In contrast, during a low period, there is an increasing feeling of worthlessness or emptiness which is hard to describe. The person feels exhausted and has trouble concentrating or remembering things and making decisions. There is a loss of interest in everything that the person once enjoyed including sex. Often the person thinks of death and suicide attempts are not uncommon.
There are several variations of bipolar disorder. For more information on these please log on to the website of National Institute of Mental Health (Web site: http://www.nimh.nih.gov), from which the above information too has been condensed.
In India and China alone, there are at least 12-15 million people who suffer from Bipolar disorder. (Source: Bipolar statistics quoted by the Depression and bipolar support alliance.)
The message that I also wanted to convey through this book, is that having a condition like Bipolar disorder does not mean that the person is ‘crazy’ or a ‘lunatic’ which are terms which people use without even a second thought. Having a disorder like that does not mean it is the end of the world either. It can be managed in a number of ways and people affected can lead very positive and complete lives.
Writing, by its very nature, is such an intense and a lonely exercise. It was not easy, writing this kind of a book, without getting into the skin of the characters, which would often leave me drained and emotionally exhausted.
This book could never have been written without the support of my spouse Satish Shenoy (who I consider one of my closest friends) and I feel blessed to be married to him. He would completely take over the practical aspects in running the house, would look after the children and would give me my space and time without which I would never have been able to cope with being a full time mother, wife, writer and artist rolled into one. When he finally sat down to read the entire book, I was rewarded when I saw that he was totally engrossed in it and just couldn't stop reading it, till he had completely finished it in just a single sitting. That was a big compliment to me as the biggest critics are usually the ones closest to you.
I also wish to mention the role of one of my closest friends, Ajay Chauhan who was extremely encouraging and supportive.
He would keep sending me mails, asking me when I would write the next chapter and he compelled me to keep writing. He made me feel like I am the greatest writer on Earth. He was there for me throughout, unfailingly when I needed him and he remains a rock-solid, dependable pal. I am grateful and happy to have him in my life.
My closest friend Cherrisa Castellino's help proved invaluable as she read through numerous drafts and re-drafts. I cannot imagine life without her and she remains one of my biggest emotional anchors.
A big thank you to another very dear friend Mayank Mittal whose countless international phone-calls kept me going. He has no idea how much he really helped.
A thank you to all my other friends too (you know who you are).
A special thanks to Dr. Anubhav Naresh too for all the phone-calls and the text messages and of course, the help.
A heartfelt thanks to my blog readers who kept asking me when my next book will be out and telling me that they couldn't wait to read it.
An even bigger thanks to all of you who made my first book a National Best Seller–your encouragement helped.
Thanks to my mother who understands me always and to my two wonderful children Atul and Purvi,who always co-operate when ‘Mummy needs to write’.
And also a big thank you to the team at Srishti and Westland.
If you have been inspired by this book and if you have enjoyed it, I would consider my task complete.
The world is indeed a better place when there is love, friendship, acceptance and hope. Powered by these, you can indeed overcome anything, including destiny.
Preeti Shenoy
21st December 2010
Life Is What You Make It A Story Of Love, Hope And How Determination Can Overcome Even Destiny Page 18