Category: Bipolar Disorder

How Creating Music Has Helped Me Navigate The Complexities of Bipolar Disorder

How Creating Music Has Helped Me Navigate The Complexities of Bipolar Disorder

Author: Brandon Russ   Throughout the history of this planet, music has been something used by both individuals and societies at large to convey a variety of ideas and emotions. These include religious and spiritual groups, educational institutions, and the...

Calming the Bipolar Waves: From a Psychiatrist’s Point of View

Calming the Bipolar Waves: From a Psychiatrist’s Point of View

Author: Thiago Genaro   Have you ever been to Rio de Janeiro? Rio reminds me of tropical natural beauty, carnival and parties. When I think of Rio, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, sailboats in Botafogo Cove, and incredible beaches come to...

Bipolar Impulses: Understanding the Impact on Finances and Relationships

Bipolar Impulses: Understanding the Impact on Finances and Relationships

Author: Sam Bowman   Developing healthy boundaries and coping mechanisms when dealing with bipolar disorder can feel like an uphill battle. Budgeting and managing your platonic, romantic, and familial relationships is already hard enough, but the overwhelming...

Parenting and Bipolar Disorder

Parenting and Bipolar Disorder

Author: Che’ Lang   Caring for a child comes with many responsibilities. Being emotionally and mentally stable is essential when teaching a little human the ropes to this complex life. It requires immense amounts of patience, and the ability to stay calm...

Identifying and Processing Bipolar Emotions

Identifying and Processing Bipolar Emotions

Author: Matthew Palmieri   Before I committed myself to understanding the underlining emotions characteristic of bipolar, I’d often oscillate between extreme irritability, and a kind of manic frenzy jumping from one task to another without any real consideration...

Empowering Aging Adults with Bipolar Disorder to Stay Active and Engaged

Empowering Aging Adults with Bipolar Disorder to Stay Active and Engaged

Author: Sam Bowman   For adults, exercise and socialization may be difficult enough propositions on their own; but for aging adults with bipolar disorder, there are times when maintaining a regular, active schedule may seem downright impossible. Sure, it’s easy...

My 5 Positives of Bipolar

My 5 Positives of Bipolar

Author: Matthew Palmieri   Many years after my initial diagnosis, a simple question popped in my head that would fundamentally change the way I look at my mental illness. I asked, “What would happen if I embraced bipolar instead of constantly looking at it as...

Exercising with Depression: Simplifying Fitness for Mental Wellness

Exercising with Depression: Simplifying Fitness for Mental Wellness

Author: Sam Bowman   For all of us, energy is a limited resource at the best of times. We only have so much capacity to do everything we need in a day – and unfortunately, mental illness can consume most of it. With depression, even the most simple of tasks can...

Welcoming Mania After Depression? My Experience

Welcoming Mania After Depression? My Experience

Author: Birdie Thorn   To understand the appeal of Hypomania/mania, you must understand the dread of depression. Bipolar depression is much more than occasional bouts of the blues. It can feel as though you are stuck in the deepest parts of your brain while your...

Maslow’s (Bipolar Disorder) Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s (Bipolar Disorder) Hierarchy of Needs

Author: Brooke Rowland   Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides helpful structural guidance for the multi-faceted approach to treating Bipolar Disorder. Articulated in 1943, his theory stated that our needs can be visualized as a pyramid and that the needs at the...

Bipolar 2024 Resolutions— Do the New You or the Tried & True?

Bipolar 2024 Resolutions— Do the New You or the Tried & True?

Author: Matthew Palmieri   For many, January is THE time to take an honest look at our habits, routines, and other frequent choices that force us to take stock of what works and doesn’t work for our physical, mental, and emotional health. However, for those of us...

The Nails (and Medals) of a World Champion Brazilian swimmer

The Nails (and Medals) of a World Champion Brazilian swimmer

Photo: Satiro Sodré/SSPress/CBDA Author: Thiago Genaro   “Marcel, I have to go.” Felipe abandoned training, got out of the pool and went to the shower. His head didn’t stop. Thoughts were racing. The restless mind. Inattention harmed the...

