Photo of me raising the roof as I walk towards Washington State University President Elson Floyd, 2011 Getting into USC for undergrad was a dream come true. But soon though life caught up with me and I was faced with a choice. My boyfriend of 7 years had a football scholarship at WSU but struggled... Continue Reading →
Late summer 2013, somewhere in the wine country of Northern California. He's asked me several times if he was the cause. The reason I went mad. I say no, it was going to happen anyway. It would have been triggered by something or somebody else. Plus work was stressful too. I know deep down though,... Continue Reading →
WARNING: disturbing content. Psychosis, Psychiatric Emergency Room, 2014 [Drawings of my hallucinations from my time in the psychiatric ward after the ER] I sat on the cold tiled floor with my legs crossed, patiently watching the scene play out in front of me. I had been asked to keep still by the staff after my... Continue Reading →
San Francisco, May 2014 In the months leading to my psychosis surfing was a retreat from the stresses of life. Me and a few girlfriends bought thick wet suits and hit the beach on the weekends. I wasn’t good but I loved it. Upon completing outpatient recovery I thought I could return to my life.... Continue Reading →
Easter, March 27, 2016 This photo was taken at my friend’s family's Easter dinner. It was just weeks before I had a manic episode which was my first and only major relapse since the hospital. The cross hanging in the background is fitting. I tend to adopt a fascination with religion, spirituality and the supernatural... Continue Reading →
Manic Relapse, March 2016 (Photo from first year of college, 2008) Around the two year anniversary of my hospitalization I had a manic episode that was triggered by weeks of stress and three days of forgotten medicine. Something was after me. I had to run. I dressed in all black and filled a huge heavy... Continue Reading →
Words are powerful. Using them well is a craft. Cadence, meaning, purpose. There’s no such thing as perfection. Mistakes are made. But the practice is thrilling. In college I dumped Kinesiology, originally wanting to be a physical therapist, for a major in history. The subject came naturally, fascinating and fun. I enjoyed thinking, whittling my... Continue Reading →
Julia Lives Bipolar 