*Hope*Is

But treating depression isn’t what this article is about.   It’s about writing through depression.   Here’s a bit of advice on how to do that: As a teen suffering from bipolar disorder, I never received medical treatment.  The wisdom of the time was that you just had to tough it out.  Things have changed, and I know several writers who live with it now, thanks to the proper medications.  Having bipolar disorder is an emotional roller coaster.  I recall one day walking down a street.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I felt so alive that I almost imagined that I could take flight.  A few days later I was walking down the same street.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I felt so terrible that I thought, “I wish I had my shotgun.  I’d make those damned noisy birds shut up for good!”  That’s when I realized that there was something wrong with me. By then I was already writing, so what did ...