I am a lawyer and former middle school teacher living in Chicago. My dad battled Bipolar I disorder most of his adult life, unbeknownst to me until 2008. He died by suicide at age 65 in September of 2014. My dad was quick witted, unfailingly kind and generous, the life of the party, and loved me very much. I miss him every day and hope that...
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Gift Ideas For Loved Ones With Bipolar Disorder: 20 Presents That Promote Wellness
December 11, 2014
Buying a gift for a friend or family member with bipolar disorder? Skip the standard Starbucks gift card - and choose something that promotes wellness. Below are a wide variety of selections ranging from $1 to $200 (you can find many of them at discounted prices, so shop around). All of my picks are products I’ve used personally, that my...
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The Loss of Friends and the Actual Reality of It All
December 11, 2014
We all know someone or have gone through the experience of losing friends because of a mental illness. I don’t have many friends right now and I go day by day watching my two sisters, my Mom, my Dad, and even going into a store, I see girls laughing together and the sad thing, is that, that was me a few years ago. That was me. Some of my...
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It's the Most Triggering Time of the Year
December 10, 2014
Jumping off my balcony, abusing drugs, walking down the middle of a highway and neglecting meds. That’s how I use to ring in the New Year and wish my family a Merry Christmas. Since I’ve been diagnosed bipolar in 2011 I’ve found that once the Christmas season hits, I start to experience relapses. I could be as stable as a seamstress going into the...
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I Should Just Go
December 10, 2014
Often, there are times when we don’t want to do anything; nothing inspires, nothing motivates, nothing is uplifting. “It seems that the weight of the world is bearing down on me and I can’t possibly do anything about it-I should just go. It’s just one thing after another.” Moving forward after a bout with depression is one of the toughest...
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Dual Diagnosis
December 9, 2014
“Population-based studies have documented that among all patients with major psychiatric disorders, those with bipolar disorder have the highest prevalence of comorbid substance abuse and dependence” (Tohen, et. al 1998, Pg. 133).My substance abuse came long before my diagnosis of Bipolar I. As children living in fear of their Father, my...
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Liz Wilson
December 9, 2014
Liz was diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder I, NOS during college in 1996. As a Psychology/Women’s Studies major, she was relieved and intrigued by her diagnosis, but not surprised. Both her siblings and Mother were also diagnosed Type I or Type II Bipolar Disorder. During 1998 their family all partook in a genetics study done on...
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To Loathe or To Love?
December 9, 2014
To Loathe Every time I looked in the mirror I hated what I saw. Self-loathing had been a big part of my identity. Why did I hate myself so much? Why did I look at my reflection with contempt and disgust? I am not sure how or when it started, but many of my earliest memories were of simply not wanting to be me. Since that was...
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Psychiatry in Jordan
December 9, 2014
Teamwork in Psychiatry: King Abdullah University Hospital as a ModelI would like to make it crystal clear that this story aims not as the title may suggest, to draw up a panoramic view of the mental health system in Jordan. Nor does it claim a science-based approach while referring to mental illnesses or any medications usually administered to...
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Moustafa Hausain
December 9, 2014
My name is Moustafa Hausain from Jordan/Middle East. I work for kalima translation Abu Dhabi. I basically translate books that fall under the humanities umbrella: like Philosophy, History, Psychology and the like. I translated, among other books, a book by the science historian Paul Royter, titled: Madness: A Brief History, through which Royter...
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