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![Veterans are Outraged and Hurting – So Let’s Reach Out and Listen](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/animated10.jpg)
Veterans are Outraged and Hurting – So Let’s Reach Out and Listen
Author: Gregg F. Martin, PhD, Major General, US Army (Retired) November 11th is Veterans Day. It’s a national tragedy that more than 22 veterans a day commit suicide and that nearly two serving military service members per day die by their own hands. These are...
![The New Improved Me](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Untitled-Card-Landscape-1.png)
The New Improved Me
Author: Natalia A. Beiser Note: This article includes Natalia’s experiences of having taken antipsychotic medication, but individual experiences may differ and have different issues. If you have any questions about medications or treatment plans, please reach out to...
![Ending the Stigma Starts Within](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Untitled-design-12.png)
Ending the Stigma Starts Within
Author: Dayna J. When I first became ill with bipolar disorder I stopped talking with many of my friends and family. I also hid my diagnosis in the workplace. I isolated myself in embarrassment. I was filled with shame. I was grieving the person I thought I had lost...
![Researching the Numbers Behind My Lithium Experience](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/drugs-1568x1045-1.jpg)
Researching the Numbers Behind My Lithium Experience
Author: Natalia A. Beiser Note: This article includes Natalia's experiences of having taken Lithium Carbonate and undergoing dialysis, corroborated by online research found in the sources linked below. Not everyone taking Lithium Carbonate, nor partaking in dialysis...
![Support Someone In The Crowd…](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/5c3d14c566e64f253d46209a154f404e.jpg)
Support Someone In The Crowd…
Author: Serena Goldsmith, LCSW As someone who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder thirty years ago, I used to be someone in the crowd who did not know that there was hope for recovery. I wish that there had been an organization like International Bipolar Foundation...
![To Keep Aflame](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-11.png)
To Keep Aflame
Author: Sophia Falco There was no fire to pull out of that volcano like how there was no rabbit to pull out of that magician’s hat. “Where’s your fire at?”, she jokingly exclaimed. Instead of responding, I looked up and pointed, pretending that the airplane overhead...
![Raindrops Resemble](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-10.png)
Raindrops Resemble
Author: Sophia Falco These raindrops resemble teardrops that I believed were almost falling in slow motion, but with the blink of an eye, they hit the pavement despite—what once was 3-D now 2-D is now just an imprint on the sidewalk. A darker shade of gray than the...
![A New Belief System](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-1200-x-675-px-1100-x-788-px.png)
A New Belief System
Author: Melinda Goedeke I remember when my daughter was 22, and she started talking about wanting children some day. This was cause for celebration as Laura often didn't believe she had a future; her bipolar disorder caused her to live fast, talk fast and simply be...
![Feeling Sad in Winter](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-8.png)
Feeling Sad in Winter
Mariko Hewer The other day, I looked out my living-room window around 7:30 p.m. and was surprised to see how dim it had gotten outside. The vibrant goldenrod of the late-afternoon sun had already deepened into the burnt sienna, indigo, and magenta glow of sunset, and...
![Lithium and Dialysis, Part IV](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-7.png)
Lithium and Dialysis, Part IV
Author: Natalia Beiser Note: These are my experiences of having taken Lithium Carbonate and undergoing dialysis. Not everyone taking Lithium Carbonate, nor partaking in dialysis will run into these issues. I have Diabetes Insipitus (DI), which some people...
![The Importance of Peer Support](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Untitled-design-6.png)
The Importance of Peer Support
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 keeping it to...
![Being Bipolar & Learning to Live](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Untitled-design-4.png)
Being Bipolar & Learning to Live
Author: Ben Davis I have Bipolar Type II. Receiving that diagnosis changed my mental health trajectory for the better. Although it’s a big part of who I am, it’s not all of who I am. I am more than my diagnosis, and so are you. While I recognize that my story is...
![Hold On](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B6E8B3DF-0CB4-435A-BC0E-F6C9A688C69A-1-e1631898750677.png)
Hold On
Author: Sophia Falco The light was unable to filter in between the small spaces of the yellow leaves belonging to a quaking aspen. Instead, the light was stuck behind that dense tree canopy until one leaf fell slowly unleashing the freedom for a single...
![Reflection](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Blog-Cover-Template-18.png)
Reflection
Author: Aubrey Good I woke up this morning well before noon after going to bed well before midnight. I greeted my husband and baby, ate a well-balanced breakfast, and glanced at the headlines before shutting down the app and heading out the door for a run. As I ran,...
