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“The Crazy Golf Pro- My Journey With Bipolar Disorder” has won the following awards with BookAuthority:

1. 20 Best New Golf Books To Read In 2022 & 2023. Ranked #1.

2. 16 Best New Bipolar Disorder Books To Read In 2022 & 2023. Ranked #3.

3. 3 Best New Golf Ebooks To Read In 2022 & 2023. Ranked #1.

4. 10 Best New Bipolar Disorder Ebooks To Read In 2022 & 2023. Ranked #2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spiritual Enlightenment

1% of 2% of 1%- Very Rare!

Have you ever met someone who thought they were God? Usually, this question is asked figuratively, or metaphorically, but I mean literally.

Usually, someone who “thinks they are God” have a big ego, and are considered to be arrogant by others.

During most of my manic episodes, I thought I was Jesus Christ. During my last manic episode, I thought I was both God and Jesus. Literally. One thing I find interesting about this is that I wasn’t arrogant, and had a very small ego, if any.

While thinking I was God and Jesus, I still always knew that I was Don Walin. My psychiatrist told me this was very important.

When I told one person that I thought I was God when I was manic, his reply was “ that must have been a trip”. But, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t have any rush, or high. No ecstasy. I just felt like my normal self, along with the usual manic confidence. I didn’t make a big deal about being God either. I didn’t go around telling everyone I was God, and didn’t try to convince people to believe me. The same thing applies to thinking I was Jesus. People just called me Don, and I was totally fine with that.

Because of my God and Jesus episodes, and many more experiences with the spirit world (while in states of mania, and “normal” mood states), I have become extremely interested in “spirituality”. Over the last 20 years, I have read at least 25 books about spirituality. I have also read many books about the brain, mind, consciousness, spirit/soul, and bipolar disorder itself. The more I learn, the more sense my spiritual experiences make to me.

I’ve always thought my spiritual experiences were real, but now I’m more convinced than ever.

According to my psychiatrist, 1% of the population has bipolar disorder. 2% of these people have thought they were Jesus Christ when in a state of mania, and only 1% have thought they were God.

Because of this, I believe I experienced a very rare state of spiritual enlightenment when I thought I was myself (Don Walin), God, and Jesus at the same time. It’s not a mystery, or a miracle. I simply became a part of one with God and Jesus, who are a part of  me to begin with. My elevated state of consciousness was a key factor.

Mostly, I’m just a normal person. And, I think it’s possible for any “normal” person to experience what I have. Having said that, I think that being bipolar might help a bit. There is definitely a strong link between mania and spirit.

Regarding my spiritual experiences, many psychiatrists have diagnosed me as being “delusional”, and in a state of “psychosis”. Afterwards, I came up with my own “mania spirit theory”, which I explain in my book. When I discussed this with my psychiatrist of 20 years, he said to me “I don’t think you are delusional”. It was great to hear him say those words to me !

 

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Hello everyone, this is Don Walin-The Crazy Golf Pro! And, this is my first blog.

Christmas is almost here, and my book would be a perfect last minute gift for the golfer on your Xmas shopping list. As a former golf professional, I know what golfer’s like, and I know they would   love to read my new released memoir.

Much of my story is about golf, but it’s also about battling mental illness, connecting with the spirit world, and the ultimate love story.

I started playing golf at age 7. I discuss both my amateur and professional career.

My professional career was a roller coaster ride. I worked as a Canadian PGA golf pro from 1987-1995. During this time, I completed my apprenticeship as an assistant golf pro, and reached my goal by being employed as a CPGA class “A” head golf professional. During the same era, I was hospitalized in psychiatric wards 4 times for manic episodes, losing 4 jobs as a golf pro as a result.

The first 10 years with manic depression (bipolar disorder) was a really rough ride. In total, 10 trips to the psych ward. Since then, I have now been well for over 20 years. I attribute taking the right combination of psychiatric medications, and learning how to live a low stress lifestyle as the 2 main reasons for my wellness.

My book explains how one becomes a CPGA golf professional, including the necessary education, training, and tests. I talk about some of the tournaments I played in as an amateur, and as a professional. I explain the difference between a “golf professional”   and a “professional golfer”. And, why the former is called a “club pro”, and the later a “tour pro”.

I share my knowledge and insight of the game of golf, and explain why I think it’s the greatest sport of all. As difficult a game it is to get really good at, battling mental illness was much more difficult.

I have lived with manic depression for over 30 years. I want to use my experience to help as many people as possible.

I also have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). I write about these 2 additional mental illnesses in my book.

I am really looking forward to my new career as an author, and mental health advocate. I’m also looking forward to blogging with you on a regular basis.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Everyone!

All the best in 2022.

DonWalin  –   Author of The Crazy Golf Pro

 

 

 

 

 

The Crazy Golf Pro by Don Walin, mental health memoir
The Crazy Golf Pro: My Journey with Bipolar Disorder

The Crazy Golf Pro: My Journey with Bipolar Disorder

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My book is a memoir about my battle with bipolar disorder as a golf professional. I wrote this book to help and give hope and inspiration to as many people as possible that live with, or know others such as family or friends, that live with a mental illness. It’s about my life playing golf and being a member of the Canadian Professional Golfer’s Association (CPGA). I worked at golf courses in Alberta and British Columbia and in 1993 by the age of 28, I was employed as a Class “A” head golf professional. By 1996 the CPGA put me into the “retired” category. I could no longer work because of my illness. While working as a golf pro, I ended up in a psychiatric ward a few times because of full blown manic episodes. I tell a lot of “crazy” stories throughout my book. My life has been an emotional roller coaster ride. I share my story of the major ups and downs this mental illness has put me through. I am very open and honest with my life experiences, including many manic episodes and very lengthy periods of severe depression. I’ve had many amazing experiences with the spirit world and I’m not even religious! And, it’s the ultimate love story. In the end, it’s a success story. After being hospitalized in psych wards ten times from 1989-1999, I have now been well with my bipolar disorder, due to the right psychiatric medications and low stress lifestyle, for over 20 years.

SYNOPSIS:

Golf: My childhood dream came true when I became a member of the Canadian Professional Golfer’s Association (CPGA). In 1989, three years into what looked like a promising future as a CPGA golf professional, my world was turned upside down with a devastating diagnosis of manic depression (bipolar disorder), and I ended up as a patient in the psychiatric ward for six weeks. This was my first fullblown manic episode. I was able to resume my career and achieve my goal when I was employed as a head golf professional in 1993 at a golf course in Alberta.

Mental Health: Over the years, I made several trips to psych wards to treat manic episodes. After every episode, I would have a period of severe depression that would last for several months. My last time in a psych ward was at the infamous Riverview Psychiatric Hospital in Port Coquitlam, BC, in 1999. In 2000, I was finally put on the right combination of psychiatric medications, which I still take every day. Learning how to live a low-stress lifestyle and having Ellen as my wife for the last two decades have been extremely important in maintaining my wellness. I have now been well for twenty years with my bipolar disorder. To make things more difficult, I was diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in 1996 and diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in 2007. I write about these two additional mental illnesses in my book.

Spirituality: I’m not religious, but I have had countless spiritual experiences over the last thirty years. Most of my amazing experiences happened when I was in a state of mania. Over the last twenty years, I have read many books about the spiritual realm and some about the brain, soul, consciousness and bipolar disorder itself. As a result of this, I have come up with my own “mania spirit theory” and describe this in my book.

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The Crazy Golf Pro by Don Walin, mental health memoir