Disclosing Bipolar Disorder

Disclosing Bipolar Disorder

Author: Lee Formella   I am extremely lucky. On the day that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I knew I had at least 5 calls to make, receiving nothing but empathy and support on the other end of the phone. Beyond that though, who do you tell? When do you...

Bipolar Disorder on the Job: How Managers and Co-workers Can Help

Bipolar Disorder on the Job: How Managers and Co-workers Can Help

Author: Sam Bowman   A truly inclusive workplace can positively impact employees and companies alike in countless ways. The stressors that jobs bring to the average employee don’t have to be exacerbated by unacknowledged issues. Employees with bipolar disorder,...

The Complexity and Potentials of Recovery

The Complexity and Potentials of Recovery

Author: Alan Monnelly   Recovery is not linear. Recovery is not easy. Recovery is the only option. There are so many stages and variables in the journey of recovery from bipolar illness that it is vital for the person on this road to take it one day at a time. In...

The “Little Things” Before Symptoms

The “Little Things” Before Symptoms

Author: Matthew Palmieri   It’s the Little Things. Big shifts in our lives can derail us from progress in managing bipolar, but it’s crucial we often look at the little things as well that may cause our symptoms to take over. Are we ignoring the need to eat food...

Coping with Grief: Managing Bipolar Disorder After Losing a Loved One

Coping with Grief: Managing Bipolar Disorder After Losing a Loved One

Author: Sam Bowman   Losing a loved one and going through the grieving process is difficult for everyone. But, when you’re an individual with bipolar disorder, experiencing that loss can be even more difficult. The journey of grief can feel like it has more...

Fighting Through Depression – Getting Back to the Basics

Fighting Through Depression – Getting Back to the Basics

Author: Tori Bryl   With bipolar disorder, every depressive episode varies in length and intensity, with a fleeting epiphany that holds the key to breaking free. This past summer, I was in a four-month depressive episode— the longest I’ve ever experienced....

Finding Hope Through Challenges

Finding Hope Through Challenges

Author: Sophia Queen   I wanted to start by saying, this road isn’t easy. I forced myself into thinking it would be fine and I would be fine, but many times I’m not. I get glimpses of hope every once in a while but just know that the first diagnosis...

Obsessions and Impulsivity with Bipolar Disorder

Obsessions and Impulsivity with Bipolar Disorder

Author: Lee Formella   Before I was diagnosed, my obsessions and impulsivities were an unstoppable force. I’d wake up in the morning convinced I was NOT going to gamble that night, despite the triggers of the day. I promised myself if I did drink, I would NOT...

Sleep’s Effect on Bipolar Disorder

Sleep’s Effect on Bipolar Disorder

Author: Sam Bowman   The sleep-wake cycle is an important factor in overall health. The quality of sleep you are getting impacts several areas of your health, including heart function, circulation, metabolism, respiratory system, and immune system. Sleep even...

Bipolar and Cultivating Community

Bipolar and Cultivating Community

Author: Matthew Palmieri   After my initial diagnosis in 2014, like many, I felt deep shame. There was this nagging and persistent feeling that bipolar had put me behind somehow. That I had done something wrong to end up here and this was going to be something...

Managing Anxiety with Schizoaffective Disorder

Managing Anxiety with Schizoaffective Disorder

Author: Liz Colvin   Being a caregiver is a huge responsibility. My adult daughter has survived the rigorous battle of finding the right medication for schizoaffective disorder with her medical provider. However, while managing the mental illness itself, one has...

Asking the IBPF Community – What is one thing or activity that you ‘cannot live without’ that helps you manage your bipolar disorder?

Asking the IBPF Community – What is one thing or activity that you ‘cannot live without’ that helps you manage your bipolar disorder?

IBPF Community Answers As those living with bipolar disorder learn more about their diagnosis and settle into a routine, there are several habits they learn benefit them tremendously. These habits can look different for everyone. We wanted to learn from our community...

