I am writing regarding your recent article "Little Boy Blue" about Justin Furstenfeld of the band, Blue October. As a mother of two children who have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (their father has the disorder as well), I am disheartened to see an article perpetuating myths and stereotypes regarding mental illness.
John Lomax "asked a question"... to see proof of Furstenfeld's mental illness in the form of a pill bottle. Ah, if only it were that simple. The signs, symptoms and ailments of Bipolar Disorder are mind boggling in their numbers and variance. It often takes years for a correct diagnosis. The medications do not read, "Bipolar Pill.. take two and feel normal in the morning.". Nor do all patients with Bipolar Disorder take the same medications. It is, unfortunately, rather common for uninformed people to dismiss the symptoms of this disorder as drama. I am sure I made the same mistake prior to educating myself.
It is especially grievous to see this article imply many times that Justin Furstenfeld could not have Bipolar Disorder because he was a "very popular, happy-go-lucky, somewhat athletic ladies' man" in Junior High. The two of my children with Bipolar Disorder are very popular, well-liked, talented, intelligent. Their father was extremely popular in Jr. High & High School. My son is a very talented musician & actor. My daughter is a top student, great athlete & all around over-achiever. Must they all be lying in a ditch somewhere, drooling and speaking nonsense in order to have a mental illness?
Lomax also implies the erratic and inconsistent behavior which is a symptom of Bipolar Disorder could only be explained by one of two things: either a terrible childhood or a conniving, vainglorious attempt at deceit for personal gain. It is quite damaging to insinuate that people "develop" mental illness because they had "bad parents". Bipolar Disorder is a biological illness. Situations can trigger symptoms, yes. The illness itself is a chemical imbalance in the brain.
I was further appalled to see 'evidence' in the form of a quote from a letter stating that musician, Elliott Smith had "actually killed himself", but Justin had not. Wow. This ludicrous statement is astoundingly detrimental to all of those who have been so deep in despair as to contemplate taking their own lives. This is precisely what the Pick Up The Phone Tour and Justin Furstenfeld are trying to raise awareness about. The signs of suicide, mental illness and depression are not what the public perceive them to be. We must make an effort to educate ourselves in order to help all of those suffering from these disorders.
There are many things in Lomax's article which can actually be explained as symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. This disorder does, in fact, gradually and increasingly get worse over time, especially if it is not stabilized by medications and therapy. Memory lapses are common during Mania. I have seen people lose many days from their memory entirely. Bipolar Disorder is controlled by medication, routine and sleep. Emotional situations can trigger extreme episodes. Furstenfeld's October breakdown came on the heels of one tour, the start of another, with a visit to his daughter and "estranged" wife in between. A breakdown was most likely inevitable.
There are also several places in this article where Lomax simply did not do his homework. I have read interviews where Furstenfeld says he was a drama major in High School. (It is possible to be an actor and a musician and also have Bipolar Disorder. Ask my son.) Furstenfeld also gives a detailed account of how (in the 1990s) he was working at one hospital in the morning and became a patient of a different hospital that night in an interview from the "Argue With a Tree" DVD. It can be seen on Youtube as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib737JO3rU0
Are there inconsistencies from interview to interview? Most likely. I'd expect that is true with anyone who is asked the same questions repeatedly, but perhaps even more so from someone with a mental illness.
This article is not only a proclamation of Lomax's ignorance regarding mental illness, it is a great disservice to those who deal with it in their own lives. We must strive to lessen our collective ignorance. Articles and individuals such as this only make it more difficult to help, treat and understand those suffering from Bipolar Disorder, Depression and other mental illnesses. If I told you I had survived Breast Cancer, would you ask me to lift my shirt?
Eloquently written. Perhaps the Houston Press should give you Lomax's job. I'm sure you'd do a much better work. The irresponsibility of Lomax as a member of the Press is irrevocable.
ReplyDeleteNicole
www.prettypinkchandelier.com
As a fan of Blue October I am angry and offended by the Houston Press article for them and for the causes that they represent.
ReplyDeleteYour perspective as a mother of children with bipolar has opened my eyes and has taken the ignorance and narrow-mindedness of this article to a whole new level.
Once again, thank you for speaking so openly and eloquently about a topic that is misunderstood and not talked about nearly enough.
