The chronicles of John Doe and John Smith (part 2)

They both live in the same body yet they are different entities. Their lives are entwined irreversibly, they breathe the same air, eat the same food and yet they are not the same. One is happy, yet one is depressed. One is quiet the other outgoing. One is calm and the other quick to anger. Polar opposites they are, the sufferers of bipolar.

Bipolar depression is a mental disease characterized by periods of major depression and followed by periods of hypomania or mania (in other words, intense happiness). However, periods of depression outnumber periods of hypomania by 3:1 and in severe cases, about 37:1. There are genetic factors involved in the progression of the disease and the onset of it is probably caused by anatomical problems with the brain.

Depression, feeling of hopelessness and unwantedness, may induce suicide thoughts or even just thoughts of death. Sufferers may put themselves intentionally in harms way. Hallucinations or bouts of paranoia haunt the patient at times. Spells usually last for 8 days or more. Mania or the less severe hypomania is characterized by feeling of ‘invulnerability’. Hallucinations of ‘grandeur’, sufferers may be more talkative or feel pressured to talk. Severe changes from the depression stage. Usually lasts about 4 days.

JS now depends on JD. His past reminds him of his old self, present brings to live a mixture of him and the other person. He feels as though as he is losing the fight against his other half. JD is actually an improvement of JS, think of it as and ’add on’. JS needs an upgrade in striking up conversations or being more talkative, being less emotional, he ‘installs’ JD. But JD is malignant. He wants more control so he infects other parts of JS, such as motivation or anger management.

JS is afraid of ‘uninstalling’ JD, he likes being noticed by other people, he now holds longer and better conversations with others and he is more impulsive (just to name a few). He doesn’t want to revert to that old quiet shy person that sits by the corner or hangs around in the periphery and not saying a word.

Who will show up tomorrow? A JD dominated day, or a JS. A 50-50 mix, where JS starts off and then is substituted at half time for JD? OR why does it have to be only JD and JS, the 2 polar extremes and not something in the middle? The body hosting these 2 entities cannot mediate them, it doesn’t have a midline ie it doesn’t know how to. Like black and white or yes or no, there is no grey or maybe for that matter.