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Spring Forward, Fall Back

As daylight savings time (DST) has arrived, the time shift plays a significant role for those of us who live with bipolar disorder (BD). For me, a solid and consistent routine, combined with positive lifestyle management, has contributed to my euthymic (stable) state.

Breaking the Cycle of Negative Thinking

Before my manic episode, I was completely unaware of how I came off to others. My ego controlled every part of my life. If something did not go my way, I would defend my position, even when I knew I was wrong. Classmates, coworkers, and even strangers felt like obstacles standing between me and my goals.

4 Signs You are Experiencing a Mixed Episode

When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I thought it was safe to assume there were only two sides of this medical condition that I would have to manage; mania and depression. Hypomania was also commonly depicted by my psychiatrist, but I…

The Day I Realized I Wasn’t Crazy

My realization didn’t come all at once; it wasn’t marked by a single, defining day. Instead, it arrived in waves, each one gently reminding me how far I had come in my journey toward mental health. These moments of clarity weren’t random; they were hard-won through insights and shifts in perspective that gradually taught me how to understand and manage my bipolar disorder in healthier ways

The Ripple Effect: How Substance Use Exacerbates Bipolar Disorder

The rollercoaster of emotions, the dizzying highs and crushing lows – this is the reality for many living with bipolar disorder. But what happens when this already complex mental health condition intersects with substance use? The…

Finding the Same in the Different

Change is inevitable. Whether it be starting a new job, moving to a new city, joining a new sports team, or developing a new support system, the uncomfortable is going to set in. For many people in their early 20s, all those uncomfortable…

Reality Check from a South African with Mental Health Afflictions

What does it mean to possess something that is partly unaccepted by a society? Holding with you, the one thing that induces cold glances from strangers and familiars. Are you an outcast, a non-contender? No. You probably just have a…

My Story of Bipolar Disorder, Workplace Bullying, and Letting Go

In these times of transition, we now have so many types of bullying. All of us have heard of the school yard bully that fought, shoved, and made jokes at others. Generations ago, there were fights on the bus and the school yard rooting for…

The Invisible Struggles in Bipolar Management

Living with bipolar disorder often feels like walking a tight rope. Always on alert that an episode is pending, I am constantly vigilant to any shift in routine or sleep that may disrupt the balance I’ve achieved since fully accepting…

8 Questions and Statements from Others That Helped Me Heal

For someone who has lived with mental illness for the better part of her life, there have been many opportunities for the people closest to me to show support, which in turn, allowed me to experience their love and acceptance…

Broadcasting the Storm: My First Manic Episode

There was no doubt in my mind that I had discovered the key to the universe: we are all connected, there is a oneness, and that is all that matters. It was the enlightenment spiritual leaders speak of—a higher state of being, the lifting of the veil. I was struck by lightning. I was chosen. I had glimpsed the other side, the side most people can’t see. I had seen the matrix…

Bipolar Disorder & College Sports

Just a few months after receiving my initial bipolar I diagnosis at the age of 18, I packed my bags and moved from my hometown to begin my post-secondary career as a collegiate soccer player. I had no idea the challenges I would encounter over the course of my time in college, but it was the successes…

I Surveyed My Friends About My Bipolar Disorder

But my other friends, how did they feel about me? Did my mental illness affect them in any way? Were there things they’ve always wanted to tell me but couldn’t? I wanted to find out, so I sent a short survey…

The Highs and Lows of Living with Bipolar and Bulimia

I was diagnosed with bulimia as a teenager, a decade before my bipolar disorder was finally brought to light and diagnosed. Looking back, I clearly see the early workings of bipolar disorder in my bloodstream…

When Mania Evolves into Psychosis

I experienced my first manic episode shortly after enduring nine months of debilitating depression, which evolved into a psychotic break. During this time I was replacing my psychiatrist who misdiagnosed me…

Mitigating Seasonal Depression Symptoms and Finding Your Way to Spring

The colder, darker months can take a toll on anyone physically, emotionally, and mentally. However, for individuals with bipolar disorder, the months leading up to spring can be especially difficult because of seasonal depression…

The Quotes I Hold Close

This quote carries a deeper meaning for me because of how it relates to my experience with bipolar disorder. When I was hospitalized, my thoughts felt like relentless torment—vivid imagery of suppressed traumas that I could not…

Living Happily Without Strict Resolutions

Every December it would be the same: I would sit down and draw up a list of resolutions for the upcoming year. The list would be long, highly detailed, and frankly impossible to execute. Most may write, “exercise two or three times a week.” I, however, would write…

