by Surabhi Verma The number of people with declining mental health is unfortunately increasing rapidly. Getting more isolated and fatigued, many people have been caught in a web of mental struggles. Day by day, this web grows, yet manages to stay hidden in the...
by Katie Garrison Heart racing, tears falling, hands shaking. I will never forget that day in April of 2021- I have never experienced such hopelessness and fear. I could never have imagined that the most vulnerable and terrifying moment of my life would...
by Sophia Hasan Throughout my high school years, I have discovered the powerful impact of creativity on my mental health. When faced with academic and social pressures, engaging in creative activities became my safe place. Whether it was crocheting, sewing, or...
Social media has become a powerful tool for connecting with friends and building a sense of community. Though, social media usage can have both positive and negative effects on mental health. On one hand, social media can provide a platform for people to connect and...
One click. One share. One like on social media can send an individual into a spiral of spinning anxiety over their body, actions, and words. The damage social platforms cause to the minds and hearts of teenagers across the world is devastating and detrimental to the...
Mental health plays a very big role in everyone’s life. There are some people who have theirs in mint condition and appear to be well put together, and there are others who cannot bear to go on with their lives anymore. In my 17 years of being on this earth, I...
By: Melinda Goedeke Spying on a lobster the size of my leg while gently swaying back and forth 70 ft. below the sea is both exhilarating and meditative for me. I even secretly like the anxiety of knowing that with each breath my oxygen is depleting. I swim swiftly...
By: Sam Bowman Struggling With Time, Energy, and Relationships The most prominent symptoms of bipolar disorder are the highs and lows you can feel at any given time. Going through episodes of mania and depression can take a toll on your mental, emotional, and physical...
June 19, 2022 Dear Dad, This Father’s Day I want to celebrate your role in my life. Especially how you helped me through my bipolar diagnosis and functional recovery. Three years before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you shared some wisdom with me that...
By Melinda Goedeke I laugh sarcastically every time I watch a commercial about medication for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Unkempt young men and women are shown in dark, depressing places with vacuous eyes and downtrodden faces until they take the miracle...
Formerly known as “manic depressive illness,” bipolar disorder is a term that, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), comprises a cluster of related disorders that are characterized by distinctive and extreme shifts, or...
By: Neil Mccarthy The brief—but fictional—scenes in this piece show the bias with which people with bipolar (or any mental illness) can be treated. With some luck, maybe we can evolve into a new way of treating people who are already suffering. — The Director of...
by Melinda Goedeke I’m often asked whether or not I saw the signs. What I hear in that question is blame and responsibility; assignment of fault. I didn’t see the signs because there weren’t many to see; I saw Laura – my delightful, radiant, and complicated...
Author: Cassandra Stout Trigger Warning: This post contains a discussions of suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please: Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 Text TALK to 741741 Or go to...
Author: Christina Chambers First of all, Happy World Bipolar Day! In light of this year’s theme “Bipolar Together”, I would like to talk about moving beyond self-stigma to find connection and support. For me, the biggest barrier to connection with others became...
Author: Ellie Chiorino In this article, to celebrate World Bipolar Day, my deepest hope is to make you feel less alone if you were ever misdiagnosed and/or have encountered an incapable psychiatric provider along the way. I see you. I hear you. Your experience is...
Author: Natalia A. Beiser Disclaimer: The experiences expressed herein are those of this writer. I appreciate the feedback that has been given to my other blogs on this topic, and I am writing now to address some of the questions and comments that were brought up but...
Technology platforms have been frequently villainized in the teenage battle for mental health. For years, news outlets have screamed, “Social media opens the door to cyberbullying!,” alongside numerous similar headlines. However, in the age of the pandemic, we’ve all...
As a member of the Black community, I have noticed a stigma towards mental health. Mental health has been perceived as a sign of weakness, and people fear the thought of being judged for having a mental health condition. But why? Where does this come from? The Mental...
Have you ever wondered why most people avoid talking about their mental health problems? The answer is much more complex than it seems. One factor driving this phenomenon is the perceived social stigma surrounding mental health. In today’s day and age, it is...
Author: Gregg F. Martin, PhD, US Army (Retired) My oldest son Phillip insists that a major difference between my own case of bipolar disorder and many millions of others’ cases is that I was fortunate enough to recover. Indeed, I was alive and recovered with my...
Don’t ‘Drop the Ball’ on your health, celebrate in style with IBPF at our Glitter Gala! December 31st, 11 AM PST – 1 PM PST Additional Timezones include 2 PM – 4 PM EST, 7 PM – 9 PM GMT, 8 PM – 10 PM CET, and 9-11 PM IST! Join...
Something I am Proud of: It was March 2016. My apartment was chosen, and my boxes were packed. My move-in date approached, but my mood took a turn for the worse. I didn’t end up moving out on my own anytime soon. Five years later, my little sister began applying to...
Something I am Proud Of: I am proud of not giving up on myself eight years ago. After my first hypomanic episode, I was often confused and frustrated, as I tried to find the right treatment team for myself. Eventually, I found providers who have helped me not only...