![Honoring Her Illness](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Blog-Cover-Template-16.png)
Honoring Her Illness
Author: Melinda Goedeke Destigmatize: to remove association from shame or disgrace (according to Miriam Webster). I like destigmatizing; it feels honorable and worthwhile. And it is. I destigmatize all over the place often with tears streaming down my face as I...
![Lithium and Dialysis, Part III](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Blog-Cover-Template-15.png)
Lithium and Dialysis, Part III
Author: Natalia A. Beiser My need for dialysis started largely because of long term Lithium use. I began taking Lithium in 1994 at the age of twenty two and have what is described as lithium induced nephropathy. This means that I have small cysts all over my...
![Unlike Lightning](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Blog-Cover-Template-13.png)
Unlike Lightning
Author: Sophia Falco I once wrote, sorrow strikes as lightning, but really the bright flash is nonexistent, but really strikes is an understatement. Darkness has permeated into my world like a heavy cloak that I am unable to shake off. If only sorrow really did strike...
![Writing to Release Feelings](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Blog-Cover-Template-12.png)
Writing to Release Feelings
Author: Sasha Kildare My manic episodes arose out of severe depression and were mixed episodes—euphoria and boundless energy interspersed with despair. Although I found myself bursting with ideas, they never led to anything. Today, I’m still bursting with ideas, but I...
![Lithium and Dialysis, Part II](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Blog-Cover-Template-11.png)
Lithium and Dialysis, Part II
Author: Natalia Beiser Please note: These are the experiences of this writer and do not reflect the outcomes of every patient taking Lithium Carbonate. I have taken Lithium Carbonate since I was twenty two years old. I am now approaching my fiftieth birthday and have...
![Living With Bipolar As a Person of Color](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Blog-Cover-Template-10.png)
Living With Bipolar As a Person of Color
Author: Mariko Hewer Trigger warning: Brief discussion of suicide The past 18 months (and counting) have been remarkable by any standard — we’ve battled a worldwide pandemic, faced natural disasters dramatically heightened by climate change, and begun the hard yet...
![Multiplied By 20](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Blog-Cover-Template-6.png)
Multiplied By 20
Author: Angela McCrimmon Someone stated something that startled me recently. It also left me in a state of reflection and eventually led me to a feeling of encouragement so it might surprise you when I share what their words of wisdom were to brighten up my day. They...
![I Am More Than My Bipolar Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Blog-Cover-Template-2.png)
I Am More Than My Bipolar Disorder
Author: Lesly Garcia I want to remind others that there are millions of us with bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed in 2019, at the age of 22 when I had my first episode. I think part of me knew a long time ago that I was bipolar. But I didn’t know what bipolar disorder...
![Sure, I’m Okay](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Blog-Cover-Template-1.png)
Sure, I’m Okay
Author: Melinda Goedeke Recently, I went on an incredible rafting trip down the Colorado River in Moab, Utah. If I fell out of the raft, I was told to put my hand on my head signaling I was okay. The guide said that okay meant I was alive. I might be bleeding,...
![Tradeoffs I Have Made in Bipolar Recovery](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Insta-Blog-Template-15.png)
Tradeoffs I Have Made in Bipolar Recovery
Author: Violette Kay It has been two years since my last major episode, and although I will always push back against the notions that mania/depression/suffering in general magically makes people creative and that taking medication (or any other steps towards...
![Work As a Life-affirming Meditation Practice](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Insta-Blog-Template-14.png)
Work As a Life-affirming Meditation Practice
Meditation can be a key practice toward coping with or avoiding episodes of mania and depression, but I’ve become increasingly troubled by proponents of mindfulness…
![Seasons and Cycles](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Insta-Blog-Template-11.png)
Seasons and Cycles
Author: Maria Jacobs Hello, I'm Maria Eva Jacobs, and I have lived with Bipolar Disorder my entire adult life. The dark details of my struggle with bipolar mania include paranoia, suicidal ideation, subsequent inpatient treatment. That is all in my past. I am in...
![Hypersexuality in Mood Disorders: You’re My Little Secret](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Insta-Blog-Template-10.png)
Hypersexuality in Mood Disorders: You’re My Little Secret
Author: Ivory Smith Causey Janet* a first year college student has just found out that she is pregnant. She had inclination that she might be was not for sure. She has no idea who the father is nor can remember the name of one of the potential fathers. She is...
