Photo: Satiro Sodré/SSPress/CBDA Author: Thiago Genaro “Marcel, I have to go.” 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...
Author: Lee Formella 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, who do you tell? When do you...
Author: Sam Bowman A truly inclusive workplace can positively impact employees and companies alike in countless ways. The stressors that jobs bring to the average employee don’t have to be exacerbated by unacknowledged issues. Employees with bipolar disorder,...
Author: Matthew Palmieri 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...
Author: Sam Bowman Losing a loved one and going through the grieving process is difficult for everyone. But, when you’re an individual with bipolar disorder, experiencing that loss can be even more difficult. The journey of grief can feel like it has more...
Author: Tori Bryl With bipolar disorder, every depressive episode varies in length and intensity, with a fleeting epiphany that holds the key to breaking free. This past summer, I was in a four-month depressive episode— the longest I’ve ever experienced....
Author: Sophia Queen I wanted to start by saying, this road isn’t easy. I forced myself into thinking it would be fine and I would be fine, but many times I’m not. I get glimpses of hope every once in a while but just know that the first diagnosis...
Author: Lee Formella Before I was diagnosed, my obsessions and impulsivities were an unstoppable force. I’d wake up in the morning convinced I was NOT going to gamble that night, despite the triggers of the day. I promised myself if I did drink, I would NOT...
Author: Sam Bowman The sleep-wake cycle is an important factor in overall health. The quality of sleep you are getting impacts several areas of your health, including heart function, circulation, metabolism, respiratory system, and immune system. Sleep even...
Author: Matthew Palmieri After my initial diagnosis in 2014, like many, I felt deep shame. There was this nagging and persistent feeling that bipolar had put me behind somehow. That I had done something wrong to end up here and this was going to be something...
Author: Liz Colvin Being a caregiver is a huge responsibility. My adult daughter has survived the rigorous battle of finding the right medication for schizoaffective disorder with her medical provider. However, while managing the mental illness itself, one has...
IBPF Community Answers As those living with bipolar disorder learn more about their diagnosis and settle into a routine, there are several habits they learn benefit them tremendously. These habits can look different for everyone. We wanted to learn from our community...
Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro Have you ever eaten an oyster? With lemon? Gratin? Were you afraid of food poisoning? Who first looked at this shell divided into two parts and decided to open it? I’m going to tell you a behind-the-scenes story about science. In the...
Author: Sam Bowman Experiencing a professional conflict is never enjoyable. However, it is bound to happen from time to time. A staggering 85% of people experience workplace conflict to some degree. As someone living and working with bipolar disorder, you have...
Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro In his book Breathe – a life in flow, Rickson Gracie, one of the biggest names in Jiu Jitsu and one of those responsible for bringing the sport to the United States, narrates a curious scene from his adolescence. Rickson tells of being...
Author: Elizabeth Horner Bipolar Disorder is a tricky illness, even when we think we have it mastered. Fine-tuning our medications, ensuring consistent sleep, eating well, therapy, and balancing stability at work and in our personal lives can feel like...
Matt Palmieri One of the most challenging aspects of living with bipolar is the phase that follows an unfortunate period of heavily distorted thinking. No, I’m not the CEO anymore. Guess I can’t retire just yet.Oh well. Back to the drawing board!This can be one of the...
Dyane Harwood At the age of fifty-two, I didn’t expect I’d make one of the best decisions of my life. I began a well-formulated (i.e., carefully planned) vegan ketogenic diet specifically for bipolar disorder. I discovered this option serendipitously through a simple...
Sam Bowman Everyone wants to live a full life — and everyone also has their own definition of what that means. Everyone also has their own obstacles that they must face throughout life. But overcoming life’s hurdles can add richness and fulfillment to your life that...
Author: Paul English I used to have anger in my teen years and 20s. I learned how to greatly diminish this through Buddhist teachers, from friends, and from personal mindfulness practice. Evolution of Rage Let’s explore my journey with road rage as an easy...
Author: Lee Formella I’m swimming in a beautiful pool with my girlfriend, family, and best friends around me. We’re having a great time, but I decide to get out. When I do, a mysterious and extremely deep cut in my shin appears. I am surrounded by people from my past...
Author: Sam Bowman The path to self-acceptance doesn’t always look like a straight line. In fact, it’s more likely to be paved with inconsistencies. If it were easy to love yourself unconditionally, fewer people would struggle. In the age of social media, it’s...
Author: Niki Castle Disclaimer: Mention of Attempted Suicide The stress of working in television. As kids, we were all asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I changed my mind so many times. From cardiologist to artist and then an architect. By the time I...
Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro Recently I was reading the Indian guideline for treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). It is from 2017. When you are a psychiatrist specializing in bipolar disorder, you read guidelines from many places around the world – we have the...
Author: Melinda Goedeke I had a beautiful daughter who amazed the world with her laughter, intelligence, spunk and adventure. And she was a liar. She lied to her family, she lied to her friends, she lied to her employers and most painfully, she lied to me. She...
Author: Sam Bowman If you’re familiar with the struggles of bipolar disorder, you want to raise awareness or help others who share your concerns, and you’re good with words and writing, then creating your own blog may be a way to do just that. The fact is that bipolar...
