Man who suffered from bipolar disorder has book published
poetry collection put together after author’s death
Published:
A BIPOLAR Aberdeen poet has had a book of his work published nearly a year after his death.
David Murdoch was diagnosed with the mental health problem when he was 21. The condition can cause extreme mood swings.
Many of the poems in his collection focus on living with the illness, which affects one in 100 people in Scotland.
The 43-year-old, who had a degree in theology from Aberdeen University, was a keen writer and poet.
He regularly gave his mother Christine Wilkie his work to read.
Now, almost a year after Mr Murdoch died after fall-ing from Union Bridge in Union Street, Aberdeen, Mrs Wilkie has put together a collection of his 75 best poems in a book entitled Flying My Own Plane.
Topics covered include mental health, religion, and observations of life, romance and family.
The book is currently available as an e-book, via Chipmunka Publishing, a website dedicated to literary works about, or by sufferers of, mental illnesses.
It will also be available as a paperback by the end of the year.
Mrs Wilkie, of Pennyview, Oldmeldrum, said: “David was a deep thinker, always thinking about the meaning of life.
“He was so critical about his poems when he was alive.
“He would tell me there were better ones, and that he would get round to getting them published eventually. I don’t know if he ever would have.
“I just hope the book will make a difference. He wanted to make a difference and be heard.”
A common symptom of bipolar disorder is manic episodes, where the sufferer may become overly optimistic, lose touch with reality or suffer from impaired judgment.
It was as a result of one such episode that Mr Murdoch was diagnosed with the condition.
Mrs Wilkie and her husband, also David, called for more to be done to raise awareness of mental health problems.
She said: “I just really feel for people who have bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. People get angry at others who have a mental illness.
“We used to get angry with David sometimes because of how he behaved, but it’s so difficult. People out there have to gain a better understanding of mental illnesses.”
Flying My Own Plane is available by visiting www. chipmunkapublishing.co.uk and following the e-books link. For information about paperback copies e-mail alexe2@btinternet.com and all proceeds will go to mental health charity Sane.
