Biographies of Volunteer Staff

[CARS]

In this thread are the biographies of the Moderators and Administrators on Mood Garden. Indeed you will see that we're a fabulous bunch.


~Cristina.

[Panther]

Okay. My bio. *ahem*

I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine. I picked up my shovel and I walked - okay, seriously. I was born at the Kapiolani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1974. Coincidentally, my mother gave birth for the second-to-last time that very same year. My first memory (a priest putting a lei around me before we got on a plane) is from a couple months old, when we left Hawaii for the Republic of Texas. I was three years old when I was in my first rodeo - okay, seriously. We lived in Dallas for a short time and finally settled in Houston. As I grew up, during various personal and domestic difficulties, I realize now that I began to show the signs of mental illness at a very young age. However, it wasn't until much later, after getting into much trouble in my late teens and early twenties, that I was finally diagnosed and began treatment. I am only now beginning to catch up with my life and become someone I actually want to be. I appreciate the journey and I appreciate life. Η ζωή είναι ωραία!

[Blessed]

Originally from Southern California, we now live in central Washington State. I married my high school sweetheart in 1967, we have 2 children, 5 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. I enjoy music, church activities, motorcycling, grand mothering and many computer activities.

After moving to a new city in 1998, my husband insisted that I find out what was causing my drastic mood swings, and in 1999 I was diagnosed with bipolar 2.

I felt so isolated and confused, but the folks at Mood Garden have helped me to find the right medial care, learn how to live well with bipolar and have an outlet for my stupid jokes and outstanding YouTubes.

I believe medication compliance continues to provide the good quality of the life I enjoy today.

[CARS]

Where to begin? The beginning? Well, I was born in Fagersta, Sweden as a Spaniard, taking on the citizenship of my father. My mother was Swedish. So with Swedish-Spanish blood lines, I say I came by bipolar honestly. I lived in Sweden for six weeks, moved to L.A. for a year, then Canada, where I’ve lived since.

My passion is nature. I have a BSc with a double major from the University of Toronto in Zoology and Environmental Science. My second passion is researching and writing about mental illness, particularly with regards to the two diagnoses I have, which are bipolar-1 and posttraumatic stress disorder from childhood trauma.

There have been so many distinct stages to my journey with mental illness, the latest of which has been the most rewarding life-altering therapies with a psychiatrist in Toronto, namely cognitive behavioural therapy and desensitization therapy. While doing these therapies, my friends on Mood Garden have been my guides, support and inspiration.

I hope you find what you're looking for here on Mood Garden, whatever that may be.


~Cristina.

[CCJAMESDEAN]

I was born in Albany, NY in 1942. In 1966, I married my college sweetheart, who is a nurse. I am a retired mechanical engineer living near Cleveland, Ohio. I am a Steelers fan and love Star Trek reruns.

My only mental health problem in my early adult years, was alcoholism which I beat at age 37, plus I was always a little shy. Then at the age of 58, depression hit me like a sledgehammer. After many shrinks and many different antidepressants, I am now living a semi-normal life with periods of depression and a little hypomania.

Lifestyle changes that have helped my bipolar are exercise and getting involved in clubs. I also like to hike and swim when I am feeling well, and I walk all the time. I think exercise and sunshine help my depression as much as any antidepressant.

Mood Garden is my social link to people who really understand me. On Mood Garden, I get and give support, ask and answer questions, play games, vent, blog and discuss books, and I even have a few precious cyberspace pen pals.


Bob

[PhotoMaster]

Hi Hi All. My bio?? I was born on a very cold day in December, 1960. I am the middle child of five. My parents didn't learn from their mistakes, as they had two more after me. My dad was an alcoholic and my mom was such a control freak, that many people believe she drove my dad to drink. I got married April 30, 1988 to a control freak. I ask often myself "Why?". I have two children. My son was born in April of 1989 and my daughter was born May of 1992. I am an artist and photographer. I am a very easy person to talk to and I consider everyone my friend.

I am a survivor of an extremely abusive neighbor, and am being treated for PTSD as a result of the brutal attack. I was diagnosed as bipolar sometime in the 1990's. In 2004 they determined that I wasn't bipolar after all. My new diagnosis is depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD. I just tell people I'm "eccentric". It's ok for artists to be eccentric. I am permanently disabled, due to a severe back injury. My back is fused at three levels, so I guess I'm part robot.

I am thankful for Moodgarden, and all the wonderful people here! I love being part of the MG family. And love being your friend!