The History of Lithium: Who Ate the First Oyster?

The History of Lithium: Who Ate the First Oyster?

Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro Have you ever eaten an oyster? With lemon? Gratin? Were you afraid of food poisoning? Who first looked at this shell divided into two parts and decided to open it? I’m going to tell you a behind-the-scenes story about science. In the...

Handling Professional Conflicts With Bipolar Disorder

Handling Professional Conflicts With Bipolar Disorder

Author: Sam Bowman   Experiencing a professional conflict is never enjoyable. However, it is bound to happen from time to time. A staggering 85% of people experience workplace conflict to some degree. As someone living and working with bipolar disorder, you have...

Finding Comfort in Discomfort: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Bipolar Disorder

Finding Comfort in Discomfort: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Bipolar Disorder

Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro In his book Breathe – a life in flow, Rickson Gracie, one of the biggest names in Jiu Jitsu and one of those responsible for bringing the sport to the United States, narrates a curious scene from his adolescence. Rickson tells of being...

The Best of Intentions

The Best of Intentions

Author: Elizabeth Horner   Bipolar Disorder is a tricky illness, even when we think we have it mastered. Fine-tuning our medications, ensuring consistent sleep, eating well, therapy, and balancing stability at work and in our personal lives can feel like...

When the Fog Lifts: Accepting Yourself

When the Fog Lifts: Accepting Yourself

Matt Palmieri One of the most challenging aspects of living with bipolar is the phase that follows an unfortunate period of heavily distorted thinking. No, I’m not the CEO anymore. Guess I can’t retire just yet.Oh well. Back to the drawing board!This can be one of the...

My Life-Changing Vegan Ketogenic Diet for Bipolar Disorder

My Life-Changing Vegan Ketogenic Diet for Bipolar Disorder

Dyane Harwood At the age of fifty-two, I didn’t expect I’d make one of the best decisions of my life. I began a well-formulated (i.e., carefully planned) vegan ketogenic diet specifically for bipolar disorder. I discovered this option serendipitously through a simple...

Navigating the Challenges: Living a Full Life With Bipolar Disorder and Depression

Navigating the Challenges: Living a Full Life With Bipolar Disorder and Depression

Sam Bowman Everyone wants to live a full life — and everyone also has their own definition of what that means. Everyone also has their own obstacles that they must face throughout life. But overcoming life’s hurdles can add richness and fulfillment to your life that...

Anger

Anger

Author: Paul English I used to have anger in my teen years and 20s. I learned how to greatly diminish this through Buddhist teachers, from friends, and from personal mindfulness practice. Evolution of Rage Let’s explore my journey with road rage as an easy...

Taking Control of My Sleep to Help Me Manage My Bipolar Disorder

Taking Control of My Sleep to Help Me Manage My Bipolar Disorder

Author: Lee Formella I’m swimming in a beautiful pool with my girlfriend, family, and best friends around me. We’re having a great time, but I decide to get out. When I do, a mysterious and extremely deep cut in my shin appears. I am surrounded by people from my past...

Embracing Your Authentic Self: Nurturing Self-Esteem With Bipolar

Embracing Your Authentic Self: Nurturing Self-Esteem With Bipolar

Author: Sam Bowman The path to self-acceptance doesn’t always look like a straight line. In fact, it’s more likely to be paved with inconsistencies. If it were easy to love yourself unconditionally, fewer people would struggle. In the age of social media, it’s...

Workplace and Bipolar Disorder

Workplace and Bipolar Disorder

Author: Niki Castle Disclaimer: Mention of Attempted Suicide The stress of working in television. As kids, we were all asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I changed my mind so many times. From cardiologist to artist and then an architect. By the time I...

The Reality of Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Brazil

The Reality of Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Brazil

Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro Recently I was reading the Indian guideline for treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). It is from 2017. When you are a psychiatrist specializing in bipolar disorder, you read guidelines from many places around the world – we have the...

