of my Alzheimer-associated symptoms is only months long, in retrospect I have been experiencing these symptoms as long as 12 years ago. Over the past 4-5 years they have been become a part of my normal, day-to-day, life. Now when these things happen, such as item or name recognition, misplacing an object multiple times or inability to fully comprehend what you read I simply find them annoying or distracting. The problem with this, however is that there is no "lull in the action". These changes continue at an ever-increasing pace until they move from annoying to upsetting. These changes even continue to occur after you are no longer aware of them.

Life is a journey, and I am about ready to lose my map.