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Bipolar is Not Your Fault

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…

Unlocking My Potential

Author: Vasavi Kumar

Whether it’s losing myself in the vibrant colors of a painting, getting lost in the rhythm of a dance class, or finding my voice through acting and voiceover work, these pursuits have given me a sense of peace and purpose that has been invaluable in managing my symptoms…

My Story: Athletics and Bipolar Disorder

Author: Niki Castle

At the same time, while I was transitioning to college, I began to experience a new pain. Something inside me felt “off”. I was able to stay up for days without sleep. I began to have racing thoughts and would see flashing lights when I would close my eyes at night…

Triggers

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…

I Was Afraid to Take Meds

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…

Living With Self-Stigma is Like Driving With the Brake On

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 of...

DBT and My Experience

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...

Acknowledging and Addressing Financial Barriers to Bipolar Treatment

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...

Bipolar – A Life Less Ordinary

Bipolar disorder is a complex yet manageable condition. It is a condition that affects moods, emotions, and energies and can be challenging in many ways. A person with bipolar can lead a normal and healthy life but it takes work and knowledge to build up the skills needed to live and prosper with the condition. 

How Seeking Hobbies Can Help Manage Bipolar Disorder

Certain hobbies and self-care strategies can make a profound difference in an individual’s ability to manage bipolar disorder. Incorporating these into life, even in small amounts, can really add up to make mood swings more manageable and interrupt life a bit less. Developing some of these strategies and incorporating hobbies can even make life more fun in general.  

Not Only Surviving, but Thriving

I was a senior in high school in 1990 when I had my very first manic episode. I felt the silence and stares; people were so cold. They acted quiet and scared. I was alienated. The pain that I experienced has helped me to survive mental illness through many phases of life.

A Three-Headed Monster: Mental Illness, Stigma, and Suicide

Suicide is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized of human experiences. We need a call to arms, not in the sense of weapons, but rather with people working together. Most suicides result from a combination of two things: a mental condition—

Navigating College with Bipolar Disorder

Being enrolled in college while having bipolar disorder can be a tough task. College is an exciting time for many, as it marks the beginning of a new chapter of life. However, when dealing with a mental illness this time period can be very stressful. The good news is a healthy, thriving, college life is achievable!

Your 12-month Self-care Calendar Plan

There’s something about a fresh start that creates the desire to tweak your life. And a new year is a fresh start. Why not resolve to practice more self-care each month in the coming year? Here’s my 12-month calendar of self-care tips to try. Most of them are habits you can build with a 30-day challenge. You don’t have to try all of these. But making a New Year’s resolution to practice more self-care is more easily done with a plan.

What 2022 Taught Me

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...

Is An Emotional Support Animal Right for You?

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...

Weathering Bipolar

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...

The Special Hell of Winter

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...

How to Prevent Manic Spending

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 at a garage sale might just tip you into another bout with mania. Impulsive spending not only wrecks your financial stability but can hinder your ability to manage your bipolar disorder successfully. Instead of letting your next manic episode put you further into financial ruin, do the following to protect yourself and your money.

Her Orange Crayon

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...

AROUND THE SUN: TRIP 28

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!...

Afghanistan war vets are still enraged and hurting – reach out and listen

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...

No One Should Endure This

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...

Navigating the Work World as a Person With Bipolar Disorder

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...

Why Seeking Help for Bipolar Disorder Can Be a Sign of Strength

This is part 5 of a 5-part series about my service and success, followed by mental health disaster, recovery, and a new life. Personal perspective: It’s OK to admit you’re not OK.

Diving into Bipolar

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...

Lithium and Dialysis, Part VII

By Natalia A. Beiser Please note: These are Natalia’s experiences with Lithium and Dialysis. Not every patient will share the same experiences. I have now been on dialysis for one year and two months. The psychiatrist and I have had the Lithium dosage at a level that...

Why I Choose to Abstain from Alcohol as a Woman with Bipolar Disorder

By: Cassandra Stout As a social lubricant, alcohol takes top billing. But if you have a mental illness like bipolar disorder, alcohol and other substances tend to tank your mental health. I’m not going to lie: alcohol temporarily helps decrease the suffering that...

My Bipolar Life: Recovery

This post is Part 4 of a five-part series that tells of my successful service, mental health crisis, and recovery. The purpose is to raise understanding, build hope, and help abolish the stigma.

