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Am I Bipolar or Waking Up?
Is it madness...or a spiritual awakening? During a self-help seminar, advertising executive Sean Blackwell entered into a state of ecstasy so powerful he thought he had died and was headed for Heaven. However, rather than being saved by God, Sean was arrested, handcuffed, and shipped to a psychiatric hospital where he was restrained and forcibly medicated during a brief but traumatic stay. Once released, Sean rejected any possibility that he had a mental disorder. Instead, he began a search for the deeper meaning of his abrupt awakening. This may have been the best decision he ever made. His endless career struggles disappeared as his once mundane life blossomed into one of success, adventure and intensity. It took a decade for Sean to finally discover that his ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ blessing was actually quite common, but that those who experience it are usually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Am I Bipolar or Waking Up? takes readers inside Sean’s quest for a more authentic, purposeful life. A paradigm shifter, this book offers hope to the thousands of people trying to make sense of their own misunderstood divine madness.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2011
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12 people want to read
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April 13, 2022The Author Isn’t Bipolar
If you’re truly bipolar and looking for a useful book, you probably want to skip this unless you feel like being annoyed. But if you’re currently manic or suicidal, *please* do yourself a favor and don’t read this right now. If you’re super intrigued, come back when you’re in a more balanced place. I say this from the perspective of someone who shares the diagnosis, not that of a shrink.
Reasoning for my 1 star rating:
I am bipolar. The author is not.
I borrowed this through Kindle Unlimited and quit reading at the 42% mark when I realized the author not only hasn’t received a bipolar diagnosis but knows nothing about what it’s like to *be* bipolar.
Reason? No one who is bipolar could make it halfway through writing a book without mentioning the crippling depression that upends and often *ends* lives. 19% of people with a bipolar diagnosis commit suicide, and around half of us make non-fatal attempts.
As someone who has lived with a bipolar diagnosis for over twenty years and been involuntary committed twice (and checked myself in once), I immediately don’t trust an author whose focus is on the “sexy” mania and who seems to have no experience with either major depression or being prescribed mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.
It’s also worth noting that he never mentions even having a manic or hypomanic episode prior to 30. And that he only had a manic episode in a high pressure cult atmosphere shortly after having a near death experience. This simply isn’t how bipolar works.
Look, I don’t agree with the establishment narrative on bipolar. I think there’s a lot that’s overlooked/dismissed when discussing the lived experiences of those of us who meet the diagnostic criteria. And personally, I choose to be unmedicated because for *me* medication did more harm than good. BUT it isn’t easy to be high functioning without medication, particularly when dealing with depression, and it’s not a viable choice for everyone with this diagnosis. So advice on functioning and medication from someone who *isn’t even bipolar* is both insulting and dangerous.
I’m a working creative and into all sorts of “out there” spirituality. I had high hopes that this book would address the intersections of spirituality and creativity with *actually being bipolar* but that isn’t the case.
This is a rambling, poorly organized, self-published narrative from a guy with a failed career in ADVERTISING who has opted to try to cash in on a diagnosis that he neither has professional nor personal experience with. I hope the author reads this review and reconsiders the ethics of this title since he’s literally trying to profit off of a profound desperation he clearly doesn’t understand. Were it not for the title/bipolar conceit, though, I’d have given this book 3 stars. And had the author worked with an editor to shape this into a more structured and better paced narrative, it likely would be a decent book because he’s a good writer. But in its current form this is just a self-indulgent ego trip from some random dude who knows next to nothing about his purported subject.
If you’re truly bipolar and looking for a useful book, you probably want to skip this unless you feel like being annoyed. But if you’re currently manic or suicidal, *please* do yourself a favor and don’t read this right now. If you’re super intrigued, come back when you’re in a more balanced place. I say this from the perspective of someone who shares the diagnosis, not that of a shrink.
Reasoning for my 1 star rating:
I am bipolar. The author is not.
I borrowed this through Kindle Unlimited and quit reading at the 42% mark when I realized the author not only hasn’t received a bipolar diagnosis but knows nothing about what it’s like to *be* bipolar.
Reason? No one who is bipolar could make it halfway through writing a book without mentioning the crippling depression that upends and often *ends* lives. 19% of people with a bipolar diagnosis commit suicide, and around half of us make non-fatal attempts.
As someone who has lived with a bipolar diagnosis for over twenty years and been involuntary committed twice (and checked myself in once), I immediately don’t trust an author whose focus is on the “sexy” mania and who seems to have no experience with either major depression or being prescribed mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.
