A Great Therapeutic Tool – Jack Phoenix’s Advice

Hi Screeb,

I went back and read your blog from the beginning. Hadn’t realized it was such a recent project. I think it’s a great idea as a therapeutic tool for you, and I’m sure it’ll be useful for others in your position.

I hope that at some point you’ll feel able to share with readers the problems you’ve had that have led to your diagnosis, as well as reflecting on the day-to-day aspects of living with a mood disorder.

I know you must be aware of Kay Redfield Jamison’s ‘An Unquiet Mind’. You also express an interest in the link between mental ill-health and creativity – and even ‘genius’. There’s something in this (although I have to say I have met some very dull and unintelligent manic depressives, as well as a handful of very clever and interesting people). Jamison’s book ‘Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament’ is an interesting read on this subject.

Of course, Jack Phoenix isn’t my ‘real’ name (although in another sense, it is: I changed it by deed poll). In fact, I stole the name from a book called ‘The Wanting Seed’ by Anthony Burgess – one of the most deplorably homophobic and ill-conceived pieces of writing I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. It’s hilariously awful for such an admired writer. But I like the name: it has a certain resonance, and the phoenix is a great symbol for the bipolar experiences I have had.

I think it’s important to be as honest as possible when writing about these experiences. The advantage of writing under a pseudonym is that it gives me the feeling of anonymity which allows me to write and describe things I would not reveal otherwise – mainly because it might upset and harm family members or reflect badly upon me.

Keep up the good work.

Keep in touch.

Best wishes,

Jack (Jack Phoenix)

A Fan of Screeb – Bipolar Perceptions