Sarah DeArmond

I remember what it was like hitting rock bottom. I hit it hard. I had checked myself into the psych ward twice and was dealing with a dull, achy feeling. Whoo boy, was that hard! Thankfully, I had and still have God, my husband, and mom on my side. I also found the right combination of medications and saw a therapist. It took a few years, but it was worth it. 

We each have our own ways of hitting rock bottom, but it’s never easy and should never be treated lightly. What if you’ve hit rock bottom and are currently trying to claw your way out? I have some advice for you. 

You probably hear all the time that if you eat right and exercise, you’ll feel better both mentally and physically. This can be challenging when we live in a world that thrives on junk food and unrealistic expectations on how people should look. So, is it even worth it? Why even try when the healthy payoff isn’t as great as being unhealthy? 

Sean's wife, Sarah, wrote a blog that goes with this one. We recommend reading them together. 

Sarah and her husband, Sean, each wrote a blog post about their marriage for our Couples Series. Read Sean's blog here. 

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of twenty-two after six months of marriage to my husband, Sean. We weren’t surprised. We actually took the news quite well. It was just such a relief to know why I was having so many mood swings. 

It’s hard being in a relationship and having bipolar disorder. My disorder played a key factor into why I had a few relationships fail. Sure, we weren’t meant to be, but what I put them through didn’t help. I will say that I honestly didn’t know about my mental illness until after I married my husband, Sean. 

It’s January, a time of the year when people make the resolution to throw on their workout gear and make a healthier version of themselves. Usually, this doesn’t last very long. I know, because I was one of them. But a new body shouldn’t be your only reason for wanting to be healthier. What about a healthier mind? 

Not too long ago, I wrote about Thanksgiving and about how it can be a difficult time. As I’m sure a lot of us know, Christmas can be just as hard to get through, if not harder. This is during a point of time in the year where we’re supposed to be reflective and put in a lot of effort to be happy and give back. But, sometimes it can be the exact opposite. 

Sarah describes what mania feels like for her and how she has learned to manage it. 

Sarah regularly blogs for IBPF and has done some YouTube Videos for their channel. She now writes on a regular basis for the Dallas Morning Post as well.  

When you’re dealing with bipolar disorder, the holidays can be a tough time. Although I’m doing better than I was several years ago, this time of the year can still be a little tough. Everyone around me is just so happy and I start feeling a little melancholy. How do I deal with this feeling? 

I always tell my husband about it. I know that I can always go and talk to him about my feelings because he can relate on some level. We’ll sit down and talk about what I’m feeling in the moment and why I may be feeling that way. It always helps a lot. 

Mania is a very tough subject for me. When I’d go through the manic episodes it was very painful. I’ll admit, after I dealt with it in therapy, I just wanted to forget about it, but I know that’s not right for our readers. So, here goes… 

I deal with mania a lot. When I would get angry, anything would and could set me off. When I would get set off, it was very difficult for me to come back down to a normal state of mind. It was almost like an out of body experience. I could almost see myself getting angry and would be thinking, “Why won’t you calm down?” It was heartbreaking.