Mar 26 2009
Being Bipolar: Actress Emily Epler helps raise awareness
Actress and poet Emily Epler is working to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder. As part of these efforts, she wrote and performs her one-woman play, “The Levity of Lithium”.
Epler was diagnosed with bipolar disorder several years ago. The play focuses on an intense manic episode she experienced in 2005. One reviewer, Becca Blake, saw the show in late 2008. She says, “Epler’s skill as a word-painter poet was showcased in her ability to describe her mania. Her metaphors for the chaotic feelings experienced during a manic cycle of bipolar were beautiful and insightful.” (http://broadstreetministry.blogspot.com/2008/09/levity-of-lithium-review.html )
Emily is currently taking Lithium to treat her illness and is a strong advocate for properly taking medications prescribed to patients with mental illness. She tells Alexis Dow of The Patriot News in Pennsylvania, “I try to dispel a myth that one can ‘wean themselves off’ of these medications. I compare bipolar disorder to diabetes. Both are medical conditions that require medications. A diabetic cannot tell their pancreas, ‘Go ahead and start production of insulin.’ Similarly, I cannot tell the synapses in my brain to speed up or slow down. Lithium regulates the transmission between these synapses.” (http://blog.pennlive.com/go/2009/03/actress_bares_her_bipolar_soul.html )
I think it is wonderful that Epler is shedding light on the spectrum of bipolar disorder, helping to educate others about the disorder, and encouraging those who have been diagnosed with the disorder to take their medications as prescribed. I sincerely hope that “The Levity of Lithium” continues to gain momentum and other performers will begin to openly discuss their experiences with all types of mental illness.
If you happen to live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Epler will be performing “The Levity of Lithium” at Der Maennerchor at 127 North Street on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the door or by contacting her through her MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/dandylionvintage.
