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The “Up” and downs of a disorder

Posted Dec 31, 2009 by Clarisa Gerlach

Updated Dec 31, 2009 at 12:02 PM

Singer-songwriter Cathy-Anne McClintock had plenty to draw on for the song “Up,” from her eponymous debut album, released in April.

The song describes a woman who’s

… got a heart of gold
But somehow was sold a lot of stupid lies
Did she have a dream or did it always seem
Too much to realize
It was sugar sweet
It was pressed and neat
Everything in place
But no one knew what she was going through
Such a pretty face

McClintock drew from her experiences growing up with a mother who suffered from bipolar disorder.

“She would be really productive and fabulous and then she’d be up in her room in tears,” says McClintock, one of five children.

“We’d be tip-toeing around my mother, trying to deal with our own guilt – “Why is Mom sad?”” she recalls. “Nobody talked about it. We didn’t have a name for it.”

There were even high-speed car chases when a voice would tell McClintock’s mother to run. Doctors who seemed to be making progress would be fired during one of her manic episodes.

“When I see a homeless person, I know that could have been my mom if not for her support system.”

McClintock hopes the song opens some minds and provokes discussion as well as education about bipolar disorder.

“There’s still some stigma attached to it,” McClintock says. “When I perform the song live, I talk about my mother in the introduction and ask if anyone there suffers from mental illness. A lot of people chuckle or point to their friends. But I’m starting to see people becoming a little more aware.”

For more information on McClintock’s music, go to http://www.cathyannemcclintock.com