Author: Lexie Manion Disclaimer: Mentions of attempted suicide I am newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder as of 2019 and newly out as bisexual as of 2021. Interestingly enough though, these are two intricate parts of my identity that I have been familiar with my...
Author: Niki Castle Disclaimer: Contains language that may be deemed as offensive Growing up in a biracial home, I became aware of the difference between white and black at an early age. My Irish mom received varied responses to her mixed-race kids. From, “you can’t...
Author: Sam Bowman Getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an older adult can be challenging. Stigmas and misconceptions about the condition may be discouraging and lead to feelings of embarrassment or unease. However, bipolar disorder affects millions of...
Author: D.O Vo During my time in university, having to combat the suffocating experience of bipolar depression truly felt like I was drowning. I was trapped in this never-ending cycle of being unable to complete my school work because I struggled with...
Author: Lee Formella “Pain nourishes your courage, you have to fail in order to practice being brave” – Mary Tyler Moore If you were raised anything like me, you were told to be strong, be a man, be tough, do everything yourself, provide for those around...
Author: Margaret Fitzgerald It took more years than I want to admit for me to exercise. Many around me told me how doing so would assist me in having better mental health. It was obvious that exercise would assist me physically. There were so many reasons why I...
Author: Chris Chambers It is my 15-year anniversary since I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Looking back, I think one of the most painful parts of my journey was the underlying belief that bipolar disorder was my fault. I had certain traumas in childhood...
Author: Vasavi Kumar Living with bipolar disorder has been a tumultuous and unpredictable journey, filled with highs of mania and lows of depression that have left me feeling as though I’m on a rollercoaster ride that I can’t get off. The intense...
Author: Niki Castle At the height of her aerobic popularity in the 1980’s, Jane Fonda was known for her “no pain, no gain” mentality. This catchphrase transcended pop and sports culture, engulfing locker rooms and transforming athletes everywhere to believe...
Author: Melinda Goedeke Unfortunately, like many, I have experienced trauma in my life. So much so that I often see life as just a series of traumatic events. Some wounds are bored so deeply that they are firmly lodged within my soul. Those are my private...
Author: Lianca Lyons I was crying uncontrollably at work because I was mentally, physically, and emotionally EXHAUSTED. I would wake up in the middle of the night sending work texts and emails about things I had either forgotten about or needed to remember. My...
Author: Andrea Vassilev Many people experience shame, embarrassment, and guilt surrounding their bipolar diagnosis. They feel as though they must be “one of those people” others are always talking about. They suffer from low self-esteem and feelings...
Author: Subrina Singh DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) founded by psychologist, Dr. Marsha Linehan of Stony Brook University, has recently gained a lot of popularity. It was Selena Gomez actually who brought light to DBT, discussing how greatly it had...
Author: Sam Bowman Bipolar disorder is a challenging condition to live with. These challenges aren’t just because of the symptoms. It can affect all aspects of your life — personal or professional alike. This is why effective treatment is vital. However, there...
This trajectory of trauma hit its peak in January 2022. An ill-informed rocket ship that took flight against my will, needing so many prescribed pills this was not a thrill and I didn’t try to kill myself yet myself went missing because this body would shake and shake...
By: Sam Bowman Emotional support animals (ESAs) are more popular than ever. As of 2019, the National Service Animal Registry had nearly 200,000 support and service animals listed — up from just 2,400 in 2011. While some animals are used to help people with...
by Melinda Goedeke A woman and her child sit tightly together in their stranded car hoping and praying help is on its way. Snowflake after snowflake rapidly envelopes the car until it cannot move at all. Nearly out of gas, the car remains off, and they snuggle trying...
For anyone who has suffered depression in the winter months, I feel you. A few years ago, before I recognized the pattern of my depressive episodes, I sunk deep into a pit of despair every January. It was like clockwork. First, I’d be hypomanic–eager and...
By: Sam Bowman Mania is challenging to deal with on its own. Add impulsive spending to those manic episodes, and you’ve got an additional layer of difficulty to overcome. Grounding yourself after an episode and finding out you’ve spent all of your savings on trinkets...
The orange crayon made the setting sun possible as he held on to the string taking him upwards attached to the rays attached to the orange balloon that was made possible by the birth of creativity, outside the lines as the string swayed as chaos ensued as the orange...
Dear 16-Year-Old Sophia, You will have made it. You will have made it with flying colors and will be proud to represent the rainbow flag. You will have made it with your dream of being a unique, talented, and published poet come true with your book three masterpieces!...
As the last American soldier stepped aboard a C-17 cargo plane in Kabul in September 2021 and became the last soldier to leave Afghanistan, my inbox was filling up with messages of despair from Afghan war veterans. They were witnessing a disastrous end to the war for...
By: Margaret Fitzgerald I was a moody, undiagnosed, anxious bipolar child that self-soothed with food. I was always ten pounds overweight, and my parents catastrophized it. So many weight loss tactics were tried. One diet included eating only carbs until noon and then...
By: Sam Bowman Living with bipolar disorder can negatively impact many areas of life. It can be especially problematic, however, when you’re trying to hold down a traditional job or expand your professional network. However, as long as you’re willing to put in the...
