Michael Solomon
by Bud Clayman
“Once I got stable, I thought to myself, this is why I’m on the planet . . . to be a voice for the countless number of people with mental illness who feel like they don’t have their own voice.” —Michael Solomon
A note from the director of this video, Bud Clayman:
Directing the Mike Solomon video was inspiring. Mike is one fine person. He has been able to create a full life for himself. He is married, assumes responsibilities, and helps others in their own recovery journeys. He has a lot of empathy for people, too. This is what I most admire about Mike.
Mike Solomon & Bud Clayman
He cares about his fellow man in ways I can only hope to emulate. His bond with people has made him dedicate his life to erasing mental illness stigma and advocating for those effected by it. Specifically, he is willing to talk about his illness.
Mike is not afraid to say to someone, “Yes, I live with bipolar.”
And if you pull away from him when you hear that, he’ll re-engage you and help you understand better. Mike is not willing to stand in the shadows and the fact that he has shared his life with us shows that.
Learn more about Michael Solomon’s book, It Comes From Within, by following this link.
See Related Recovery Stories: Bipolar Disorder, Mental Health Short Films
How can you tell the difference between bipolar & someone who wants to control you one minute & is apathetic the next? They are both in the realm of mood swings.
Hi Patty, thanks for the comment. Generally bipolar episodes are measured in days and weeks, not minutes. The website for the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance might be a good resource for you: http://www.dbsalliance.org/
Michael,
I know you. I am a peer specialist. I am a person who lives with bipolar also. Congrats on your book. I will be buying it. I to want to write a book. You are an inspiration!
Dear Patty, Everyone has mood swings, for example losing a loved one or going thru a divorce. It’s a matter of degrees. Also, people in general can be
controlling. Please contact me at scranton48@aol.com to explore this situation further. Thanks for the
comment. Good luck. Mike Solomon
Michael Solomon is very insightful in his presentation and gave the viewer a deep understanding of, and empathy for his thoughts and feelings . I would like to have heard more. Myrna Shure
Dear Myrna, Please feel free to e-mail me directly at:
scranton48@aol.com. so we can communicate further.
Sincerely, Michael Solomon.
I thought this was a great video. Congratulaions to you both, you have done a great service. I will be passing it along to others in my mental health community.
Dear Allen, Where do you live??
Sincerely, Mike Solomon.
This presentation gives me hope for my son who lives with BD. He was diagnosed about 6 years ago and has just recently accepted his illness. One of the most difficult things for us is helping our family understand Bipolar Disorder. We were fortunate to join NAMI, and took the 12 week Family to Family class, which was extremely helpful. We are dedicated to helping our son, and are doing all that we can to educate others too. I am very interested in starting a NAMI Faithnet at my church, do you know who I could contact?
Dear Judi, Where do you live?? Could help me to steer you in the right direction’
Good luck, Mike Solomon.
Please know that there are alternatives to psychotropic drugs to assist in the management of mental health issues. I searched in desperation when nothing could keep my daughter who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder stable until I found something that would. Please read my story and share the hope with others.
http://debracares.org Thank you.
Dear Debra, What was the secret that helped your
daughter get stable?? This can be confidential if
you wish.
Respectfully, Michael Solomon.
I loved hearing from Mike. I could tell he is such a lovely person.
I can’t believe how much he sounds like Bud…don’t you agree?
I love all these videos! Thank you Recovery Diaries!
Thanks for the great comment Delaney, so glad that you are enjoying OC87 Recovery Diaries. We can definitely hear some of the similarities between Bud and Mike — good observation!
Mike, I am a peer specialist in Montgomery County. I just ordered your book. Looking forward to reading it! Enjoyed your video. Very well done. I too live with Bipolar. I have dreamed of writing a book since 1994. You are an inspiration. Id like to correspond with you. Maggiecatagnus@yahoo.com. look forward to hearing fromyou.