![Brokenness](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Insta-Blog-Template-9.png)
Brokenness
Author: Sophia Falco I stole the wand of that magician to try to fix this embodiment of the feeling of brokenness. How can it be possible to embody something not whole? Unlike shards of glass that litters the ground, he hit his autographed baseball (the autographer...
![Self Love & Lived Experience](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Blog-Cover-Template-4.png)
Self Love & Lived Experience
Author: Grace Scarpello Oh, what I’d say to 24-year-old Grace now. I’d tell her that her body is perfectly fine and wonderful as it is. I’d tell her that movement makes her brain and heart feel better. I’d say that she doesn’t have to work three jobs to “make up” for...
![The Adams Family: Triumphs and Groans](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Insta-Blog-Template-7.png)
The Adams Family: Triumphs and Groans
Author: Curtis Hier Great success and great misery come with the bipolar life, and the Adamses had their share of both. John Adams is believed by many to have had bipolar II disorder. Thomas Jefferson described him as “sometime absolutely mad.” But Jefferson had a...
![Self-Stigma and What If’s](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Insta-Blog-Template-6.png)
Self-Stigma and What If’s
Author: Claire Gault For me, self-stigma comes from the what if? questions I ask myself. What if my manic episode never happened? What if it happened, but I decided to remain at my college instead of transferring to another school? What if I made different choices,...
![Men’s Mental Health- Living with Bipolar Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Insta-Blog-Template-5.png)
Men’s Mental Health- Living with Bipolar Disorder
As a 30 year old single man, I can tell you Bipolar Disorder affects men in a special way. Having a Bipolar Disorder diagnosis means staying away from the lively parties…
![The Time is Now](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Insta-Blog-Template-4.png)
The Time is Now
Author: Melinda Goedeke Every time I drive home, I have to decide exactly when to turn onto my street as that split second decision could be the difference between making it safely home or not. My timing has to be perfect. I am sometimes forced (in my mind) to cut...
![Learning to Trust Instincts](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Insta-Blog-Template-2.png)
Learning to Trust Instincts
Author: Stacey Isaacson Trust your gut. That’s what they say, right? But what if your gut sometimes leads you in the wrong direction? What if, in a spurt of creativity, you come up with a fantastic idea, only to find it less than fantastic when you carry it out in a...
![The Power in Overcoming Self Stigma](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Insta-Blog-Template-1.png)
The Power in Overcoming Self Stigma
Author: Emily Ellison “Please don’t be bipolar” I thought to myself as I sat in the waiting room for my first psychiatrist appointment. I feared this diagnosis. Having done my degree in psychology I understood bipolar clinically and I believed that this diagnosis...
![Lithium and Dialysis](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Insta-Blog-Template-20.png)
Lithium and Dialysis
Author: Natalia Beiser At the age of eighteen, I experienced my first full blown manic episode. I was not diagnosed with bipolar disorder at that time; it is not uncommon for bipolar patients to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. In 1990, there were few treatment...
![Eternal Sleep](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-18.png)
Eternal Sleep
Author: Melinda Goedeke Sleeping is an event for me. 8:30 p.m. comes around, and I start thinking about sleep. I put on my oversized jammies and crawl into bed ready…..ready to shut down. To stop. To rest. My husband doesn’t do any “readying” and is asleep the moment...
![The Dogwood Tree](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-17.png)
The Dogwood Tree
Author: Bryson Hays Sometimes... I forget. I lose my memory of what it is like. I have forgotten what drowning feels like. Afloat on a lifeboat of medications, I forget what my world used to be. I barely remember the thrill of adrenaline that comes with inhaling after...
![Visionary](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-14.png)
Visionary
Author: Sophia Falco There were no lightbulbs in his house only candles. I tiptoed around each room, and one by one blew them out until darkness engulfed it like a demon, and I exited the back door, but immediately regretted this. He did not deserve to be in the dark...
![Theodore & the Roosevelt Bipolar Inheritance](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-12.png)
Theodore & the Roosevelt Bipolar Inheritance
Author: Curtis Hier Kay Redfield Jameson, one of the leading experts on bipolar disorder and a sufferer herself, has described Theodore Roosevelt as “hypomanic on a mild day.” Mark Twain warned that “we ought to keep in mind that Theodore, as statesman and politician,...
