Melanie Luxenberg was diagnosed with Bipolar II in July 2010. She also experiences rapid cycling and at times, experiences multiple cycles in a week, as well as general anxiety and social anxiety. Melanie graduated with an Honour’s B.A. in English & History from...
By: Melanie Luxenberg It’s that time of year again. December. The holidays are approaching. Time off school for students, perhaps time off work for those whose offices close (or who take time off), time to travel for some, staycations for others. A chance to spend...
By Melanie Luxenberg You don’t want anxiety to win, but let’s face it; sometimes it happens. I say don’t be hard on yourself when it does. Anxiety and bipolar disorder seem to really like each other- a lot. Or at least that’s what my experience has been. Anxiety...
Melanie Luxenberg Mental health awareness is a term that we are hearing more and more these days- and May is an important month for us mental health advocates! In Canada, the first week of May is designated as Mental Health Week, which was first introduced in...
Panic attacks can be physically and mentally exhausting, and they are often difficult to manage. We reached out to members of our community for suggestions on how to cope with panic attacks and anxiety. Here are some helpful ideas that you came up with. 1. Know your...
See the English version of this article here. Berat rasanya melihat seseorang yang Anda sayangi ketika mereka sedang kesulitan. Anda ingin membantu tapi mungkin tidak tahu bagaimana. Anda juga tidak ingin menyinggung perasaan atau merusak hubungan dengan mereka....
It’s hard to watch some you care about when they’re not doing well. You want to help but maybe you don’t know how, and you don’t want to offend them or damage your relationship. Here are some suggestions on how to help them and ways to approach the topic. 1. Learn...
I always enjoy reading articles about what not to say and what to say to someone with a mental illness. I read them and nod my head in agreement, as I can relate all too well. There are sayings or comments that may seem helpful, but aren’t in reality because...
When life gets busy it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. But practicing self-care can have great benefits for your mental health. Don’t feel guilty about taking time to care for yourself. It’s not selfish to make your health a priority. You...
July 24 is International Self-Care Day. On behalf of International Bipolar Foundation, I asked my friend, Mike, a fitness enthusiast, yogi, plant-based eater and animal lover, to share the benefits of practicing self-care.As a person who lives with bipolar and anxiety...
The International Self-Care Foundation (ISF) has designated July 24 every year as International Self-Care Day (ISD) to symbolize that the benefits of self-care are experienced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7). The benefits of self-care are life-long. Each...
Sleep is important for everyones health, and is especially critical for those with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder has been linked to disruptions in circadian rhythms, and many people notice a connection between sleep and their mood.We asked our volunteers who...
Dear Dad, On your birthday, and on every day, you should know how appreciated and loved you are. I am your daughter that was shy, was afraid of strangers, had separation anxiety from Mom (from what I hear), and was afraid of my own shadow. I played it safe...
Dear Friend (On Your Birthday), We met almost 17 years ago, we dated in Grade 10, we had fun while it lasted (all of 6 or 7 months), and went through the awkward phase were we couldnt be friends because exes werent friends in high school. But, that didnt...
Dear Husband, We made it through the first year of marriage (not that I had any doubts, dont worry)! Weve been through more than our fair share of difficult times, loss and trying times together. But, through thick and thin, weve stayed together and...
No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. – Buddha There are a lot of scary statistics out there. Mortality rates. Higher risk for diabetes, metabolic conditions, earlier deaths. Adverse medication side...
Melanie’s husband, Daniel, wrote an accompanying blog post for our Couples Series. We recommend reading the two posts together. My sister messaged me on Whatsapp the other day and said she liked my profile picture, and that I looked genuinely happy in it....
