Victims Suffer From Imbalance

Dear Ann Landers: About seven months ago, I was a highly regarded vice president of a large company. Overnight, I developed an obnoxious personality, becoming pushy, arrogant and disruptive. My behavior was a major topic of company gossip as co-workers talked about the radical change in my demeanor. One day, I lost my temper and yelled at the chairman of the board. I was promptly fired.

Over the next two months, my mental state deteriorated to the point where I would sit in front of the television and argue with the news anchor. I believed an asteroid was going to hit Earth. I was non-functional and finally hospitalized.

It was then discovered that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain that caused a medical condition known as bipolar disorder. This is easily treated with lithium. After a few months, I felt like myself again and called my old boss about getting my job back. I received no sympathy from him or from my co-workers.

Mental illness can strike at any age without warning. It is totally unpredictable. Not only are its victims trying to heal, we often are struggling with having been fired or kicked out of our homes, estranged from loved ones and financially ruined.

There should be no shame or stigma attached to having a mental breakdown. In most cases, it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that needs to be corrected just like any other medical condition. After recovery takes place, the vast majority of us return to the community and to our jobs as doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on. Please help people understand. - M.K. in Mass.

Dear M.K.: Your plea for acceptance of the mentally ill made a far better case than anything I might have written. Thank you on behalf of all those for whom you spoke today.

Dear Ann Landers: I am an elderly widower who has been keeping company with a younger neighbor lady, a widow. “Daisy” is attractive, congenial and intelligent, she doesn’t smoke or drink, and we have a lot in common. So what is the problem?

Daisy is an incessant, compulsive talker. She dominates all conversations and sometimes interrupts others when she feels certain that what she has to say is more important. She sometimes forgets that she has told the same story to the same listener. I find it difficult to interrupt her to remind her of that fact.

I am very fond of Daisy. She came into my life at a time when I was having some very lonely moments. I confess, however, that her constant talking causes me some concern about the future of our relationship. I hesitate to confront her as I don’t want to hurt her feelings or ruin our friendship. Any suggestions on how to proceed? - Devoted Reader in California

Dear Devoted: Compulsive talkers are impossible to turn off, slow down or shut up. You need to decide whether or not you are able to tolerate Daisy’s non-stop jabbering. If you are thinking in terms of marriage, envision what life would be like with this woman after the bloom is off the rose. I fear she might drive you bananas.

Dear Readers: Jim Roos, in his lively little publication “Curmudgeon’s Corner,” paid tribute to my good friend Mike Royko recently. Roos quoted one of Mike’s characteristic observations: “I have nothing against little dogs that look like dust mops. I’m sure that they make wonderful pets and companions, even fierce watchdogs, should your home be invaded by midget burglars. If I owned one of the tiny, fuzzy dogs, I would spray it with Endust and use it to clean under the beds.”