![How Carrie Mathison Changed my Life](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-8.png)
How Carrie Mathison Changed my Life
Author: Stacey Isaacson It’s a recurrent theme in my life that I come late to popular tv shows. I had no idea why we were talking about couture choices in the town of Schitt’s Creek, how Don Draper smoked too much or what’s up with the girls in “Girls.” And I still...
![Mental Health Stigma](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-7.png)
Mental Health Stigma
Author: Nikta Niazi I have very much faced mental health stigma as a female. Actually I have come to the consclusion that each gender has their own obstacles when it comes to mental health issues. I was reading one of the blog post on the website; a psychiatrist...
![She Would Want Us to Talk](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-6.png)
She Would Want Us to Talk
Author: Melinda Goedeke Enraptured in a riveting discussion about The Crucible in my junior lit. class, I vaguely hear a threatening buzzing. And then I spot it - a killer bee swiftly flying around the room darting over heads and under desks, coyly, without...
![Sounding the Alarm: The Importance of Early intervention in a Bipolar Mixed State](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Insta-Blog-Template-5.png)
Sounding the Alarm: The Importance of Early intervention in a Bipolar Mixed State
Author: Ivory Smith Causey It is shortly, after Thanksgiving 2017. I notice I can’t feel the Christmas spirit like the previous. I start my Motown Christmas music which includes “Santa Clause Go Straight to the Ghetto” by James Brown. I play it on my phone at work in...
![Gratitude](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-3.png)
Gratitude
Author: Angela McCrimmon I have often reflected on the question "If someone could completely cure me of bipolar disorder tomorrow, would I accept the treatment?” Anyone who is reading this in the middle of a depressive episode will believe with all their heart that...
![I Am Bipolar Strong](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Graphic1_TWFB.png)
I Am Bipolar Strong
Author: MB When it comes to being bipolar, the word strength takes on a whole other meaning. After over 10 years of experience with bipolar type 1, I can finally say that bipolar in itself is my strength. You may be thinking, why has it taken you so long to figure...
![Go Forth](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template.png)
Go Forth
Author: Sophia Falco I created a tragic collage of a vicious wolf cut out from an old National Geographic Magazine, and I juxtaposed it with hopeful words I deliberately found. I arranged these words just so that the lone wolf (sometimes I feel so lonely) could devour...
![Being Kind to Myself](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-47.png)
Being Kind to Myself
Author: Kassy Nguyen When was the last time you have practiced self-kindness? Often more than I am sure most of us would like to admit, we are quite self-deprecating and harsh on ourselves. Although, it is often time normalized by the media to be self-deprecating and...
![What I Wish Others Understood About Having Bipolar Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-46.png)
What I Wish Others Understood About Having Bipolar Disorder
Author: Alexis Crase Nobody ever said having a mental illness is easy. But when people talk about mental health, they talk about just that – mental health. They focus on self-care and exclude the real-life aspects of having a mental illness like bipolar disorder, such...
![Discrimination](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-45.png)
Discrimination
Author: Elizabeth Horner When we think of discrimination, images such as being turned down for a job or even cruel remarks from an unknowing stranger may come into our minds, but oftentimes discrimination can land much closer to home. Sometimes it is the people...
![Weight, Diet, & Bipolar Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-44.png)
Weight, Diet, & Bipolar Disorder
Author: Natalia Beiser It is my genetic propensity to be heavy. My fraternal grandparents both had notable weight problems, as do most of the persons on that side of the family. I learned early on, as my descendants likely did, that food not only sustains the body,...
![Bipolar Disorder in Men](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-42.png)
Bipolar Disorder in Men
Author: John Budin As a psychiatrist living with bipolar disorder, I have been both a care receiver and a care giver. Over the span of my career, I have treated many men with bipolar disorder having the luxury of viewing them through the lens of being both a clinician...
![Does the anti-psychiatry movement address the most significant challenges?](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-41.png)
Does the anti-psychiatry movement address the most significant challenges?
Author: Sasha Kildare I recently read a very long blog, “The Movement Against Psychiatry,” on MentalHealthExcellence.org that has since been pulled down but can still be found on Vice.com. It discusses different facets of mental health including the anti-psychiatry...
