Christiane Wells's Blog
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Oct.04.2011
I’ve always been more comfortable writing nonfiction than fiction. I think that the issue is fear of having people criticize work that I’ve made up. The only attempts I’ve made at nonfiction are poetry (as an angsty teenager) and playwriting. I loved writing plays, and since it was during college,...
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Jul.01.2011
Last night when I went to bed I was troubled by my inability to remember the difference between béchamel sauce and veloute sauce. I thought about getting up and checking, but decided to stay in bed and check in the morning. Ah, yes! Veloute is like béchamel, but with a light stock added. I read up...
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May.26.2011
Yesterday I had the honor of being a guest on Safe Space Radio, hosted by Dr. Anne Hallward. It was a fantastic experience, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Anne was an excellent interviewer, and I felt she was really in tune with me and my story, and respectful about the topics we...
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May.09.2011
As a child in elementary and middle school, I wasn't grossly overweight, but I wasn't thin, either. I was chubby and hated the way I looked in my clothes. My weight turned me into a natural tomboy and would end up shaping much of the way I dressed and presented myself to the world for years.
I...
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Apr.23.2011
Stigma persists despite the knowledge that bipolar disorder is has a biological basis. It is a brain disorder, and yet the vast majority of people in our society see mental illness as something that can be willed away. Or not as valid as physical illnesses such as diabetes.
If you have a mental...
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Apr.18.2011
There’s been a huge response to my article in the Huffington Post on bipolar disorder, and I’m humbled by the support I’ve gotten from people. Wow! So many people can relate to what I’ve gone through and it’s amazing to hear people’s stories, but sad to see how many are still really suffering.
A...
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Apr.15.2011
Twenty years ago, most people didn’t know what I was talking about when I said I had bipolar disorder. These days it’s in the news regularly, with people sharing their diagnoses and experiences. Mental illness still has a stigma attached to it, and it was a difficult decision to make public that I...
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Apr.13.2011
If you’ve given some thought to changing your food lifestyle, for whatever reason, you may feel it’s overwhelming. Where to start?
I’m going to throw out some ideas and let you decide what might work for you. Don’t make the task too daunting. Feeling like something is impossible generally causes me...
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Mar.01.2011
Media coverage of Charlie Sheen’s drug abuse and instability has been overwhelming. Sometimes it’s necessary to look beyond a person’s fame and wealth to understand what they’re going through as a person.
As a former addict, I found Charlie Sheen's recent comments minimizing addiction not terribly...
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Mar.01.2011
A break from school is refreshing. It’s the end of my first year in the doctoral program, which seems hard to believe. Much has happened over this past year in my personal and professional lives, but if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I’m much more educated than I was a year ago.
Around...
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Feb.08.2011
Who are the greatest people you’ve ever met? A great person could be someone you met once or twice, a friend you’re close to, someone in your family, anyone who you think deserves the greatness label. The only restriction I place on the greatest people is that you must have met them at least once...
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Dec.26.2010
Love is a funny thing. I’ve been wondering about the different ways we love people, the way that we have different types of love. And how other people feel about love, and whether it’s similar to my experience.
The three people closest to me are my husband, son, and mother. I love each of them...
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Dec.01.2010
It was in Las Vegas, in 1996, when I began writing a sequel to No Guarantees. It was no time to be writing a book – in and out of the hospital, using drugs, a complete lack of insight and awareness – but I worked on it doggedly. For two years.
What delighted me most was the title I’d picked out, “...
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Nov.27.2010
As a freshman in high school I owned one of those big college guides, and within it were my dreams and my future. I pored over it relentlessly, even though it would be a few years before even applying. I knew it would take that long for me to take these hundreds of colleges and pare the list down...
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Nov.09.2010
I’ve made a friend recently, who writes a fantastic blog called Jumbling Towers. I love her writing style and what she has to say. It’s one of the best blogs I’ve seen lately. And trust me, as a blogger I’m on the lookout for good blogs about bipolar disorder, anxiety, addiction, and eating...
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Wells' writing has both a lyrical intensity...and a deadpan humor that dispels bathos. She manages to convey a whirlwind of narcotized craziness with remarkable clarity and insight. An entrancing journey through the lower depths.”
—Kirkus Reviews
About Christiane
Originally from Milford, Connecticut, I’m currently living in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, a quiet Denver suburb. I’m here with my husband, Jason, and son, Jack. I spend my days writing, reading, cooking, and learning. I’m in school full-time pursuing my Ph.D...
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Christiane’s Favorite Books
In Dubious Battle, Grapes of Wrath, The Omnivore's Dilemma, What To Eat, The Jungle, Magical Thinking, Naked, To Kill a Mockingbird, With These Hands,...