Reflections on a Year of Bipolar Acceptance

As 2025 approaches, I know I can afford to expand on my goals, having discovered habits that help provide needed stability—like exercise, mindfulness (at least attempted), therapy, and most importantly, routine, both in my sleep and in my day-to-day work…

To Disclose or Not to Disclose, That Was My Question

To disclose or not to disclose, that was my question. A few months ago, for the first time in 27 years, I publicly disclosed I live with bipolar disorder in an article for a business magazine. I held my breath and took the risk as a…

How I Combat Episodes of Mania and Depression

Living with bipolar disorder has been a journey of challenges, revelations, and profound personal growth. After my initial manic episode, I struggled to trust myself; every emotion felt like a potential warning sign. Over time, I realized…

I Used to Not Trust Anyone with My Struggles: Here’s What I Learned

For many years, I did not feel safe. I was alone, in my thoughts because I knew I could not share them with anyone. We had no open lines of communication and for that, for years, I kept secrets. Those secrets ate at me…

Digital Detox for Mental Health: How Adventures and Disconnecting Can Help Manage Bipolar Disorder

Disconnecting from digital devices can yield numerous benefits for mental health, particularly for those living with bipolar disorder. By stepping away from screens, individuals can cultivate a more mindful awareness of…

Self-Acceptance After Experiencing Depressive Psychosis

I was eighteen when the depressive episode I was experiencing evolved into psychosis. I cycled between hypomania and depression throughout my adolescent years. Unfortunately I was misdiagnosed and only being treated…

My Experience in a Sober Living Home

Struggling with drug addiction and bipolar disorder is a beast. Getting sober is one thing, but getting fully stable is another. It is often a vicious cycle. Before I stabilized and got sober – I was having mood episodes…

Bipolar Disorder and My Chronic Job Hopping

With an oft-labeled useless bachelors in English Literature, panic set in after college. I spent cumulative days on Indeed, scrolling through postings for receptionists and call center operators and teachers—I was…

You’d Be Surprised at What You Can Accomplish

Life with bipolar disorder has been filled with highs and lows, and even when I’d managed my symptoms, I found myself facing a deeper struggle—a lingering distrust of the stable version of myself. The manic episodes had cast shadows…

Songs I’ve Gravitated Toward While Living With Bipolar

In managing bipolar, I’ve learned that music is a crucial part of my ongoing recovery. When I discover new music, it gives…

Self-Care is not a trend; it is a way of life for those living with bipolar disorder.

There are many aspects to my daily life that I can attribute my many years of stability to. The skills I have acquired did not happen overnight, it has taken me over two decades to discover and…

Remember the Invisible Wounds of War

Ten years ago, I received a call on a Friday afternoon from my 4-star boss’s aide. He said, “The Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] wants to see you on Monday morning at 1000 hours in his office at the Pentagon…

Dealing with Hypomania Through Metaphors

I like to use metaphors with my patients. I think it helps translate some of the raw technical medical knowledge and helps draw parallels. Let’s talk about the sea to address the topic of mania in the context of bipolar disorder…

How I Cope with My Dark Thoughts

On a clear midnight sky there are stars twinkling and the moon shines bright in the vast expanse. It is dark but not black. However, in a severe depressive episode, unlike the midnight sky, there are no stars or no moon…

My Pros and Cons of Group Therapy

At the suggestion of my current therapist, I decided to try group therapy. His suggestion was based that while I saw him once a month for check-ins, a regular meeting with my peers could be helpful if I was not in crisis…

What I Turn to in Times of Need

The word “psalm” comes from the Greek word meaning “song accompanied by a harp.” The Psalms, known collectively as the Psalter, were written more than three thousand years ago, and they have been…

Finding Online Community and Support for Bipolar Disorder

Although no two bipolar experiences are entirely the same, there are a lot of commonalities that I discover when people share educational resources. It brings my struggles from subjective pain…

Addressing Bipolar Disorder Together

A couple months ago, my entire life changed. I left my life as I knew it behind and started my new chapter pursuing my Master’s in Art Therapy. This career path has been my dream since I was a teenager…

Event Safety for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: What to Know Before You Go

For people with bipolar disorder, attending large-scale events can seem overwhelming. However, bypassing large gatherings like conferences or trade shows means missing out on opportunities…

Can Two Individuals with Bipolar Disorder Have a Healthy Relationship and Make It Work?

