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How I Combat Episodes of Mania and Depression
Living with bipolar disorder has been a journey of challenges, revelations, and profound personal growth. After my initial manic episode, I struggled to trust myself; every emotion felt like a potential warning sign. Over time, I realized…
I Used to Not Trust Anyone with My Struggles: Here’s What I Learned
For many years, I did not feel safe. I was alone, in my thoughts because I knew I could not share them with anyone. We had no open lines of communication and for that, for years, I kept secrets. Those secrets ate at me…
Digital Detox for Mental Health: How Adventures and Disconnecting Can Help Manage Bipolar Disorder
Disconnecting from digital devices can yield numerous benefits for mental health, particularly for those living with bipolar disorder. By stepping away from screens, individuals can cultivate a more mindful awareness of…
Self-Acceptance After Experiencing Depressive Psychosis
I was eighteen when the depressive episode I was experiencing evolved into psychosis. I cycled between hypomania and depression throughout my adolescent years. Unfortunately I was misdiagnosed and only being treated…
My Experience in a Sober Living Home
Struggling with drug addiction and bipolar disorder is a beast. Getting sober is one thing, but getting fully stable is another. It is often a vicious cycle. Before I stabilized and got sober – I was having mood episodes…
Bipolar Disorder and My Chronic Job Hopping
With an oft-labeled useless bachelors in English Literature, panic set in after college. I spent cumulative days on Indeed, scrolling through postings for receptionists and call center operators and teachers—I was…
You’d Be Surprised at What You Can Accomplish
Life with bipolar disorder has been filled with highs and lows, and even when I’d managed my symptoms, I found myself facing a deeper struggle—a lingering distrust of the stable version of myself. The manic episodes had cast shadows…
Songs I’ve Gravitated Toward While Living With Bipolar
In managing bipolar, I’ve learned that music is a crucial part of my ongoing recovery. When I discover new music, it gives…
Self-Care is not a trend; it is a way of life for those living with bipolar disorder.
There are many aspects to my daily life that I can attribute my many years of stability to. The skills I have acquired did not happen overnight, it has taken me over two decades to discover and…
Remember the Invisible Wounds of War
Ten years ago, I received a call on a Friday afternoon from my 4-star boss’s aide. He said, “The Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] wants to see you on Monday morning at 1000 hours in his office at the Pentagon…
Dealing with Hypomania Through Metaphors
I like to use metaphors with my patients. I think it helps translate some of the raw technical medical knowledge and helps draw parallels. Let’s talk about the sea to address the topic of mania in the context of bipolar disorder…
How I Cope with My Dark Thoughts
On a clear midnight sky there are stars twinkling and the moon shines bright in the vast expanse. It is dark but not black. However, in a severe depressive episode, unlike the midnight sky, there are no stars or no moon…
My Pros and Cons of Group Therapy
At the suggestion of my current therapist, I decided to try group therapy. His suggestion was based that while I saw him once a month for check-ins, a regular meeting with my peers could be helpful if I was not in crisis…
What I Turn to in Times of Need
The word “psalm” comes from the Greek word meaning “song accompanied by a harp.” The Psalms, known collectively as the Psalter, were written more than three thousand years ago, and they have been…
Finding Online Community and Support for Bipolar Disorder
Although no two bipolar experiences are entirely the same, there are a lot of commonalities that I discover when people share educational resources. It brings my struggles from subjective pain…
Addressing Bipolar Disorder Together
A couple months ago, my entire life changed. I left my life as I knew it behind and started my new chapter pursuing my Master’s in Art Therapy. This career path has been my dream since I was a teenager…
Event Safety for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: What to Know Before You Go
For people with bipolar disorder, attending large-scale events can seem overwhelming. However, bypassing large gatherings like conferences or trade shows means missing out on opportunities…
Can Two Individuals with Bipolar Disorder Have a Healthy Relationship and Make It Work?
