JustinFurstenfeld

Anxiety,BipolarDisorder,DepressionandSubstanceAbuse

JamieDodge

MentalillnessisnolongeraclosetedissueintheUnitedStates,andtheworldover.
Doctorsandresearchersaremakingnewdiscoveriesinthetreatmentofmanymentaldisorders
everyyear,andinformationisbeingdistributedviathemedia.Asthegeneralpopulation
becomesmoreeducated,peoplewhosufferfromcommondisorderssuchasAnxiety,Bipolar
Disorder,DepressionandSubstanceAbusearenolongerignored,orworse,putawayinan
institutionthatmayormaynotofferrealhelp.Peopleareabletoseethebrainasanorganthat
cansufferfromdiseasejustasaliver,heart,orstomachcan.ThisisespeciallytrueintheUnited
Stateswhereouropensocietyteachestoleranceandcompassion.Oneofmyfavoriteartists,
JustinFurstenfeld,fromthebandBlueOctober,hasexperiencedthesementaldiseases.Through
hismusic,therapy,supportanddrugtreatment,hehasbeenabletoregaincontrolofhisonce
chaotic,andoftenviolent,life.
Bipolar,depressionandanxietyareoftencloselyrelated.Bipolardisorderisadisease
oftenassociatedwithmoodswingsrangingfromseverehighstoverylowlows.Theseswingsin
themselvescancreateanxiety.TheNationalInstituteofMentalHealthliststhephysical
symptomsofanxietywhichincludedifficultysleeping,shortnessofbreath,heartpalpitations,
restlessness,muscletension,nauseaanddizziness.Anyoneofthesewouldbedifficultto
contendwith,buttohavethesephysicalsymptomsincombinationcanbeoverwhelming.
Anxietydisorderscommonlyoccuralongwithothermentalorphysicalillnesses,including
alcoholorsubstanceabuse,whichmaymaskanxietysymptomsormakethemworse.Insome
cases,theseotherillnessesneedtobetreatedbeforeapersonwillrespondtotreatmentforthe
anxietydisorder,(Anxiety).Depressionisamooddisorderthatischaracterizedbysevere

feelingsofinsecurity,lowselfworth,hopelessnessandsadness.Leftuntreateditcanleadto
suicidalthoughtsand/orattempts.LikeBipolarism,depressioncanleadtoanxiety.
SubstanceabuseisahugeproblemintheUnitedStates.Fromalcoholtorecreational
druguse,adolescents,adultsandtheelderlyareoftenguiltyofexcessiveabusewhichcanleadto
addiction.Beforedoctorshadtheresourcestostudythebrain,substanceabusewasthoughtofas
afailingofsomesort....peopleaddictedtodrugswerethoughttobemorallyflawedandlacking
inwillpower.Thoseviewsshapedsocietysresponsestodrugabuse,treatingitasamoralfailing
ratherthanahealthproblem,whichledtoanemphasisonpunishmentratherthanpreventionand
treatment,(Volkow).Nowthattherearemanyinstitutionswhichstudythebrain,excessive
substanceuseisnowknownasahealthproblem.In2012,about23.1millionAmericans,12
andolder,neededtobetreatedfordrugandalcoholabuse,(Nationwide).Morethanhalfof
theseAmericansdidnotseektreatment.About95percentofthesepeopledidnotbelievethey
neededit.Themostcommonreasonsthatpatientsthinktheydontneedhelpare1)theyarenot
readytostopusing,2)theydonothavehealthcoverageorcannotaffordthecost,3)theyfear
possiblenegativeeffectsonemployment,4)theydontknowwheretogofortreatment,and5)
theyhaveconcernthatreceivingtreatmentmightcauseneighbors/communitytohaveanegative
opinionofthem,(Common).Oncethepatienthasadmittedtohavingaproblemandtherefore
seekshelp,treatmentisincreasinglysuccessful.JustinFurstenfeld,theleadsingerofBlue
October,sufferedfromallofthesedisorders,butthroughhismusic,andalotofsupportfrom
familyandfriends,andenteringtreatment,hehasbeenabletoovercomethem.
Justinhasstruggledwiththesementaldiseasesforalmosthiswholelife.Hisdepression
andselfharmstartedinhisearlyteenyears.IhavescarsallovermybodyfromwhenIwasa

