Christmas is a time of festive joy, of giving and receiving - ‘it's the most wonderful time of the year’, or so the song goes. But several years ago I decided to make a change to the way I celebrate Christmas - I decided to abstain from receiving gifts and I’ve been all the more joyous for it since! I sound like a real-life Grinch don’t I? But don...
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By: Cassandra Stout
The holidays strike fear into many hearts, especially those of us with mental illness. But they don't have to. People with mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, can thrive during the holiday season.Don't Neglect Basic Self-CareYou won't be able to enjoy the season if you neglect basic self-care. This applies to whatever episode you...
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By: Cassandra Stout
As a parent with bipolar disorder, you might worry about the effects of your unchecked mental illness on your loved ones, especially your children. The devastating mood swings of bipolar disorder can cause instability for your kids. One example, a 2014 study, showed teenaged children of parents with bipolar disorder are more susceptible to risky...
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Navigating Communication During the Holidays
December 17, 2018
By: Courtney Davey, MA, LMFT
The holidays are a wonderful time: family, friends, feelings of good will etc. However, these additions to your schedule also can create high levels of stress. Holiday movies are notorious for making gags out of the difficulties with family as it concentrates on our interactions with them. As we go through the holiday season, living with Bipolar...
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Last Christmas and the People Who Made It Okay
December 10, 2018
By Allison Clemmons Hatch
One of the most difficult seasons for many is upon us. Those of us who celebrate Christmas, not just those of us who grapple with the symptoms of bipolar disorder, have a tough time maintaining any sort of cheerful disposition, for a never-ending list of reasons. For those of us who do experience the ups and downs of bipolar disorder know all too...
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Wife, Mother, And Survivor
November 16, 2018
By: Tosha Maaks
I am a lucky suicide survivor. In 2008 I tried to end my life after a hard day at my job. I came home, and I said good-bye to my children, and I climbed into bed to snuggle with my middle child and say my good-byes to him. My husband knew something didn’t seem right and knew how my state of mind had been in the previous days. He asked me what I...
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An Apology To My Dead Dad - A Letter From The Psych Ward
September 18, 2018
By: Ryan Heffernan
Dear Dad,Can you hear me? You don’t have to answer that. I can feel your spirit every day, moving as a battlefield wraith through my wartorn life. Sometimes you’re my blooming, purple Jacaranda tree, sometimes you’re a star constellation gently moving over me on my broken renter deck, and sometimes you’re the condensation on my wine glass.Bad, or...
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It Took a Village
August 28, 2018
By: Liz Wilson
Dear Supporter; You are the Mother who answered little Liz’s incessant questions when my curiosity exhausted everyone else. You listened to me and that made me feel important and validated. Gave me a thirst for knowledge that remains insatiable to this day. Thank you for giving me a foundation to launch from. You are the teacher at...
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Trauma and Bipolar Disorder
August 3, 2018
Anonymous
I’ve always told myself that I would never submit anything anonymously. I guess the vain part of me wanted the glory. It wasn’t until I considered telling this part of my story that I felt I couldn’t truly be me. That’s not to say that I’m ashamed of what I’ve been through. I’m trying hard to work past that feeling, and this is step one.I didn’t...
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A Hug and a Whisper
July 16, 2018
By: Laura Sanscartier
In the battle against Bipolar Disorder, one often feels alone. This is nothing new. The disease is such that we are left feeling powerless. No one will ever feel the way that we feel, will never know the highs and lows, will never know the agony of suicidal ideation when things get so bad it seems there is no other way out. I have felt this way...
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By: Tosha Maaks
I am what I consider a true manic these days. For me, I teeter more towards mania than depression more often than I use too. It is still a constant balancing act and I still have rough days where I have depression. However, it is not the suicidal depression that once accompanied my bipolar disorder and that is thanks to medication.At one point...
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You Say "Co-Morbid" Like It Is a Bad Thing
June 22, 2018
By: Carissa Martos
When multiple diagnoses exist in the same person, and impact each other, they are known as co-morbid conditions. My bipolar diagnosis came when I was 19, but I'd struggled with the cycles of manic function and depressed inability since puberty. My PTSD diagnosis wasn't made until I was in my 30s, and I’ve never been able to pin down whether...
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