Last week a poster advertising a lecture on Bi-polar caught my eye. This was a chance to meet someone who was regularly treating womb twin survivors & was not aware of it. This someone was pshychiatrist Dr. Patrick McKeown of St. Patrick's Hospital, Dublin. Dr McKeown is also a director of Aware, an Irish Mental Health Charity.
When I arrived at the Swift Hall I met another of Aware's Director who told me that it would not be possible to see the Doc because he was so busy. I gave her a copy of "Untwinned" with my contact details & implored her to get him to read it explaining that one in ten of the audience couple probably be treated without medication. It was strange sitting with 150 people who probably depend on Lithium, Epilim or some other chemical concoction to keep them "balanced" when there was knowledge available that could set many of them free.
The lecture covered symptoms, treatments regimes, types of "BP" (bi-polar) & something called "co-morbidity" - essential two simultaneously occcuring symptoms. eg. Suicidal tendencies & manic behaviour. Dr McKeown said "Where these co-morbid conditions get in we don't really know ...." Well, we've a good idea, haven't we?
Anyway, I did succeed in meeting Dr. K who was aware of the impact of losing a born twin, but not the womb twin survivor phenomenom. He is going to read the book so let's hope that results in more people being put our way & fewer to the pharmacy!
Well done indeed! So many womb twin survivors are diagnosed with Bi Polar Disorder. They even describe themselves that way even without diagnosis, its so clear that this is how to be two people at once, one up, one down.
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