Author: Sam Bowman 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 in News in Health, which found that people who spend time with pets and...
Author: Niki Castle contains mentions of suicide and sexual assault 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 and...
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...
Author: Angela McCrimmon Read Part I here In laying down my resilience, I found a new “normal”. I developed new routines and I learned what feels right for me in my body, mind and soul. 2021 was an awful year in many ways, but it was profound in the lessons it...
Ever since our twenty-something daughter was diagnosed as suffering with bipolar depression accompanied by manic episodes and anxiety, I’ve learned volumes about this disease. Some of this knowledge comes from personal experiences, talking with parents, or information...
This is Part 4 in a 5-Part Series: “When the World is Too Bright: An Intensive View of Mania from On the Ground” (Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 5 here) I moved back home with my mother a few years ago for financial reasons. Now that I’m back in...
To my knowledge, Ive never been without at least one animal in my life. That ranges from rabbits and hamsters to kittens and 100 pound dogs. Ive always felt connected to animals. One of my pets is Baron, a German Shepherd close to 100 pounds. I trained my dog...
When I got my dog, Lena, just over two years ago, I didn’t yet know I had bipolar disorder. I had been diagnosed with major depression by my college’s health services and given only an anti-depressant to take. I had been high as a kite all summer – my apartment was...
I own a psychiatric service dog. He’s similar to a dog that would assist a blind person, but he’s trained differently. He’s not a therapy or emotional assistance dog, he’s a certified service dog and is allowed anywhere that a dog for the blind would be allowed to...
As of this writing, I will be welcoming a puppy into our home tonight. Our family is totally freaking out about our new addition in the best way possible! And now more than ever, I believe in “furry antidepressants”. Please allow me to...
Here’s a photo of my dog, Maggie. She’s one years old. I love her like she’s my baby. I can’t begin to tell you how much she has helped me and my Bipolar Disorder. One day last summer, the local weatherman said we were in the “dog days of summer”....