You Are Not Bipolar

By: Chris Chambers   It can feel like Bipolar Disorder alters who we are. After all, it changes thinking, emotions and behavior. We typically view who a person is based on those qualities. Believe it or not, our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are not who we...

Glow Sticks

She is asking me to wish upon something I cannot see, to believe in there is another side and a way out, but light pollution and pollution of light; yearning for my eyes to ignite with the sheer amount of power from the hands waving the countless neon glow sticks (at...

Beyond The Beyond

By: Sophia Falco He resurfaced as I was drowning at the park, dragging me down further on such a pristine day: children running about, playing hide -and-seek, laughing, groomed dogs barking, chasing muddy tennis balls and some not muddy yet I tried to seek refuge away...

My Bipolar Life: Depression and Psychosis

This 5-part blog series tells my story of service and success, followed by mental health crisis and recovery. The purpose is to raise understanding, build hope, and help abolish the stigma. In Part I, I discussed the onset of my bipolar disorder, surge into full-blown mania, removal from command, three medical misdiagnoses, and crash into depression and psychosis. Part II briefly described what bipolar disorder is, and then discussed my service and success, and how my hyperthymia and bipolar disorder helped me until they didn’t. In Part III, I will delve into how I dealt with depression and psychosis. Part IV will cover recovery and my ongoing journey of living successfully with bipolar disorder.

If My Family had Known, So Much would have Been Different

By Margaret Fitzgerald After my initial manic episode at eighteen, my friends were making purchases for their dorm rooms and packing up for far away colleges. I was chronically depressed, which often happens after coming down from a manic episode. Friends were saying...

Combatting Mental Health Issues When Diagnosed with an Aggressive Type of Cancer

By: Stanley Clark Life-threatening conditions like cancer can affect more than just a victim’s physical well-being. For example, a study showed that 32% of cancer patients may experience one or more diagnosed mental health conditions, including anxiety and mood...

Managing the Challenges of Bipolar Parenting

Parenting is one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences you can go through. When you have bipolar disorder, however, those challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming. From dealing with your emotions and heightened anxiety to striking a balance between caring for your children and yourself, there are a host of obstacles that can get in your way.

While it’s a tough task, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Let’s cover some of the most common challenges you might face in bipolar parenting and how you can mitigate those struggles to find a better balance, allowing you to be the best parent you can be.

A Father’s Love

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...

It Ain’t Easy – Meds and Bipolar Disorder

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...

How Bipolar Disorder Helped Me (Until It Didn’t)

Part II of IV
This 4-part series of blogs tells the story of a general’s service and success, followed by mental health disaster and recovery, then new life. The purpose is to raise understanding, build hope, and help abolish the stigma.

The Big Reset Button

By: Trevor Simonson If you are anything like me, you struggle for consistency. My life runs in peaks and valleys. So many valleys. A never-ending game flirting with progress, but always feeling like I am back at square one. Square one. It isn’t real. We are always...

My Bipolar Life: service and success, crisis, recovery, and new life

Part I of IV
This 4-part series of blogs tells the story of a general’s service and success, followed by mental health disaster and recovery, then new life. The purpose is to raise understanding, build hope, and help abolish the stigma.

How Co-morbidities Can Build Even More Strength

By: Chris Chambers Lately, I’ve been writing solely about my Bipolar Disorder. In reality, Bipolar is only part of the picture for me. My nervous system is very challenged. In addition to Bipolar Disorder I am living with cPTSD, in recovery from eating disorder, and...

3 Tips for Traveling with a Mental Illness

By: Cassandra Stout It seems everyone and their mother is traveling these days. And that includes those of us with mental illnesses. For those of us living with mental health conditions, especially bipolar disorder, breaking from our usual routine can have disastrous...

Complicated Simplicity

By: Christina Broderick My childhood was what I considered entirely normal. As a kid I had a great family, nice friends, performed well at school and participated in extra-curricular activities, becoming highly involved in sports during my teenage years. College began...

Conditional

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 the...

How to Make a Dopamenu to Give Your Brain the Stimulation it Desperately Needs

Have you ever found yourself doom scrolling the internet, desperately seeking stimulation for your depressed brain but being too tired to think of a healthy way to do that?By:Cassandra Stout

Finding the Right Medication

Author: Christina Chambers The nervous system is so incredibly complex. I often think of it as the ocean of the body – we have really only just begun to uncover portions of what exists. The effect of psychiatric medications on the nervous system is no exception. It...