The answer to this question is yes. But it may take extra time, effort, forgiveness, compassion and even counseling. Take my husband and I for example. We were both diagnosed with bipolar 1 with psychotic features when we were 27 years old and dating each other…
My Healthy (and Unique) Outlets as a College Student with Bipolar Disorder
The approaches I developed at the library are a little unorthodox, but they worked for me. One was typing when I would get anxious; I would close all the screens on the laptop and put minutes into typing each day…
Mental Illness Awareness Week
Millions of people worldwide are affected by mental illness, impacting not only those who experience them but also their families, friends, and coworkers. During the first week of October…
Raising a Family While Living With Bipolar Disorder
Raising children is accompanied by an abundance of emotions. Anywhere from excitement, love and joy, to the less talked about, sadness, exhaustion and loneliness. Parenting does not come without its challenges. From conception or adoption…
5 tips Toward Healing From a Bipolar Depressive Episode From the Perspective of a Psychiatrist
You play sports, running in the morning, and in the late afternoon you alternate weight training with tennis. In fact, there is no storm outside. But inside your head, lightning, thunder and a whirlwind of symptoms…
Falling – And Getting Back Up
Depending on my mood state, my sense of self worth can change drastically.While manic, I feel a larger than life sense of purpose. It often feels justified after extended depressive episodes because it feels like my brain needs to…
Self-Esteem & Bipolar
Depending on my mood state, my sense of self worth can change drastically.While manic, I feel a larger than life sense of purpose. It often feels justified after extended depressive episodes because it feels like my brain needs to…
Struggles with Bipolar Disorder and Hygiene: It’s Not About Will Power
Bipolar mania and bipolar depression can affect hygiene and feelings about hygiene. It can be the first sign of the start of mental health issues. I can remember my thoughts, moods, and even thesis statements…
I Got Fired When My Bipolar Rage Went Out of Control, Here’s How I Handle It Now
Since my firing, I’ve been hyper vigilant about my rage. Recently something flipped my rage switch and I could feel it pushing to get free. I knew, just knew, if I opened my mouth, no matter towards who, fire would come out. So, instead…
Gaining Hope From Faith
It is not always easy to have faith when living with bipolar disorder. At times, it seems belief in a loving God or Higher Power is almost impossible. Yet, faith has sustained me during times when it seemed that…
International Travel & Bipolar Disorder
Travelling for leisure is an important part of my life but it has come with challenges that I have had to navigate through in order to enjoy my experience. My family plans for our longest vacation…
Life After My Hospitalization
After being discharged from the hospital, I often felt lost and disconnected from the outside world. Conversations with others felt awkward and disjointed, leaving me confused about what had happened. Hitting rock bottom…
Channeling My Bipolar Symptoms
I channel my grandiosity with creative pursuits so I can pause the pressure I put on myself with allowable goal oriented thinking and behavior. I’ve learned over time these pursuits don’t have to be a means to an end. Although having a finished product can give me…
Pet Therapy and Emotional Support Animals for Bipolar Disorder
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…
Bipolar Disorder & Telemedicine: A Psychiatrist’s View
For patients with bipolar disorder treated by the public health system, telemedicine is less accessible. Few states and municipalities offer this type of service. However, especially in the northern region of Brazil…
How Yoga Has Helped Me Manage Bipolar Disorder
Growing up I was never into exercise. I was that kid that didn’t do well in gym class and did everything to not have to run. So you can imagine my dismay, when fast forward to varsity, my therapist told me I should exercise more…
Making Therapy Our Own: How I Get the Most Out of it
When I started out in therapy, there was a detachment from my weekly sessions to my everyday life outside of treatment; I was unable to make the connection to my life outside of session. When home does not feel safe, we may lean on maladaptive skills such as an eating disorder, self-harm, or drug-use to cope. It makes so much sense that we are looking…
You Can Chase Your Dreams with Bipolar Disorder: My Story
When we are young, we want to be things like doctors, astronauts, and firemen. We picture the day when we will become an adult and live out those dreams. When we are young, we can’t grasp the amount of work…
The Link Between My Childhood Trauma and Bipolar Disorder
Majority of people living with bipolar disorder would agree that one of the most daunting experiences is inpatient treatment. For many psych patients, including myself, inpatient treatment is viewed as a punishment or failure…
10 Things to Know About Inpatient Psych Treatment
Majority of people living with bipolar disorder would agree that one of the most daunting experiences is inpatient treatment. For many psych patients, including myself, inpatient treatment is viewed as a punishment or failure…
How Bipolar Has Impacted My Worldview
When symptomatic, bipolar illness can be all consuming. During manic episodes, I have overwhelming feelings of euphoria, grandiosity and extreme irritability. When I’m depressed, it feels like my life…
Tips on Managing Energy Levels for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder
Excess fatigue is a common symptom of bipolar disorder, often due to side effects of medication, manic phases, or depressive episodes. Simple, daily tasks may become overwhelming because of intense lethargy, and a whole night’s sleep may result…
How Unbalanced Hormones Worsened My Bipolar Symptoms
I was fourteen when an ovarian tumour was discovered on my left ovary. I had been menstruating for just over a year when the diagnosis was made. The large tumor was removed along with the majority of the small organ. A minimal amount of unaffected…
Why Therapy is Integral for Me
There was a time when I believed therapy was simply a means to an end. If I spoke with someone about my problems, I was there for solutions to eventually conclude the sessions. My views have changed over the years. Therapy is now an integral part of my holistic treatment plan, an ongoing and crucial part of my recovery…
Self-Care vs. Self-Love
Two phrases you see everywhere: self care and self love. But what do they actually mean? What is their relationship with mental health and mental illness, more specifically with bipolar disorder? I often ask myself…
LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Resources
Resources for members of the LGBTQIA+ community
What do you believe the significance of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month is?
