As my book signing is coming up, and I'm trying to prepare a few remarks (if you read earlier, I had to throw out the speech I had written because it wasn't right for the occasion), I thought I would have to talk about how severe schizophrenia and bipolar disorder actually are.

These illnesses affect one's entire life—not a single area of life is left unscathed. It is unfortunate. There is usually less impairment in functioning with bipolar disorder as compared with schizophrenia, but both are severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI). It is almost funny, but I once heard a man with schizophrenia complain at a support group that the people with bipolar disorder thought themselves better than he was and treated him poorly because they were higher functioning than he was. I can't say I have experienced any of that, but if it is true, then apparently there is some infighting amongst those with SPMI.

I will be sure to mention at the book signing the high rate of suicide amongst those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Almost have of the people with schizophrenia will attempt suicide, 10% completing the act. With bipolar disorder, the rate is even higher, 20% complete the act. As unbelievable as this sounds, I did a little investigating of statistics a while back on the internet, and I found that more people die each year from bipolar disorder through suicide than from breast cancer. If that is true, why do you think there is so little done to fight mental illness in comparison to cancer?

If any of my readers want to verify that statistic, I would be thrilled. The way I got that number was to look at the mortality rates of each illness as well as the incidence rates. If you find anything, whether it is in agreement or not, please let me know.