Signs: Everywhere and Nowhere

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 daughter...

How Bipolar Disorder Derailed My Life, and How I Fought Back

Author: Gregg F. Martin, PhD, Major General, US Army (Retired) I am a 65-year-old husband, father, grandfather, combat veteran, and a proud, thankful bipolar survivor, thriver, and warrior. A qualified Airborne-Ranger-Engineer and strategist, I commanded soldiers in...

Haiku Train: Railways

Author: Sophia Falco   existentialism may be the way live without street signs spelling out starlit sky does not equate to lit torches fire still seeing darkness energy to moon and back bursting with the blank possibilities verbalize rather not trip up tongue...

Lithium and Dialysis, Part VI

Author: Natalia A. Beiser I have been on dialysis since July 2021 and continue to take Lithium, which in some patients causes decreased kidney function. However, I continue to be prescribed Lithium because it is the only proven medicine to curb my personal experience...

Endurance

Author: Catalina Bellizzi-Itiola Sometimes I look back at the timeline of my life’s volatile mood fluctuations, and it makes me worry about what on earth my future will look like. Will I hold a job? Will I have a child? Will I be able to survive more episodes? Even...

Tips to Help You Never Run out of Meds Again

Author: Cassandra Stout Running out of meds is the worst. If you're regularly taking medication and you run out of pills and stop suddenly, this is terrible for your body and your mind. If you're bipolar, you may end up tripping into a mood episode that can devastate...

Lifestyle Alters Brain Chemistry Too

 Author: Christina Chambers I firmly believe lifestyle factors are just as important as medication for living well with Bipolar Disorder. Sunlight, alcohol or drugs, nutrition, social connection, nature, repetitive thoughts, meditation and exercise are just a few of...

Earn This!

Author: Gregg F. Martin, PhD, Major General, US Army (Retired) Written in honor of the service and sacrifice of the US Military for Memorial Day, 2022   In the epic World War Two film “Saving Private Ryan”, Army Captain and Ranger John Miller (Tom Hanks) lies...

I wish that my mother would have had a therapist

Author: Margaret Fitzgerald I wish that my Mother would have sought out therapy when I was a child. I know that this may have been somewhat unheard of in the 1970s. In recent years, we have learned that my Mother experiences post-traumatic stress disorder. I have...

I Can Help Myself (You Can Too)

Author: Neil McCarthy   Life experiences, including a regular meditation practice, have shown me that all life predicaments and mental states will pass in time.  But more than just meditation has seen me through tough times; music has served as a constant,...

What I Wish My Family Knew

Author: Margaret Fitzgerald   My family knew little about serious mental illness when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Hindsight is 20/20.  What follows are what would have best helped me be successful in life before and after my diagnoses.   Many...

Simplifying and Communicating

Author: Sarah Ross   I find strength to persevere through challenging times by simplifying tasks as much as possible and through communication. If I keep my thoughts to myself, I will just end up spiraling. Once I reflect my thoughts to someone I trust, I feel a...

The First Time

Author: Sophia Falco   the world was fake, merely a blue green marble that started to crack, the lines ran too deep the same day it rolled off the kitchen table after the argument that this marble was more than just a marble also a representation of the ocean and...

The Road to Healing

Author: Ambika Paul The road to healing has been like walking on a tightrope with no flashlight or map; and I don’t know if there's an actual finish point. From my experiences with Bipolar disorder, I’ve learnt to not suffocate myself with expectations of what my...

Racing

Author: Mallory Bockelman   When I race, I’m MetaMal. Meta meaning more, above, and beyond The race begins easy. Less sleep, more thoughts and energy. Beginning slowly but always building Becoming a force of ideas never ending   This race is not your...

The Three-Headed Monster We Must Now Defeat: Mental Illness, Stigma, and Suicide

Authors: Major General Gregg Martin, PhD, US Army Retired, and David Bartley May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a month in which we shine a light on mental health. I have chosen to focus on one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized of human experiences -...

How I (Mis)managed my Bipolar Disorder During my Pregnancies

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...