It’s also worth noting that he never mentions even having a manic or hypomanic episode prior to 30. And that he only had a manic episode in a high pressure cult atmosphere shortly after having a near death experience. This simply isn’t how bipolar works.
Look, I don’t agree with the establishment narrative on bipolar. I think there’s a lot that’s overlooked/dismissed when discussing the lived experiences of those of us who meet the diagnostic criteria. And personally, I choose to be unmedicated because for *me* medication did more harm than good. BUT it isn’t easy to be high functioning without medication, particularly when dealing with depression, and it’s not a viable choice for everyone with this diagnosis. So advice on functioning and medication from someone who *isn’t even bipolar* is both insulting and dangerous.
I’m a working creative and into all sorts of “out there” spirituality. I had high hopes that this book would address the intersections of spirituality and creativity with *actually being bipolar* but that isn’t the case.
This is a rambling, poorly organized, self-published narrative from a guy with a failed career in ADVERTISING who has opted to try to cash in on a diagnosis that he neither has professional nor personal experience with. I hope the author reads this review and reconsiders the ethics of this title since he’s literally trying to profit off of a profound desperation he clearly doesn’t understand. Were it not for the title/bipolar conceit, though, I’d have given this book 3 stars. And had the author worked with an editor to shape this into a more structured and better paced narrative, it likely would be a decent book because he’s a good writer. But in its current form this is just a self-indulgent ego trip from some random dude who knows next to nothing about his purported subject.
January 2, 2018
Inconsistent, egocentric, full of shit
The author himself admits on his website he does not have a bipolar diagnosis. There are so many logical inconsistencies and rehashed new-age spiritual notions throughout this book which had me laughing hysterically. The author believes himself to be a shaman, to have achieved enlightenment and being endowed with the capacity to heal others despite his gross misinterpretations of Buddhism and other religions. Transpersonal psychology is apparently the only valid form of psychology- despite being the least scientifically tenable- and all others are wrong. While I do believe bipolar disorder is over diagnosed at large and do not dismiss the possibility of states of mania being manifestations of "spiritual emergencies," books such as this are probably harmful to people who actually have mental illness rather than a temporary form of mania brought on by an extremely distressing event. I seriously doubt that the numbers of unmedicated and/or undiagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic homeless persons whose lives fall apart rather than magically and mystically align in perfection with some vague and subjective notion of "God's will" would benefit from this book.
The author himself admits on his website he does not have a bipolar diagnosis. There are so many logical inconsistencies and rehashed new-age spiritual notions throughout this book which had me laughing hysterically. The author believes himself to be a shaman, to have achieved enlightenment and being endowed with the capacity to heal others despite his gross misinterpretations of Buddhism and other religions. Transpersonal psychology is apparently the only valid form of psychology- despite being the least scientifically tenable- and all others are wrong. While I do believe bipolar disorder is over diagnosed at large and do not dismiss the possibility of states of mania being manifestations of "spiritual emergencies," books such as this are probably harmful to people who actually have mental illness rather than a temporary form of mania brought on by an extremely distressing event. I seriously doubt that the numbers of unmedicated and/or undiagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic homeless persons whose lives fall apart rather than magically and mystically align in perfection with some vague and subjective notion of "God's will" would benefit from this book.
May 17, 2020
Insightful alternative approach to healing bp.
Sean is brilliant and a true pioneer in bp treatment. Someday I will encounter his retreat and fully awake. Until then I actually get to meet him online this week. Great book I wish it was around 25 years ago, it may have saved some grief, but I live for the day we have now.
Sean is brilliant and a true pioneer in bp treatment. Someday I will encounter his retreat and fully awake. Until then I actually get to meet him online this week. Great book I wish it was around 25 years ago, it may have saved some grief, but I live for the day we have now.
April 9, 2019
Insightful
This was very interesting and insightful to read. Definitely helps in view bipolar from another perspective, one much more hopefully. Many thanks to the author for sharing his story so the rest of us can hope in a more positive future.
This was very interesting and insightful to read. Definitely helps in view bipolar from another perspective, one much more hopefully. Many thanks to the author for sharing his story so the rest of us can hope in a more positive future.
May 25, 2016
Pretty good book. I'm a little curious about the way he handles mania but I can definitely buy the idea of a spiritual emergency.
It's written decently well. I'm not sure what I feel like it lacks, but there's something.
It's written decently well. I'm not sure what I feel like it lacks, but there's something.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews