Dose of Humor Called For
Claudia Anaya
Issue date: 5/14/08 Section: Features
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"I'm Going Mental: Mental Illness With a Dose of Humor" was Garb's title for her mental illness and awareness presentation on May 1 in Kreider Hall from noon to 1 p.m.
With a few punch lines and various picture slides and sound bites, Garb's presentation was more informational than humorous as she shared her experiences with bipolar disorder after saying that "26 percent of people have a mental illness…and some may have multiple diagnoses."
Bipolar disorder is a combination of manic episodes and depressive episodes, which usually "gets diagnosed when you are between 15 and 20 years of age."
"People who are bipolar may talk rapidly, have grandiose ideas, and drive recklessly.
Since there is no cure, there is medication that could help in lessening the high and low episodes of bipolar disorder," said Garb.
Garb's high energy during her manic episodes caused her to have sex with 10 men she met at a bar one night, "not all at the same time, and not all at the same place, they were just all at the bar the same night," she said.
With sound bites and slides of her as a runner with a small fragile frame, Garb mentioned a mixed episode, where she would often run and cry at the same time.
Garb's foot snapped during a race one day as her bones had become fragile from of her eating disorder.
On the flip side of her high-energy manic episodes, Garb would often get depressed.
"It's a down feeling that doesn't seem to go away, and you can't just snap out of it," said Garb.
When people are depressed they feel like they "can't get out of bed, are so down that they don't want to get back up, they're sleeping too much or not enough, not eating enough or they're eating too much," said Garb.
People often get depressed but when it last weeks, months, or even years, it becomes chronic depression.
1.5 million Americans suffer from mild or chronic depression, 6.7 percent suffer from major depressive disorder that affects the mind, body and thoughts.
If depression remains untreated, it could become severe and people may become suicidal and have suicidal thoughts.
"If someone mentions suicide, you need to take it very seriously," said Garb.
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