The Truth Behind the Lies

The Truth Behind the Lies

Author: Melinda Goedeke I had a beautiful daughter who amazed the world with her laughter, intelligence, spunk and adventure. And she was a liar. She lied to her family, she lied to her friends, she lied to her employers and most painfully, she lied to me. She...

Raising Awareness About Bipolar Disorder Through Blogging

Raising Awareness About Bipolar Disorder Through Blogging

Author: Sam Bowman If you’re familiar with the struggles of bipolar disorder, you want to raise awareness or help others who share your concerns, and you’re good with words and writing, then creating your own blog may be a way to do just that. The fact is that bipolar...

The Intersections of Bipolar and Bisexual

The Intersections of Bipolar and Bisexual

Author: Lexie Manion Disclaimer: Mentions of attempted suicide I am newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder as of 2019 and newly out as bisexual as of 2021. Interestingly enough though, these are two intricate parts of my identity that I have been familiar with my...

African American Mental Health

African American Mental Health

Author: Niki Castle Disclaimer: Contains language that may be deemed as offensive Growing up in a biracial home, I became aware of the difference between white and black at an early age. My Irish mom received varied responses to her mixed-race kids. From, “you can’t...

Getting Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder as an Older Adult

Getting Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder as an Older Adult

Author: Sam Bowman   Getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an older adult can be challenging. Stigmas and misconceptions about the condition may be discouraging and lead to feelings of embarrassment or unease. However, bipolar disorder affects millions of...

Breaking Free From the Cage of Productivity

Breaking Free From the Cage of Productivity

Author: D.O Vo   During my time in university, having to combat the suffocating experience of bipolar depression truly felt like I was drowning. I was trapped in this never-ending cycle of being unable to complete my school work because I struggled with...

Asking For Help as a Man

Asking For Help as a Man

Author: Lee Formella   “Pain nourishes your courage, you have to fail in order to practice being brave” – Mary Tyler Moore If you were raised anything like me, you were told to be strong, be a man, be tough, do everything yourself, provide for those around...

Overcoming Body Shame and Mental Boundaries: My Exercise Journey

Overcoming Body Shame and Mental Boundaries: My Exercise Journey

Author: Margaret Fitzgerald   It took more years than I want to admit for me to exercise. Many around me told me how doing so would assist me in having better mental health. It was obvious that exercise would assist me physically. There were so many reasons why I...

Bipolar is Not Your Fault

Bipolar is Not Your Fault

Author: Chris Chambers   It is my 15-year anniversary since I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Looking back, I think one of the most painful parts of my journey was the underlying belief that bipolar disorder was my fault. I had certain traumas in childhood...

Unlocking My Potential

Unlocking My Potential

Author: Vasavi Kumar   Living with bipolar disorder has been a tumultuous and unpredictable journey, filled with highs of mania and lows of depression that have left me feeling as though I’m on a rollercoaster ride that I can’t get off. The intense...

My Story: Athletics and Bipolar Disorder

My Story: Athletics and Bipolar Disorder

Author: Niki Castle   At the height of her aerobic popularity in the 1980’s, Jane Fonda was known for her “no pain, no gain” mentality. This catchphrase transcended pop and sports culture, engulfing locker rooms and transforming athletes everywhere to believe...

Triggers

Triggers

Author: Melinda Goedeke   Unfortunately, like many, I have experienced trauma in my life. So much so that I often see life as just a series of traumatic events. Some wounds are bored so deeply that they are firmly lodged within my soul. Those are my private...

I Was Afraid to Take Meds

I Was Afraid to Take Meds

Author: Lianca Lyons   I was crying uncontrollably at work because I was mentally, physically, and emotionally EXHAUSTED. I would wake up in the middle of the night sending work texts and emails about things I had either forgotten about or needed to remember. My...

Living With Self-Stigma is Like Driving With the Brake On

Living With Self-Stigma is Like Driving With the Brake On

Author: Andrea Vassilev   Many people experience shame, embarrassment, and guilt surrounding their bipolar diagnosis. They feel as though they must be “one of those people” others are always talking about. They suffer from low self-esteem and feelings...

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