Author: Sophia Falco It has been a challenge living with bipolar disorder 1 for nearly a decade (diagnosed at age 16) yet I have risen above this to have made my dream come true—a college graduate that has excelled! I have achieved the Highest Honors in the Literature...
Author: Christina Chambers Have you ever had a dream that was so vivid when you awoke it was hard to believe it didn’t actually happen? You had that surreal feeling of not being certain what was a dream and what happened in your waking life. What about a dream where...
Something I Am Proud Of: I was diagnosed more than 16 years ago, and have struggled tremendously with my diagnosis. Through all of the bumps in the road, I have never given up on myself. There have been times when I’ve been overwhelmed by this disorder, but I continue...
Author: Natalia Beiser Like most girls, I dreamed of being a mother. Planned were baby names, thoughts of how I would parent and nurture a child, and the locality where I wanted to do so. As a teenager, I was a sought out babysitter. My fantasy was of a family of five...
Author: Scott Walker A continuation from Reflecting Back on My Initial Diagnosis… I ended up being in the psychiatric hospital for three weeks after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. At the time I was in New Zealand visiting family and seeing my Mom and brother....
Author: Katie Barber When I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder my therapist was optimistic. The disorder can be easily managed, I was told, with lifestyle changes and medication. Simple small changes to my life can make a big difference to my episodes and can...
Author: George Hofmann It takes a while to diagnose someone with bipolar disorder. In fact, the average delay between the first appearance of symptoms and a correct diagnosis is six years. I remember when I first recognized that something unusual was occurring in my...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am proud of the moment that I realized that I wanted to become a Yoga Teacher. Yoga is about yoking the mind, body & soul – aligning with the Powers that be. So, you see, I was most pleased to have had the courage to face the Spiritual...
By Allison Clemmons Hatch Recently there has been no shortage of advice regarding techniques for self-care in light of the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to not only our physical, but our mental health care as well. And thank goodness for that! You have may have...
Author: Claire As someone living with bipolar 1 disorder, I sometimes feel resentful towards others that don’t share my struggles. The vast majority of people cannot truly comprehend mania, nor spend much time contemplating it. In daily experiences and in social...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am succeeding by fulfilling my daily commitments to my kids, my family, my friends, and my job. I am fighting every day with the help of my support system. My proudest moment in my journey has been the day I became a facilitator for DBSA...
Author: Violette Kay I used to feel a lot of pressure to be discreet about my bipolar disorder. When asked what my plans were for the day, I wouldn’t mention therapy appointments if that’s what was on the agenda. I wouldn’t take my medication in front of people. I...
Author: Caoimhe Mercer This month (May) is Mental Health Awareness Month 2020. There are many differences this year, however, due to the concerns surrounding Covid19. With the need for social distancing and isolation, people’s mental health will likely suffer as a...
Something I Am Proud Of: In my early years of diagnosis I never thought I would live past the age of 21, I was living a destructive lifestyle and never took managing my illness seriously. I turned my whole life around by putting a stop to my destructive behavior,...
A recent headline reads: Cortisol: Why the “Stress Hormone” is Public Enemy No. 1. But here’s an idea. Maybe we don’t want to eliminate stress from our lives. Here is a three-part alternative: Understand it. Manage it. Modulate it. Understand it. Definition: Stress is...
Alysha Sultan, BSc, PhD student1,2 Benjamin I. Goldstein, MD, PhD, FRCPC1,2,3 1 Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada. 2 Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. 3 Department of Psychiatry,...
Something I Am Proud Of: What I am most proud of is initially realising that there was something not quite right with myself and my mental health, and asking for help. Despite a previous diagnosis of depression, I felt like something else was at play- and my...
Author: Natalia Beiser I have always carried various degrees of shame over having bipolar I disorder and receiving income through Social Security Disability. I worked really hard to shine in spite of my diagnosis. I obtained a bachelor’s degree and was very proud...
“Bipolar is like a Boxing match- and we’ve got to keep fighting.” My name is Caoimhe (pronounced Keeva for those unfamiliar with Irish names!) and I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder six years ago aged 21, whilst studying for an MA in Modern History at University....
Author: George Hofmann How do you relate to bipolar disorder, and how do you describe yourself? Language can have a powerful influence over self-definition, revelation, and healing. The way we describe ourselves and our condition speaks volumes about our outlook and...
In life, experiencing stress and tension is normal. But what happens when a certain thought becomes too overwhelming that it ends up taking over your entire headspace? As you walk through this journey, certain triggers are likely to happen every now and then. While...
Author: Sophia Falco Poetry is what grounds me. I believe in this realm of poetry that I have complete control which is ever so important for me as an individual affected by bipolar disorder for nearly a decade. I have control over my pen and paper (or my laptop and...
Author: Susann Brox Nilsen My mother, who is an artist, taught me early on to draw and to be creative. I drew and wrote stories my whole childhood, my imagination had no end. This gradually stopped during my teenage years though, and for many years I wasn’t...
Something I Am Proud Of: I’ve always been honest to my son about my illness, from when he was little boy. I believe this has been the right thing to do, as many times he has witnessed his mom being in bed, or being extra exhausted due to mental illness. By...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am proud because I am aware of my illness. When I was diagnosed at 21 years old I was very afraid to take medication. My life became chaotic and the first 5 years were hard but there came a time when I learned to life with my illness. Even...
Author: Violette Kay This World Bipolar Day, I look back at all the ways bipolar disorder has impacted my life, and the variety of these experiences is so vast I don’t know whether I should mourn or celebrate. Bipolar disorder has ruined my life a million times over,...
Author: RaeAnn Collins Wikipedia defines brave as: “ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.” It is an act of bravery to tell others about this disorder. I have had Bipolar Disorder 1 for about 37 years now. Back in my early days, the stigma of...
Author: George Hofmann One of the most difficult things about thriving with bipolar disorder is that people don’t expect very much of you. They expect your moods to be inconsistent, and they assume you can’t take care of yourself. I was recovering from a string of...
Author: Jacob Gorman This is a story of hope when it looks like there is none: When I was younger, I was a pretty happy go lucky kid. I made a lot of friends and I was pretty outgoing. Things were great for a long time. I had all kinds of plans for my future, and I...
Author: Carrie Cantwell When I was in high school, my dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He had always been like a pot of boiling water, lid vibrating, steam escaping, about to explode at any moment. He’d spend thousands of dollars on Rolex watches and high-end...
Author: Christina Chambers As we celebrate the approaching World Bipolar Day, March’s question is: “what makes you bipolar brave?” I think earlier on in my journey I would have had a hard time answering this question because I carried a lot of shame and a sense of...
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...
