Author: Rebecca Lombardo Up until very recently, the last thing in the world I would call myself is brave. I’m still having difficulty accepting it some days. What I saw is what my Bipolar Disorder told me to see: me, curled up in a ball on my bed in tears, too...
Author: Cassandra Stout After my postpartum psychotic breakdown in 2008 and my time spent in a mental hospital for it, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. That explained so much. When I returned home, I was elated. I was compelled to explain to everyone who had...
Author: Claire Gault I am a server at a senior living center that is home to many interesting people. Among them are a distinguished former president of a university, a resident who claims to have been friends with Rob Zombie, and many eccentric war veterans. One of...
Author: Willa Goodfellow Oh, I thought I was already, bipolar brave. As a lesbian who came out in my early forties, I understood how this stigma thing works and also how this overcoming of stigma thing works, too. I wasn’t weird or scary. People liked me. When I came...
Author: Natalia Beiser When I resigned my full time job in 2005 due to bipolar depression, I subsequently went on disability. I spent countless years allowing my bipolar diagnosis to define how I should be treated in the workplace. Prior to going on disability, I...
Author: Aubrey Good In December I uprooted everything I had known in my adult life to move across the country to start fresh in a new location. By uprooting everything, I mean everything: my living situation, career, relationships, social activities, routine, weather…...
Author: Scott Walker On January 1, 2000, I checked myself into a psychiatric hospital in New Zealand. My Mom, my brother and I had met in NZ to celebrate Christmas with relatives and bring in the new millennium. I was living in Japan at the time and hadn’t seen...
Author: Dr. Margaret Rutherford I’m honored to be asked to join you on March 18th, 2020 for a live video discussion of a syndrome I call “perfectly hidden depression.” I’ve written a new book, Perfectly Hidden Depression: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism that...
Author: Cassandra Stout Are you bipolar? There is a day on the calendar to celebrate your struggles with the disorder. World Bipolar Day (WBD) is celebrated each year on March 30th, in honor of Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday, as he was posthumously diagnosed as...
Something I Am Proud Of: My proudest moment came when I realized that I am my biggest advocate. After keeping silent for so long, I began to understand that I can’t get better if I: 1) don’t support myself 2) be open and honest with others. Advice For Newly Diagnosed:...
Author: Violette Kay My grandma’s neighbor was the first person with bipolar disorder that I ever met. I was a child- I didn’t really know what bipolar disorder was, much less that I would go on to learn that I had it too. My first encounters with the illness took...
Something I Am Proud Of: I believe what I am most proud of is acceptance of my disorder. I was diagnosed in 1987 and did not accept the diagnosis and begin treatment until 2008. My denial and rejection of treatment led me to 4 years in federal prison. Upon my release...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am proud that I have been able to transform my most painful years into work that helps others get better. I am proud to bring patients who dedicate their lives to their healing journey together. Advice For Newly Diagnosed: I almost gave up...
Author: Trevor Simonson Living with bipolar disorder can become very tiresome, especially when I am experiencing a depressive episode. Everything becomes difficult, even the menial tasks of everyday life. I do my best to keep a positive attitude even through the dark...
Jesse Zook Mann, is an Emmy Award- winning film and television director who became disabled due to the harsh side effects from an anti-anxiety medication. While searching for an effective intervention for his bipolar II disorder and health, he discovered a world of...