As we celebrate Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s crucial to start conversations that matter. This month, we’re reaching out to our community to discuss important questions surrounding men’s mental health…
A Light Upon Allies: The Importance of Safe Spaces
In my late twenties, I have grown to be very fond of carving out safe spaces of community; safe spaces are an important part of my identity. The people who support me mirror my brave heart and vast authenticity. Feeling wholly supported today, I feel confident in…
Supporting Career Development for Individuals With Bipolar Disorder: Online Resources and Job Search Strategies
Living and working with bipolar disorder can present unique hurdles, but your professional growth doesn’t have to be hindered. Supporting your mental wellness is crucial to forging a positive career path with bipolar…
Work, School, and Stress – With Bipolar Disorder
As someone suffering from a severe mood disorder, one of the hardest things to come to grips with is how stress with work and school impacts my ability to function on a day-to-day basis…
Maternal Mental Health Month
Maternal Mental Health Month is celebrated each May to raise awareness about parents’ mental well-being before, during, and after pregnancy. Celebrating this month can mean acknowledging…
Creating a Safe and Supportive Home Environment for Children With Bipolar Disorder
Home should be a safe haven for children living with bipolar disorder. As a parent or caregiver, you have the unique opportunity to create a supportive home environment for them that fosters growth and compassion…
Creativity as My Outlet
Creativity has always been an impactful outlet for me. For a long time, I’d struggle expressing myself, I’d doubt my creative abilities, or question whether I would even consider myself creative at all…
The Impact of Bipolar on Relationships
It’s no secret that if left untreated, bipolar illness can have a devastating impact on relationships. So when symptoms take over, it’s crucial to start looking at the triggers that lead to a change in thinking and behavior…
Therapy Saved and Changed My Life
After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there were many emotions that ran through me immediately, and for a long time thereafter. Among these feelings…
Living with Bipolar as a Neuroscientist – My Journey of Hope and Discovery
The year that followed my diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder was, without doubt, the most difficult year of my life – the deepest trench in an ocean of despair. I’d gotten used to feeling depressed…
Five Words My Psychiatrist Told Me After the Death of My Mom That Changed the Course of My Grief Journey
I immediately called my therapist and my psychiatrist. I wanted to get in front of this; I didn’t want to fall down a dark hole, fighting tooth and nail, ultimately unable to claw my way back out. I had…
My Experience with Mania
My first manic episode was about 4 years ago, and now I understand that before that I also had long periods of depression. I can say that experiencing mania was a really tough time. I was hospitalized 4 times, basically once every year, without the doctors totally understanding…
Pets and Mental Health – A True Companion
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…
The Positivity of World Bipolar Day 2024 – #BipolarStrong
International Bipolar Foundation’s 2024 theme was #BipolarStrong! As a worldwide community, we came together to show resilience, vulnerability, strength, and much more for all to see…
Allowing Myself to Own My Experiences
For months I have been contemplating this. It was not so much about sharing my experience with this lifelong rollercoaster I’ve been handed at quite a young age; But more so about if my experience…
To Medicate or Not to Medicate? My Personal Experience
I have bipolar 2 disorder. I have attempted to treat my bipolar both medicated and unmedicated. The ending result was drastically different, as was the quality of my life. When I was first diagnosed with bipolar…
Choosing Life Over Addiction with Bipolar Disorder
Thinking I may be dead because too many things in life are connecting perfectly, and way too often, was a sure sign that I was in the throes of a manic episode. Sleeping 2-4 hours a night was all I needed…
Working Through the Challenges of Relocating With Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder can make relocating a unique challenge to overcome. Moving is a stressful time for almost everyone due to its unpredictability. A perceived loss of control is anxiety-inducing for anyone…
What I Wish More People Knew About Bipolar Disorder
Since accepting the severity of my mood disorder, I’ve admittedly developed a sense of wanting to explain my condition to friends, family, and anyone within earshot…
Balancing Work, School, and Bipolar Disorder
When I look back over the course of my mental health condition, I can see patterns that while clear to me now, where elusive to me at the time. One of them is that consistent, part-time work…
How Creating Music Has Helped Me Navigate The Complexities of Bipolar Disorder
Throughout the history of this planet, music has been something used by both individuals and societies at large to convey a variety of ideas and emotions. These include…
Calming the Bipolar Waves: From a Psychiatrist’s Point of View
My biggest challenge in triathlon is the swimming part. It’s not easy to swim 2km in the sea, especially when the waves are big. Things flow better when the sea is calmer and has ripples. That seems to be what happened to me months after starting treatment for bipolar disorder…
Bipolar Impulses: Understanding the Impact on Finances and Relationships
Developing healthy boundaries and coping mechanisms when dealing with bipolar disorder can feel like an uphill battle. Budgeting and managing your platonic, romantic, and familial relationships…
Parenting and Bipolar Disorder
Caring for a child comes with many responsibilities. Being emotionally and mentally stable is essential when teaching a little human the ropes to this complex life. It requires immense amounts of patience…
