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...
Click the link below to view our San Diego Resource Guide! IBPF_SD Resource Guide 2019_v1
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...
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...
By: Lori Lane-Murphy Halloween is long over. Tell that to the demon climbing up my ribcage. I’m not sure even the Exorcist himself stood a chance against the terror that clutched at me last night with determined fingers and the express purpose to bring me down. I...
By: Liz Wilson “International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an...
By: Conor Bezane I feel a lot of pressure. Pressure to take my meds and stay on them. Pressure to be a good son, brother, and uncle. Pressure to be a man. Pressure to conform and lead a healthy, happy life. It’s tough, but I’ve learned to maintain composure and grace...
By: Laura Sanscartier In the throes of my bipolar depression and psychosis, all I wanted to do was die. This has happened multiple times in my life. I have attempted suicide multiple times. I was sure that the only way to relieve the stress on my spouse and family was...
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...
By: Andrienne Kennedy “As you get older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, one for helping others.” – Audrey Hepburn Last year was a pivotal year for me. I was 39, and really started thinking about my 40th birthday which would...
By: Kam We all hear the word ‘bipolar’ bandied around today when describing someone who is indecisive or even describing the weather when it doesn’t seem to know if it wants to rain or shine. Comments like these show a lack of understanding about the...
By: Liz Wilson Without breadcrumbs to find my way back depression often leaves me lost in the abyss. Kay Redfield Jamison described holding death as close as dungarees… And I wear you my friend like a battle scar, a gentle reminder of where I’ve been… And I know that...
By: Conor Bezane I used to be rail thin. Skinny jeans and all. Ironically, since getting sober seven years ago, I’ve developed what might be mistaken for a beer gut. It’s not drastic, but I have definitely changed from a small to a medium shirt thanks to my potbelly....