Retired Major General Gregg F. Martin will be joining us Thursday, October 28th, to share his battle with bipolar disorder during and after his 36 years of service in the US Army. In 2003, Martin commanded a combat engineer brigade during the Iraq war, and the intense...
Author: Lisa MacDonald I was diagnosed as a young teen with a mental illness but I hid it from others. I was so ashamed and embarrassed about it. Even my best friends didn’t know how badly I was suffering. I didn’t realize this until much later, but...
Pilar Cárdenas-Gimber One of my favorite aspects of IBPF is how it unifies us as a global community, providing resources and shepherding us through the maze to wellness. “Pilar’s Corner” was conceived to be a specialized section of the website dedicated to moments or...
Something I am Proud Of: I thought I was going to get married to him, until I realized I was hypomanic and only in love with a dream. I thought my best friend would always be by my side, until she chose not to be, and died by suicide. I thought I had the independence...
Our HUGS for Kids Program is more important than ever After more than a year of lockdowns and uncertainty brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, children’s mental health has been greatly affected, and together we have the opportunity to provide comfort and hope to children...
Author: Kim Barnett I have kept my personal opinions and thoughts, about the state of our nation, mostly to myself. I have been extremely open about my mental health struggles, but now that the state of our nation is having an impact on my mental health, it is no...
Recording Available February 15 2021 @ 8AM PST This webinar will be presented by Angela Sullivan, Director of Power Your Mind Being a teenager can be tough, and the added stress of COVID-19 is creating high levels of anxiety, depression, and anger among youth....
Author: Stanley Clark The COVID-19 pandemic still causes fear and uncertainty worldwide. Although the lockdown measures may help slow the disease’s spread, it may also cause greater mental stress. People with bipolar disorder may have a more challenging time coping...
The phone call came in late May. I wasn’t home at the time, but I learned about the contents of the call from my parents: school was going virtual. I was ecstatic; not only had school gone completely virtual, classes had also shortened from roughly six hours to four....
High school is not easy. As soon as you step foot on campus as a freshman, you realize that this is nothing like High School Musical. The older you get in high school, you begin to face mental stressors that neither Troy nor Gabriella warned you about. With advanced...
According to Zoe King, writer for Nami Wake County, social isolation can “cause or exacerbate mental health conditions.” Having finished their five-month summer break, students are returning to school in person or by computer. For the first time in history, half the...
Author: Scott Walker On the last weekend of August this year, friends and I were doing an overnight hike on a small mountain here in Banff, Alberta, Canada. It fell within a day or so of a full moon. As the sun set the moon rose. It was so beautiful! With the cloud...
Author: Sophia Falco I delve deep into the dreamland of my imagination. I embrace envisioning light flowing throughout my body, and soothing my mind edging out the darkness that has taken up residency for far too long. The beauty of the natural world speaks to me in...
Author: Trishna Patnaik written on behalf of Mr. Pradeep Kumar Pattnaik When we talk about a mental illness, we look at it clinically. Is it absolutely clinical and practical though? Have we looked at it from the eyes of the person who is going through the pain and...
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,...
By: Sydney Batt After three months of my diagnosis of having Bipolar II disorder I decided to join a group therapy that was specifically for people that have mood disorders. In the first session of this therapy we learned the importance of nutrition and diet. I was...
By: Conor Bezane A perfectionist strives for that which is flawless. Impeccable. Immaculate. My name is Conor, and I’m a perfectionist. I also have bipolar disorder. According to Psychology Today: Perfectionism is a trait that makes life an endless report card on...
By: Natalia Beiser Dear Future Self, Don’t give up on your dreams. This will be the most difficult time in your life. You have worked hard to be successful, but you feel cheated as you are locked in a psychiatric ward with bars on the windows and a stainless steel...
By: Andrienne Kennedy If someone had asked me five years ago how do I manage a mental illness, I would have not been able to give an answer. For years, I was uneducated about mental illnesses or mental health all together. That changed back in 2014 when I was...
By: Tosha Maaks Remaining balanced when you live life with bipolar disorder isn’t some magical trick and it isn’t some tricky formula that only those who have super powers have figured out. However, stability I can say is a magical place to be after years of living in...
By: Natalia Beiser Dear Chad, In the early 1990’s, we were such good friends. Outside of my family, I have never cherished anyone more. You supported me through a chilling hypomania and a catastrophic mania. You watched me deteriorate during medication trials and...
By: Sydney Waltner More than half of all Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime. But not everyone will receive the help they need. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, only forty percent of adults and fifty percent of...
By: Jamie Park Dear Minister of Health and Welfare, I am writing to express my grave concerns over how the nature of mental illness is generally perceived in my country, and how such perception, in turn, has directly penetrated the legislative process in enacting or...
By: Elena Hirsch Dear Congressman, Illness of any kind can be devastating, causing pain and suffering not just for the affected individual, but for family, friends, and all of those around him. But while insurance companies are quick to provide a treatment route for...