Greg

[Kimmers]

I was born in Chicago in 1977 and have lived in Oregon most of my life. I was married young and had my first child in 1997, and divorced soon after. I remarried in 2002, and gave birth to our first joint child in January of 2009. I just left my full-time paralegal position to devote more time to my new baby.

I showed signs of mental illness as a small child and actually was first diagnosed with bipolar after a suicide attempt in high school. Unfortunately, I wasn't privy to the diagnosis and my parents chose to ignore it. So I suffered another 10 years untreated before being again diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003. ADD was later added to the diagnosis list, and medications changed my life.

I'm a TV and book junkie and love gardening and cooking. In the warmer months, I can often be spotted speeding by on the back seat of a sport bike, hanging on for dear life.

Mood Garden has been an essential part of my life for 4 years now and I've made some of the best friends I've ever had here, some I've never even laid eyes on but are deeply ingrained in my heart. I made it through many tough times leaning on the people here.

[iscrumpy]

Six weeks after my birth in 1971, for whatever reason, my birth mother decided she'd had enough of me and took advantage of the adoption agencies return for full refund policy. My adoptive parents took me into their family shortly afterwards.

When I was in high school I was chased by depression and my English assignments often reflected it. This was so extreme my parents were notified. My mother dutifully talked to me and accepted my defense that they were 'just stories'.

University was the trigger for my first manic episode. The removal of parental supervision set me off on a series of late nights, which escalated to insomnia - sex - drug use - alcohol - an abusive partner - paranoid delusions and a general collaspe of my identity. Eventually it transformed into a crushing depression that left me unable to sleep - eat - and perform other basic functions necessary to life. My parents refused to allow me to return home and insisted I 'pull up my socks' and get over it.

No diagnosis no help at the time. I eventually cycled out of it - and around and around I went for years until my second attempt at university. Studying for my PhD while raising a family and trying to hold a marriage together flipped me over the edge. I went around and around the mulberry bush of Halluciations/delusions/agoraphobia/mania/depression/etc. My husband dobbed me in and got me help. Diagnosis - bipolar disorder.

Moodgarden saw me through the diagnosis and people here have supported me ever since then. Moodgarden has changed me and helped me grow as a person. I literally owe my life to some of the people here and I hope I make a difference in other peoples lives - no matter how small that difference may be.

[lilac]

I am 62 years old and was first diagnosed bipolar II at the age of 47, after many years of intermittent depression. Since that time, I have tried over 20 medications with varying degrees of success. In spite of meds, I still cycle somewhat, with low grade depressions lasting several months at a time followed by a period of feeling well and productive. I am very grateful that the severe depressions seem to be out of the picture, and that I no longer fly so high that I become out of control, especially in the area of spending. My father was severely ill, bipolar I with psychotic features, hospitalized since I was two years old. I spent my adolescence and young adulthood fearful that I would crack up and share my father’s destiny. I feel fortunate to have inherited a much milder form of the disease. I have been hospitalized only once, in 2002, for suicidal depression. That experience made me determined to avoid being hospitalized in the future. I became fully med compliant for the first time and have been so ever since.

I am devoted to my family. I am blessed with a long marriage to a kind and decent man, where fidelity and devotion have done a lot to make me maintain a relative degree of stability. I am mother to three between 24 and 30 years of age, with three beautiful grandchildren, ages six, four, and ten months. All three children are loving and functioning well, although my eldest had many rough years before he came to a place of finding a good woman to love and becoming a dad.

My interests are many: theatre, writing, reading, sewing, crafts of all sorts, music(especially singing and playing the guitar) movies, cooking, spending time with friends and family, taking walks, swimming, spending time on the internet .

I am a spiritual person, and i have a tremendous amount of respect for the spiritual pathways of others. I believe that all the world's great religions share the same basic goal: to make us better people and give us structure to lead a good life. For this reason, i encourage all bipolar people to try to find their own spiritual and religious pathways. I also know that a person can be spiritual without being part of any organized religion.

Meditation is something I am studying, and I find just reading about it is helpful to me. I love learning to control my mind through natural means, and the more i study and learn about breathing, relaxation etc., the better I feel.

I enjoy all sorts of people and welcome a variety and friends into my life. It is particularly gratifying to make real life bipolar friends because it helps me feel more in touch with the realities of this illness.

Currently, I am in "complete remission" according to my psychiatrist. But to get to this place, I have had the help of a tdoc every other week for the past ten years, an excellent psychiatrist, and lots of support from friends and family. I retired in 2005 after teaching full time for many years.

I love to organize retreats, otherwise known as Mood Gatherings. I have done three so far, and there will be more.