Therapizing

Author: Melinda Goedeke Dedicated, thanks and praise to my therapist.   I used to have a stabbing searing pain in my right shoulder. You couldn’t tell by looking at me as I winced silently until I simply could not.  At that point, I sought medical help and now go...

20 Things Only Someone with Bipolar Would Really Understand

Author: Phil Cibicki Dedicated to Ian & Annie, who would most understand what I’m talking about here. Thanks for the time I had with both of you and for showing me how to listen, to be kind, and to have an open mind.   I can’t tell which drops come from my tears...

Finding Therapy That Fits Me

Author: Natalia A. Besier Therapy has benefitted my mental wellness journey by teaching me to reclaim my mental health “toolbox” by rethinking and restructuring my negative thoughts.  I find that I benefit most from cognitive behavioral therapy and this focus causes...

When Sorrow Stretches Across Too Many Days

Author: Sophia Falco   These letters cannot spell what has been cast on me to that magnitude, they ask: “Where do you feel this in your body?” and with each breath my chest feels heavier these legs those stairs too much. I’m scared to write to you directly, to...

The Biggest Lesson I Ever Learned, Part II

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...

The Biggest Lesson I Ever Learned

Author: Angela McCrimmon   Anyone who shares a diagnosis of Bipolar, regardless of what "type" resides in your brain, is going to share a lot of similar traits and experiences. For example, our high and low moods are way more extreme than those without the...

Sharing My Story

Author: Courtney As a child, I was always very hyper and recognized that I was different from many of my peers. It wasn't until the first couple years of high school that I started suffering from depression. I did not recognize that what I was feeling wasn't normal...

Not a Surprise

Author: Claire Gault   I didn’t recognize my ableism until I began meeting others who have mental illness, like myself—all people that didn’t fit my perception of “that kind” of person. Through movies and television, I’ve grown to build a stereotype of what...

How To Stop Should-ing Yourself

Author: Cassandra Stout   When you're depressed, forget about thriving - you're in survival mode. Which means you need to be especially gentle with yourself. If you're telling yourself that you should get everything done on your impossibly long to-do list today,...

#BipolarTogether

Author: Sharnisha Stokes   #BipolarTogether is a hashtag that's been needed and will continue to be. To provide hope in times where none can be found. Resources when coping mechanisms that are detrimental have been exhausted. Education for those caring for a...

The Two Very Different Sides of Me

Author: Ambika Paul   Mania is your favorite song on repeat, an explosion of energy that brews in your mind with saturated ideas all coming at you in a single shot. Gradually consuming your whole body. Mania always feels like a creative journey for me but also...

How Writing Helps Me Feel Less Alone in my Mental Health Journey

Author: Ann Marie Elpa Like many others, when I first heard the word, ‘bipolar’, I associated it with rapid mood swings and instability. I didn’t have a proper understanding of what the disorder encompassed as someone who grew up in a household that seldom discussed...

Understanding I’m Not Alone

Author: Ashley Sievewright This years theme of Bipolar Together for World Bipolar Day reminds me of when i was first inspired to talk about my mental health after watching the television documentary Stephen Fry - The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive back in 2006. I...

Just Being There

Author: Jessie Bucci   Feeling alone and even misunderstood can be one of the hardest realities of experiencing a mental illness, and living with Bipolar disorder. I remember driving somewhere with a friend and passing a psychiatric facility which prompted her to...

Hope with an Accurate Diagnosis

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...

Remembering Tom on World Bipolar Day

Author: Kim Joy Barnett   In my early 20’s, almost 20 years ago, I was nearing the end of my 5 year college journey to obtain my Bachelors Degree in Sociology at Cal State University, Northridge. What should have taken me 4 years to complete, according to my...

Connecting to What Heals Me

Author: Neil McCarthy   Living with bipolar disorder often means I keep a layer of separation between others and me.   Some close friends and family might know details of my illness, but not even my eight-year-old daughter knows why I spend 15 minutes every...

What I Wish People Knew About Bipolar Disorder

Author: Sarah Ross   Bipolar Disorder is a complex mental illness, and it often gets categorized into solely consisting of sudden mood changes. But it’s not as black and white as that. Although we do experience mood changes, our days don’t involve our emotions...