The answer to this question is yes. But it may take extra time, effort, forgiveness, compassion and even counseling. Take my husband and I for example. We were both diagnosed with bipolar 1 with psychotic features when we were 27 years old and dating each other…

My Healthy (and Unique) Outlets as a College Student with Bipolar Disorder

The approaches I developed at the library are a little unorthodox, but they worked for me. One was typing when I would get anxious; I would close all the screens on the laptop and put minutes into typing each day…

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Millions of people worldwide are affected by mental illness, impacting not only those who experience them but also their families, friends, and coworkers. During the first week of October…

Raising a Family While Living With Bipolar Disorder

Raising children is accompanied by an abundance of emotions. Anywhere from excitement, love and joy, to the less talked about, sadness, exhaustion and loneliness. Parenting does not come without its challenges. From conception or adoption…

5 tips Toward Healing From a Bipolar Depressive Episode From the Perspective of a Psychiatrist

You play sports, running in the morning, and in the late afternoon you alternate weight training with tennis. In fact, there is no storm outside. But inside your head, lightning, thunder and a whirlwind of symptoms…

Falling – And Getting Back Up

Depending on my mood state, my sense of self worth can change drastically.While manic, I feel a larger than life sense of purpose. It often feels justified after extended depressive episodes because it feels like my brain needs to…

Self-Esteem & Bipolar

Depending on my mood state, my sense of self worth can change drastically.While manic, I feel a larger than life sense of purpose. It often feels justified after extended depressive episodes because it feels like my brain needs to…

Struggles with Bipolar Disorder and Hygiene: It’s Not About Will Power

Bipolar mania and bipolar depression can affect hygiene and feelings about hygiene. It can be the first sign of the start of mental health issues. I can remember my thoughts, moods, and even thesis statements…

I Got Fired When My Bipolar Rage Went Out of Control, Here’s How I Handle It Now

Since my firing, I’ve been hyper vigilant about my rage. Recently something flipped my rage switch and I could feel it pushing to get free. I knew, just knew, if I opened my mouth, no matter towards who, fire would come out. So, instead…

Gaining Hope From Faith

It is not always easy to have faith when living with bipolar disorder. At times, it seems belief in a loving God or Higher Power is almost impossible. Yet, faith has sustained me during times when it seemed that…

International Travel & Bipolar Disorder

Travelling for leisure is an important part of my life but it has come with challenges that I have had to navigate through in order to enjoy my experience. My family plans for our longest vacation…

Life After My Hospitalization

After being discharged from the hospital, I often felt lost and disconnected from the outside world. Conversations with others felt awkward and disjointed, leaving me confused about what had happened. Hitting rock bottom…

Channeling My Bipolar Symptoms

I channel my grandiosity with creative pursuits so I can pause the pressure I put on myself with allowable goal oriented thinking and behavior. I’ve learned over time these pursuits don’t have to be a means to an end. Although having a finished product can give me…

Pet Therapy and Emotional Support Animals for Bipolar Disorder

Pet therapy can meaningfully improve your quality of life if you live with bipolar disorder and have a love for animals. This sentiment is echoed by research published…

Bipolar Disorder & Telemedicine: A Psychiatrist’s View

For patients with bipolar disorder treated by the public health system, telemedicine is less accessible. Few states and municipalities offer this type of service. However, especially in the northern region of Brazil…

How Yoga Has Helped Me Manage Bipolar Disorder

Growing up I was never into exercise. I was that kid that didn’t do well in gym class and did everything to not have to run. So you can imagine my dismay, when fast forward to varsity, my therapist told me I should exercise more…

Making Therapy Our Own: How I Get the Most Out of it

When I started out in therapy, there was a detachment from my weekly sessions to my everyday life outside of treatment; I was unable to make the connection to my life outside of session. When home does not feel safe, we may lean on maladaptive skills such as an eating disorder, self-harm, or drug-use to cope. It makes so much sense that we are looking…

You Can Chase Your Dreams with Bipolar Disorder: My Story

When we are young, we want to be things like doctors, astronauts, and firemen. We picture the day when we will become an adult and live out those dreams. When we are young, we can’t grasp the amount of work…

The Link Between My Childhood Trauma and Bipolar Disorder

Majority of people living with bipolar disorder would agree that one of the most daunting experiences is inpatient treatment. For many psych patients, including myself, inpatient treatment is viewed as a punishment or failure…