![Self-love & Mental Wellness](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-40.png)
Self-love & Mental Wellness
Author: Nikta Niazi Imagine a watering can being empty while the garden, the plants and flowers life all depend on this can; but ridiculously the can is empty. It refuses to contain water inside and nourish the plants. Or the sun, getting dark and gloomy one day and...
![Emotions Aren’t the Enemy](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Insta-Blog-Template-39.png)
Emotions Aren’t the Enemy
Author: Stacey Isaacson When I was a kid, long before my bipolar II diagnosis, I was known to be emotional. Over-emotional, as it was termed. Many a time was I given the sage advice “don’t jump in with both feet,” as I was known to fall instantly into new friendships...
![Black History Month](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-37.png)
Black History Month
Author: Jayson Blair, IBPF Honorary Board Member Forgive me for thinking I had fallen backwards into a time machine. It was June 2020, but it could have just as easily been June 1865. In a hearing on the higher incidence of COVID-19 among black Americans, an Ohio...
![To The Ones Who Got Better](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-36.png)
To The Ones Who Got Better
Author: Valery Brosseau I used to wonder if I’d ever get “better”. I used to wonder what “better” even really meant. I assumed it meant the emotional pain would stop, the debilitating lows would disappear and the dangerous highs would be tempered. As someone diagnosed...
![Hypomania and Anemia](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-35.png)
Hypomania and Anemia
Author: Kim Barnett I have been struggling with Hypomania for over two months now, and I’m extremely irritated, frustrated and exhausted. For those who do not know, hypomania is defined as a mild form of mania, marked by elation and hyperactivity. Thank God, I’ve...
![I’ve Gained Weight, But I’m Okay: Starting to Let Go of Body Dysmorphia](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-33.png)
I’ve Gained Weight, But I’m Okay: Starting to Let Go of Body Dysmorphia
Author: Alyssa Renee Hardy I weighed myself at my doctor’s office last week and realized something that would have been horrific to me in the past. I’ve gained forty pounds since my days doing freelance modeling in college. The crazy part is: I’m okay. Not terrific,...
![Grief Is Love](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-30.png)
Grief Is Love
Author: Kerri Scott I don’t know what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder but I know what it’s like to lose someone to bipolar disorder. When I was 25, during the heat of the summer I got the news. A mutual friend called to tell me that my boyfriend had died. He...
![Trapped Light](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-29.png)
Trapped Light
Author: Sophia Falco Those lovely fireflies are prisoners in a glass jar on her kitchen table. Their trapped light on display like the diminishing light within my being. Depression is trying to extinguish my light, but I hid the fire extinguisher under my bed whereas...
![Through The Tunnel](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-28.png)
Through The Tunnel
Author: Joe Landers Greetings readers my name is Joe Landers and I am the author of The Methods of Genius and Madness. My book is on amazon but I used the name Maverick Hunting because although all of the events are true, I changed everyone’s names. I have bipolar...
![Mental Wellness Month](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-27.png)
Mental Wellness Month
Author: Nikta Niazi Do you have a plan for how you’re going to work on mental wellness this month? I do. And I am motivated to set a goal for my mental health every month. It is actually what I considered as my 2021’s resolution. I thought it is the best if I develop...
![Mental Wellness: Positive Psychology for Bipolar Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-26.png)
Mental Wellness: Positive Psychology for Bipolar Disorder
Author: Cassandra Miasnikov Tips to Cultivate Inner Strengths and Lessen The Risk of Relapse Pessimism can sneak up on any of us. But if you're someone living with bipolar disorder, there's a higher chance that you see the glass as half empty. Positive psychology...
![Reflecting Back on My Initial Diagnosis: Part 4](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Newsletter_6x4-Template-4.png)
Reflecting Back on My Initial Diagnosis: Part 4
Author: Scott Walker During my final five months living in Japan I definitely had varying degrees of depression for most of that time. Different mental health professionals in the psychiatric hospital in New Zealand told me there was a good chance of this happening......
![A Letter to my Fellow College Students](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-25.png)
A Letter to my Fellow College Students
Author: Claire Gault Receiving a bipolar diagnosis is difficult in any stage of life, but as a senior in college, I can testify to the challenges of balancing priorities between mental health and school. College culture often encourages unhealthy habits, and...
![The State of Our Nation & How Racism, Division & Discrimination Have Affected Me](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Insta-Blog-Template-24.png)
The State of Our Nation & How Racism, Division & Discrimination Have Affected Me
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...