kid,(Justin).ThisthenledtosubstanceabuseanditwasdiscoveredthathehadBipolar
Disorder.Inhissong
XAmountofWords
hetalksaboutbeingbipolarandhowharditisto
control.You'resolar,bipolar,Panicdisorder...Seemsharderandharderandharder...Stillyoutry
tocontrolit,(Blue).Almostallofhissongstellstoriesofwhathesbeenthrough.Inhissong
TheFlight:LincolntoMinneapolis
,hetalksaboutanepisodethathappenedbecauseof
substanceabuseandhisbipolarmoodswings.RightbeforeJustinwasgoingontour,hefound
outthathiswifehadcheatedonhimandwasinlovewithanotherman.Thisledtohimdrinking
ontheplaneandthenblackingout.OnceFurstenfeldgottotheairport,thingsgotevenworse.I
remembergettingontheairplane,butIdontrememberanythingelse.Isupposedlywalkedoff
theplaneinMinneapolisandaskedforapoliceofficertoassistmebecauseIwasgoingtoget
backontotheplaneandhurtsomeone.Idontrememberanyofthatexceptforgetting
patteddownandbeingputintoapolicecar,(Ramirez).Afterthisincident,Justinwasinthe
hospitalforawhilegettingtreatment.Later,hemethiscurrentwife,Sarah.Atthebeginningof
herpregnancywiththeirdaughterSayde,SarahgaveJustinanultimatum:
drinkinganddrugs,
ortheirmarriage.ThenextdayMr.Furstenfeldsbandmatesintheplatinumsellingrockband
BlueOctobercametohishouseinSanMarcosandpresentedhimwithasimilar
choice,(Langer).ThatdayJustincheckedintoarehabilitationcenter.Heknewhehadbeena
hypocrite.Idbuiltabandandcareertellingeverybodywereafamily,wegoteachother,
wereconnected.Andbecauseofthedrugsandalcohol,Iboltedawayfromfamily,thebandand
ourfanstodestroymyself.Imashamedofthat,(Langer).BlueOctoberhadalwayscomeout
withsadsongs,andsongsaboutconflictandstruggle.Butfortheirlatestalbum,Justindecided
toshowhowhappyhehadbecome.Oneofthesongstitled
BleedOut
hasalinethatsays
I

finallyfeellikeI'msupposedtobe
Although
Justinstillhasthesedisordersthatmaynever
completelygoaway,hehascomealongwayfromjustthreeyearsago.
JustinFurstenfeldhassufferedthroughalotinhislife.HehasbattledthroughAnxiety,
BipolarDisorder,Depression,andSubstanceAbuse.Hismusicisalivinghistoryofhis
problems,andassuch,servesasaninspirationtootherswhomaybegoingthroughsimilar
struggles.Aswithmostmentalillness,thefirststepistoadmitthatyouneedhelp.Oncethe
patientreallywantstreatmentandreceivesit,thingswillgetbetter.

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Volkow,Nora.
Drugs,Brains,andBehavior:TheScienceofAddiction.July2014.n.p.n.pag.
Web.14April2015.

WorksConsulted
AnxietyDisorders.2015.Webmd.com.WebMD,LLC.n.p.1.20April2015.
BlueOctober.XAmountofWords.MotownRecords,2007.CD.
CommonReasonsWhyThoseWhoNeedTreatmentDontGetIt
.ElementsBehavioralHealth.com.
14November2009.n.p.n.pag.Web.10April2015.
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pag.Web.20April2015.
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n.p.n.pag.Web.20April2014.
NationwideTrends.January2014.n.p.n.pag.Web.14April2015.
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Volkow,Nora.
Drugs,Brains,andBehavior:TheScienceofAddiction.July2014.n.p.n.pag.
Web.14April2015.