10 Things to Know About Inpatient Psych Treatment

Majority of people living with bipolar disorder would agree that one of the most daunting experiences is inpatient treatment. For many psych patients, including myself, inpatient treatment is viewed as a punishment or failure…

How Bipolar Has Impacted My Worldview

When symptomatic, bipolar illness can be all consuming. During manic episodes, I have overwhelming feelings of euphoria, grandiosity and extreme irritability. When I’m depressed, it feels like my life…

Tips on Managing Energy Levels for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder

Excess fatigue is a common symptom of bipolar disorder, often due to side effects of medication, manic phases, or depressive episodes. Simple, daily tasks may become overwhelming because of intense lethargy, and a whole night’s sleep may result…

How Unbalanced Hormones Worsened My Bipolar Symptoms

I was fourteen when an ovarian tumour was discovered on my left ovary. I had been menstruating for just over a year when the diagnosis was made. The large tumor was removed along with the majority of the small organ. A minimal amount of unaffected…

Why Therapy is Integral for Me

There was a time when I believed therapy was simply a means to an end. If I spoke with someone about my problems, I was there for solutions to eventually conclude the sessions. My views have changed over the years. Therapy is now an integral part of my holistic treatment plan, an ongoing and crucial part of my recovery…

Self-Care vs. Self-Love

Two phrases you see everywhere: self care and self love. But what do they actually mean? What is their relationship with mental health and mental illness, more specifically with bipolar disorder? I often ask myself…

LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Resources

Resources for members of the LGBTQIA+ community

What do you believe the significance of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month is?

As we celebrate Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s crucial to start conversations that matter. This month, we’re reaching out to our community to discuss important questions surrounding men’s mental health…

A Light Upon Allies: The Importance of Safe Spaces

In my late twenties, I have grown to be very fond of carving out safe spaces of community; safe spaces are an important part of my identity. The people who support me mirror my brave heart and vast authenticity. Feeling wholly supported today, I feel confident in…

Supporting Career Development for Individuals With Bipolar Disorder: Online Resources and Job Search Strategies

Living and working with bipolar disorder can present unique hurdles, but your professional growth doesn’t have to be hindered. Supporting your mental wellness is crucial to forging a positive career path with bipolar…

Work, School, and Stress – With Bipolar Disorder

As someone suffering from a severe mood disorder, one of the hardest things to come to grips with is how stress with work and school impacts my ability to function on a day-to-day basis…

Maternal Mental Health Month

Maternal Mental Health Month is celebrated each May to raise awareness about parents’ mental well-being before, during, and after pregnancy. Celebrating this month can mean acknowledging…

Creating a Safe and Supportive Home Environment for Children With Bipolar Disorder

Home should be a safe haven for children living with bipolar disorder. As a parent or caregiver, you have the unique opportunity to create a supportive home environment for them that fosters growth and compassion…

Creativity as My Outlet

Creativity has always been an impactful outlet for me. For a long time, I’d struggle expressing myself, I’d doubt my creative abilities, or question whether I would even consider myself creative at all…

The Impact of Bipolar on Relationships

It’s no secret that if left untreated, bipolar illness can have a devastating impact on relationships. So when symptoms take over, it’s crucial to start looking at the triggers that lead to a change in thinking and behavior…

Therapy Saved and Changed My Life

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there were many emotions that ran through me immediately, and for a long time thereafter. Among these feelings…

Living with Bipolar as a Neuroscientist – My Journey of Hope and Discovery

The year that followed my diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder was, without doubt, the most difficult year of my life – the deepest trench in an ocean of despair. I’d gotten used to feeling depressed…

Five Words My Psychiatrist Told Me After the Death of My Mom That Changed the Course of My Grief Journey

I immediately called my therapist and my psychiatrist. I wanted to get in front of this; I didn’t want to fall down a dark hole, fighting tooth and nail, ultimately unable to claw my way back out. I had…

My Experience with Mania

My first manic episode was about 4 years ago, and now I understand that before that I also had long periods of depression. I can say that experiencing mania was a really tough time. I was hospitalized 4 times, basically once every year, without the doctors totally understanding…

Pets and Mental Health – A True Companion

Buster was the only puppy in his litter. A runt, they said. He was the perfect mix of Pomeranian, Poodle, Jack Russell terrier, and Chihuahua. A stout, white body with large brown spots…

Allowing Myself to Own My Experiences

For months I have been contemplating this. It was not so much about sharing my experience with this lifelong rollercoaster I’ve been handed at quite a young age; But more so about if my experience…