![How Does Social Media Impact Bipolar Disorder?](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-22.png)
How Does Social Media Impact Bipolar Disorder?
Author: Stan Clark As physical distancing measures are continuously implemented, social media has become a crutch for many people. However, social media may also serve as a double-edged sword, especially for people with bipolar disorder(1). The Good: Making Meaningful...
![Crystal Clear](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-21.png)
Crystal Clear
Author: Melinda Goedeke Contingency plans rule my world because I see the glass as half empty. My kids used to sarcastically call me the beam of optimism because I was always preparing for the impending disaster. It's one of those special gifts I learned in childhood...
![Everyone Suffers](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-20.png)
Everyone Suffers
Author: George Hofmann Last summer, with people crying out in the streets, I learned about the need to pause and listen to each other in the midst of uncertainty and upset. As we begin 2021, with Covid-19 shutdowns dragging on and polarizing political unrest, people...
![Therapist by Day, Bipolar Caregiver by Night](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-21-at-8.23.47-AM.png)
Therapist by Day, Bipolar Caregiver by Night
Author: Cory Anderson As a therapist, I thought I would be well equipped to handle anything marriage threw my way, including my wife’s bipolar II diagnosis. Well, I was wrong. Even our journey of getting this diagnosis was long and fraught with potholes. I imagine a...
![“Everything’s Not Lost”: Song Review](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-17.png)
“Everything’s Not Lost”: Song Review
Author: Sophia Falco “Everything’s Not Lost”, this wonderfully optimistic song, by Coldplay came into my life when I discovered I needed it while in the midst of a challenging depression. These lyrics spoke to me because of their duality of the rawness and the pain...
![A Warrior in Sheep’s Clothing](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-15.png)
A Warrior in Sheep’s Clothing
Author: Bryson Hays How far away I feel... From everything. From family and friends, from doctors and patients, from myself and I. Every day feels the same, I wake up, take my doses of medication to keep the demons at bay, and continue to live my life. But what if you...
![Penpaling for Mental Health](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-14.png)
Penpaling for Mental Health
Author: Claire Gault Those diagnosed with bipolar disorder can be more susceptible to loneliness, as our condition feels isolating from the world around us. With the government issuing restrictions on socializing, loneliness can be intensified more than ever before,...
![Finding My Purpose](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-13.png)
Finding My Purpose
Author: Kim Barnett I was diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder more than 17 years ago, in my early 20’s, and have suffered a lot of trauma from my various episodes. These traumatic episodes have inflicted damaging emotional and psychological scars. I’m learning now that...
![A Letter to the Lonely](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Insta-Blog-Template-12.png)
A Letter to the Lonely
Author: Trevor Simonson Are you experiencing feelings of loneliness? Do you feel forgotten, like you are falling through the cracks? Are you missing somebody? This letter goes out to you. This is for those who live with bipolar disorder. This is for the caregivers....
![Bipolar Disorder and Coping During COVID-19](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-9.png)
Bipolar Disorder and Coping During COVID-19
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 Time is Now](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-8.png)
The Time is Now
Author: Sophia Falco When I was in the depths of depression I decided, I needed a higher power to lean on though I understood it was up to me to improve my mental health, and I am so grateful for my support system in my life. Furthermore, this year was a mark in time...
![Gratitude](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-7.png)
Gratitude
Author: Nikta Niazi Lately, more than any other time, I felt attacked by my obsessive thoughts and my critical inner voice. At nights, I can’t go to sleep. I spend hours reassessing the past, things I’ve done, decisions I’d made, all the memories I had with those who...
![Showing Gratitude](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-1.png)
Showing Gratitude
Author: Alexis Crase Having a support system when you have a mental illness is essential, but leaning on others can often mean feeling burdensome, or worrying about burning others out. Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to help alleviate these feelings, as well as...
![Are There Others?](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template.png)
Are There Others?
Author: Melissa Anderson I've been stable for nearly a year. There was a time when I wasn't sure I would ever be able to say that. Stability. And for a whole year! Wow! I can hardly believe it. It feels good, I must say. It was just before Thanksgiving last year when...
![A Mother’s Marathon](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-30.png)
A Mother’s Marathon
Author: Melinda Goedeke I remember when Laura was little staring at me with a mix of defiance, confidence and spunk refusing to walk without her doll stroller. She was 16 months old and could most definitely walk. She knew walking solo meant moving to the “big kid...