World Bipolar Day: Here’s Some of What I’ve Learned…

Author: Gregg F. Martin, PhD, Major General, US Army (Retired)   World Bipolar Day is on 30 March. This is a day to focus on a serious mental/brain illness that afflicts 60 million people worldwide; and even more because statistics for children are not counted...

Bipolar Disorder is My Superpower

Author: Dayna J.   In celebration of World Bipolar Day on March 30, I want people to know that I do not see this mental illness as a disability — it is my superpower!   So many see a bipolar disorder diagnosis as a frightening and negative experience that...

We Are Awesome!

Author: Jeffrey Johanishing   That’s right! You’re darn tootin’. We are, I am and you certainly are, Awesome! Why? Well, I’ll explain.   I sincerely believe that people with bipolar disorder are extremely impressive, inspire great admiration and, truly,...

Is It Me?

Author: Abigail Lehman A question that I have asked myself and have struggled to answer for most of my life. Why don’t I fit in? Why don’t they feel the same way I do? Am I being dramatic? Am I the problem? I would ask myself these questions as I found myself in yet...

Changing Mental Illness From a Disabling Condition to a Heroic Cause

Author: Major General Gregg F. Martin, PhD, US Army Retired   As World Bipolar Day approaches on March 30th, let's build on our momentum and progress and keep it going...for years to come!   By no more than one percent of separation, we all know someone with...

Why Write a Wellness Plan

Author: Christina Chambers Writing down a wellness plan upped my Bipolar Disorder management game exponentially. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type I in 2008. I had rapid cycling, so I had at least four episodes each year for twelve years before even...

Hyperthymia and Bipolar: Mental Conditions that Helped Me — Until They Didn’t

Author: General Gregg F. Martin, Phd, General Major, US Army Retired   From my teenage years on, I benefitted from what was a positive personality: high levels of energy, enthusiasm, drive, extroversion, positivity, happiness, and optimism.   This was the...

It’s Puzzling

Author: Melinda Goedeke   To still my brain, I puzzle. In my world, puzzle is a verb. It is what you do when the thoughts in your mind run rampant and collide leaving you lost in chaos. While puzzling, I only consider the pieces in front of me. Where is the piece...

The Fog

Author: Trevor Simonson Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. Some days they are all the same. Infiltrated by the fog. That haze that sets life in slow motion, leaves your thoughts in a jumble, and gives you that familiar blank stare. Some days you just can’t...

Lithium and Dialysis, Part V

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...

“Aren’t All Women Bipolar?”

Author: Dayna J. Of course all women are not bipolar, but this writing prompt (in honor of International Women's Day) asking how my experience as a woman has affected my mental health really made me think. Perhaps this disorder is easier for women. As a woman I am...

Why I No Longer Feel Alone

Author: Ana Gimber In a 2022 survey, respondents reported that living with Bipolar l Disorder can be a difficult and isolating experience that impacts many aspects of their lives. Approximately four of five respondents (81%) agreed** that they felt like no one...

Warning Signs Are Key

Author: Christina Chambers For many years, the first warning sign of impending mania that I could recognize was the repetitive thought that I could fly, a convincing feeling this thought was true, and strong urges to leap off balconies. Thankfully, I knew that I had...

Trial and Error

Author: Valéry Brosseau It took me years to learn that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. I refused to be a burden on people or a drain on resources. I’ve now learned to fight this way of thinking and remember that I deserve support and I can reach...

Mental Wellness Is More Than Pills & Therapy

Author: Kim Barnett When I was initially diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder I in the early 2000’s, there was not much explained to me about managing the symptoms of the disorder, other than the psychiatrist prescribing me with a couple medications, that he hoped would...

Depressed Decision Making

Author: Dayna J.   In full disclosure it has been years since I struggled with aggressive depression. I was so depressed in 2007 that I attempted suicide. I have also fought off suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, for three decades.   The darkness can...

Bipolar: the Impact on Me and Others

Author: Major General Gregg F. Martin, US Army Retired My brain burst into full-blown mania in 2014, at age 58.  This “late onset bipolar disorder” is rare, with only about five percent of diagnosed cases occurring this late in life.  I may have had undiagnosed...

My Successful Spending Techniques with Bipolar Disorder

Author: Margaret Fitzgerald As a youth, I was proud to earn and save money.  I recall being so excited when I had saved $1,000 for the first time.  I was seventeen and I felt as if I was on my way to having a great fund for college.   When I had my first mania,...