To Medicate or Not to Medicate? My Personal Experience

I have bipolar 2 disorder. I have attempted to treat my bipolar both medicated and unmedicated. The ending result was drastically different, as was the quality of my life. When I was first diagnosed with bipolar…

Choosing Life Over Addiction with Bipolar Disorder

Thinking I may be dead because too many things in life are connecting perfectly, and way too often, was a sure sign that I was in the throes of a manic episode. Sleeping 2-4 hours a night was all I needed…

Working Through the Challenges of Relocating With Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder can make relocating a unique challenge to overcome. Moving is a stressful time for almost everyone due to its unpredictability. A perceived loss of control is anxiety-inducing for anyone…

What I Wish More People Knew About Bipolar Disorder

Since accepting the severity of my mood disorder, I’ve admittedly developed a sense of wanting to explain my condition to friends, family, and anyone within earshot…

Balancing Work, School, and Bipolar Disorder

When I look back over the course of my mental health condition, I can see patterns that while clear to me now, where elusive to me at the time. One of them is that consistent, part-time work…

How Creating Music Has Helped Me Navigate The Complexities of Bipolar Disorder

Throughout the history of this planet, music has been something used by both individuals and societies at large to convey a variety of ideas and emotions. These include…

Calming the Bipolar Waves: From a Psychiatrist’s Point of View

My biggest challenge in triathlon is the swimming part. It’s not easy to swim 2km in the sea, especially when the waves are big. Things flow better when the sea is calmer and has ripples. That seems to be what happened to me months after starting treatment for bipolar disorder…

Bipolar Impulses: Understanding the Impact on Finances and Relationships

Developing healthy boundaries and coping mechanisms when dealing with bipolar disorder can feel like an uphill battle. Budgeting and managing your platonic, romantic, and familial relationships…

Parenting and Bipolar Disorder

Caring for a child comes with many responsibilities. Being emotionally and mentally stable is essential when teaching a little human the ropes to this complex life. It requires immense amounts of patience…

Identifying and Processing Bipolar Emotions

Before I committed myself to understanding the underlining emotions characteristic of bipolar, I’d often osilate between extreme irritability, and a kind of manic frenzy jumping from one task…

Empowering Aging Adults with Bipolar Disorder to Stay Active and Engaged

For adults, exercise and socialization may be difficult enough propositions on their own; but for aging adults with bipolar disorder, there are times when maintaining a regular, active schedule…

My 5 Positives of Bipolar

Many years after my initial diagnosis, a simple question popped in my head that would fundamentally change the way I look at my mental illness. I asked, “What would happen if I embraced bipolar instead of constantly looking at it as something I had to deal with?” …

Exercising with Depression: Simplifying Fitness for Mental Wellness

For all of us, energy is a limited resource at the best of times. We only have so much capacity to do everything we need in a day – and unfortunately, mental illness can consume most of it…

Welcoming Mania After Depression? My Experience

To understand the appeal of Hypomania/mania, you must understand the dread of depression. Bipolar depression is much more than occasional bouts of the blues. It can feel as though you are stuck in the deepest parts of your brain while your body moves through the world on autopilot…

Maslow’s (Bipolar Disorder) Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides helpful structural guidance for the multi-faceted approach to treating Bipolar Disorder. Articulated in 1943, his theory…

Bipolar 2024 Resolutions— Do the New You or the Tried & True?

For many, January is THE time to take an honest look at our habits, routines, and other frequent choices that force us to take stock of what works and doesn’t work for our physical, mental, and emotional health…

The Nails (and Medals) of a World Champion Brazilian swimmer

Felipe abandoned training, got out of the pool and went to the shower. His head didn’t stop. Thoughts were racing. The restless mind. Inattention harmed the strokes. Irritability disrupted his rhythm of breathing. How can you balance the intense training of a professional athlete…

Disclosing Bipolar Disorder

I am extremely lucky. On the day that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I knew I had at least 5 calls to make, receiving nothing but empathy and support on the other end of the phone. Beyond that though…

Bipolar Disorder on the Job: How Managers and Co-workers Can Help

A truly inclusive workplace can positively impact employees and companies alike in countless ways. The stressors that jobs bring…

The “Little Things” Before Symptoms

It’s the Little Things. Big shifts in our lives can derail us from progress in managing bipolar, but it’s crucial we often look at the little things as well that may cause our symptoms to take over. Are we ignoring the need to eat food or so overwhelmed by the idea that we start skipping meals?

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