Identifying and Processing Bipolar Emotions
Before I committed myself to understanding the underlining emotions characteristic of bipolar, I’d often osilate between extreme irritability, and a kind of manic frenzy jumping from one task…
Empowering Aging Adults with Bipolar Disorder to Stay Active and Engaged
For adults, exercise and socialization may be difficult enough propositions on their own; but for aging adults with bipolar disorder, there are times when maintaining a regular, active schedule…
My 5 Positives of Bipolar
Many years after my initial diagnosis, a simple question popped in my head that would fundamentally change the way I look at my mental illness. I asked, “What would happen if I embraced bipolar instead of constantly looking at it as something I had to deal with?” …
Exercising with Depression: Simplifying Fitness for Mental Wellness
For all of us, energy is a limited resource at the best of times. We only have so much capacity to do everything we need in a day – and unfortunately, mental illness can consume most of it…
Welcoming Mania After Depression? My Experience
To understand the appeal of Hypomania/mania, you must understand the dread of depression. Bipolar depression is much more than occasional bouts of the blues. It can feel as though you are stuck in the deepest parts of your brain while your body moves through the world on autopilot…
Maslow’s (Bipolar Disorder) Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides helpful structural guidance for the multi-faceted approach to treating Bipolar Disorder. Articulated in 1943, his theory…
Bipolar 2024 Resolutions— Do the New You or the Tried & True?
For many, January is THE time to take an honest look at our habits, routines, and other frequent choices that force us to take stock of what works and doesn’t work for our physical, mental, and emotional health…
The Nails (and Medals) of a World Champion Brazilian swimmer
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 strokes. Irritability disrupted his rhythm of breathing. How can you balance the intense training of a professional athlete…
Disclosing Bipolar Disorder
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…
Bipolar Disorder on the Job: How Managers and Co-workers Can Help
A truly inclusive workplace can positively impact employees and companies alike in countless ways. The stressors that jobs bring…
The Complexity and Potentials of Recovery
Recovery is not linear. Recovery is not easy. Recovery is the only option. There are so many stages and variables in the journey of recovery from bipolar illness that it is vital for the person on this road to take one day at a time. In serious bipolar depression…
The “Little Things” Before Symptoms
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 or so overwhelmed by the idea that we start skipping meals?
Coping with Grief: Managing Bipolar Disorder After Losing a Loved One
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…
Fighting Through Depression – Getting Back to the Basics
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…
Finding Hope Through Challenges
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…
Obsessions and Impulsivity with Bipolar Disorder
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…
Sleep’s Effect on Bipolar Disorder
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…
Bipolar and Cultivating Community
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…
Managing Anxiety with Schizoaffective Disorder
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 to…
Asking the IBPF Community – What is one thing or activity that you ‘cannot live without’ that helps you manage your bipolar disorder?
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…
The History of Lithium: Who Ate the First Oyster?
Author: Thiago Lopes Genaro
In the 1970s, at an FDA meeting, Gerald Klerman, at the time a professor of psychiatry at Harvard University’s medical school, advocated the use of lithium in episodes of mania, in bipolar disorder. He was then…
Handling Professional Conflicts With Bipolar Disorder
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…
Finding Comfort in Discomfort: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Bipolar Disorder
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 involved, one afternoon, in a fight…
The Best of Intentions
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 carefully setting up a complex Domino course and then praying that everything falls in its place. However, even with the best intensions…
When the Fog Lifts: Accepting Yourself
Author: 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…
My Life-Changing Vegan Ketogenic Diet for Bipolar Disorder
Author: 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…
Navigating the Challenges: Living a Full Life With Bipolar Disorder and Depression
Author: 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…
Anger
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…
Taking Control of My Sleep to Help Me Manage My Bipolar Disorder
Author: Lee Formella
Instead of giving in to life, try to take control of one thing that can begin to change everything; your sleep. While the extreme range of emotions may never calm down or subside in the ways I might hope…
Embracing Your Authentic Self: Nurturing Self-Esteem With Bipolar
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…
Workplace and Bipolar Disorder
Author: Niki Castle
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…
The Reality of Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Brazil
Author: Thiago Lopes Genar
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 Indian guideline (2017)…
The Truth Behind the Lies
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…
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Check Out Pilar’s Corner!
Sharing lessons from personal experiences, time-saving tips, and helpful strategies to support you or your caregiver and navigate a bipolar diagnosis.
Check Out General Gregg’s Corner!
Hear from Major General Gregg Martin about his battle with bipolar disorder, and learn more about how you can support service members & veterans mental health.