Amen!
ReplyDeleteExcellent!! Thank you. I hope the Houston Press will publish all the letters written to them in support of Justin and Blue.
ReplyDeleteyeah! u go girl!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think this is what we all wanted to get at but were too pissed off to! :)
ReplyDeletePlease tell me you actually sent this in. What a disgrace and disservice the Houston Press did allowing that article to be printed. Thank you for sharing this. You were able to put into words what many of us aren't able to do so eloquently!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for taking the time to read my letter. I appreciate your comments.
ReplyDeleteYes, Alisha, I did send this to the editor of The Houston Press. They are considering it for publication. I hope it will do some good, somehow. I am passionate about educating others (and myself!) about Bipolar Disorder and mental illness.
Nicole, I need a job! I'd love that offer. :)
ReplyDeleteAmy, you are right. It is entirely misunderstood. We do need to continue talking about it. Absolutely!!
Amber, Halelujah!
Gina, I hope they publish the letters, too. It is dangerous for people to blindly believe the misinformation contained in Lomax's article.
Ridiculous Girl, it took me nearly two weeks to finish READING the article because of how outraged I was at everything printed. Last night, I spent a long time spouting obscenities at my computer before I was able to write the letter. :)
Very well written. I've been incensed and practically speechless ever since I read Lomax's vile character assassination and unable to articulate a coherent response. Very Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank you for that, as it is just soooooo hard to read that crap, and it just.. confuses me so bad.. it's like.. well.
ReplyDeletethank you for taking the time to write. your blog is very nice and it feels good to read your point of view and how you're able to still give and learn about it, that you still wsnt to feel involved about it, for your kids but also for anyone dealing personaly with bipolar disorders or living with someone who does.
Being Bipolar is just.. well I think it's your previous post that is about it, but well, I'll post a comment in there.
but thank you.
This is great. Thank you for writing this!
ReplyDeleteVery well written and to the point. If someone can "see" something broken that needs fixed such as an arm, leg, etc, they have no problem accepting that it is, indeed, broken. But when a person can not specifically see a problem, such as mental illness, so many disregard the severity. There are numerous glib people running around spouting nonsense regardless of the fact they have family members and friends who suffer from BiPolar.
ReplyDeleteJohn Lomax sounds like the worst of the bunch.
And to make the comparison to Elliot Smith as if he is certainly BP and Justin is not, is clearly absurd. Lomax's reasoning/logic skills are slim to none.
This is a great piece, informative, thought-provoking and intelligently sensitive to this very serious illness.
Your firsthand experience is heart wrenching, but at least you are educated and can see it with understanding eyes.
I hope they do publish this piece.
As an artist myself, (I suffer from Major Depression as well) I am appalled at Lomax's stupidity. Might I also add that, while some things could be a symptom of Bipolar, other things (such as the multiple accounts of the band's name), could be from a wider perspective over time, or they could have all happened. The most atrocious thing I saw in the article were the kids from his high school dismissing his self-inflicted pain as "drama". Also, I found it funny that Lomax relied on one psychiatrist as evidence that that combination of meds would not treat Bipolar. It's called the practice of medicine for a reason: NOBODY KNOWS! What works for me could kill you. I (like millions of others I'm sure) went from prescription to prescription trying to find the right one (the worst of it was in the adolescent psych hospital), and honestly I'm still not sure if it's right! So throwing that in was just another stupid move by Lomax. Finally, when he talked about what happened at the airport, I didn't see any reference to people who were actually there. He talked to the 911 operator if I'm not mistaken. Talking to someone who wasn't there is the stupidest bit of evidence you could use. As for the other stuff, like has been said, it's either ignorance of the illness... Or maybe they were jealous so they told a lie (or both).
ReplyDeleteMatt
(Hope this was published :))
Many things can be symptoms of Bipolar Disorder and many are symptoms of simply being human. Multiple accounts of any story will vary for myriad reasons. Some people appear more dramatic than others, bipolar disorder or not. Medications vary greatly and are given in numerous combinations. The article by Lomax incensed me so much because of his apparent lack of any research into the disorder he was writing about. I am not here to diagnose or un-diagnose anyone, but his article was filled with stereotypes and lacking evidence to support his accusations.
ReplyDeleteA shortened version of this letter to the editor was published.