![My First Experience with Mania](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-28.png)
My First Experience with Mania
Author: Natalia Beiser I experienced my first full blown manic disorder, as experienced by those with bipolar 1 while in my last year of high school. Prior to being sent for inpatient treatment, my behavior had been sporadic and I had many angry verbal outbursts. ...
![My Story](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Insta-Blog-Template-27.png)
My Story
Author: Kim Barnett I was born in 1982 in a small city in Ventura County. I had two loving parents, two siblings, and we all lived in a nice house. We were one of the first black families to move into this predominantly white and Hispanic city. As a child this was a...
![How to Know if You Have Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, or Borderline Personality Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-26.png)
How to Know if You Have Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, or Borderline Personality Disorder
Author: Stanley Clark An estimated 46 million people around the world are affected by bipolar disorder. In the U.S. alone, around 2.3% of the adult population has this condition. Unfortunately, many patients with bipolar disorder are still misdiagnosed. Bipolar...
![Gathering the Light from the Stars: A Guided Imagery](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-25.png)
Gathering the Light from the Stars: A Guided Imagery
Author: Sophia Falco Find a comfortable position where you can either sit or lay down for about 10 minutes. If you feel it’s appropriate to close your eyes, then please do so, and if not keep your gaze downwards—this is totally fine too. First, get in tune with your...
![A Bipolar Story](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-24.png)
A Bipolar Story
Author: Elizabeth Horner I debated on whether or not to share my story for a very long time. I’d swing back and forth like a pendulum; feeling like I should just own who I am and throw myself out there one day and then revert back to the very private person I usually...
![The Power of Just](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-21.png)
The Power of Just
Author: Melinda Goedeke When my beautiful daughter was 23, she was asked to be in one of her best friend’s wedding. Running towards me with her infectious smile, she shared the news with me talking so quickly I barely understood. What I did understand is that she was...
![The Mask](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-20.png)
The Mask
Author: Melissa Anderson I started waking up at 2:00 AM. By 4:30, I was completely awake, unable to will my eyes closed anymore. The day before, I began noticing the beginning signs of the excess energy, so it was no surprise to me that I had difficulty sleeping. It...
![Lighting the Darkness](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-18.png)
Lighting the Darkness
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...
![5 common misconceptions about bipolar and how to dismantle them](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-19.png)
5 common misconceptions about bipolar and how to dismantle them
Author: Madeleine Russell Stigma around bipolar disorder can be gradual and subtle, but with very harmful effects. Bipolar affects 1 in 50 Australians and tends to run in families. Stigma is a well-known driver of poor health outcomes, yet continues to permeate...
![How Bipolar Disorder Has Prepared Me for Unpredictability](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-16-1.png)
How Bipolar Disorder Has Prepared Me for Unpredictability
Author: Christina Chambers Lately, I have noticed a pattern emerging and re-emerging. It weaves itself through my life like vines climbing a lattice. That pattern is chaos. There is a consistent inconsistency, predictable unpredictability, and almost an order to the...
![Ignorance Is Not Bliss: The Importance of Screening](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-16.png)
Ignorance Is Not Bliss: The Importance of Screening
Author: Willa Goodfellow I didn’t want to find out I had bipolar disorder. I was on a plane. The person in the seat next to me saw the Journal of American Psychiatry in my lap. He was curious, he said, because he was a doctor and worked on a psych ward. Why was I...
![Comforting Affirmations for Bipolar Disorder](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Insta-Blog-Template-15.png)
Comforting Affirmations for Bipolar Disorder
Author: Rebecca James The bipolar mind is often a chaotic place. It can be scary, lonely, sad, or wild. In the center of it, we all need some moments of peace. I’ve found that affirmations, or easy, reassuring sentences, help me navigate the bipolar mind. Here are a...
![The Bipolar Creative Genius](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Insta-Blog-Template-14.png)
The Bipolar Creative Genius
Author: Jasper James “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness” – Aristotle It has long been said that those with bipolar disorder are more creative than average. Famous bipolar individuals of the past include Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra, and...
![Mania and Psychosis](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Insta-Blog-Template-13.png)
Mania and Psychosis
Author: Kim Barnett I have Bipolar I Disorder, which causes manic and depressive episodes cyclically. I’d like to share with you some of my experience with Bipolar Mania, in hopes to explain the difference between insomnia and a Manic Episode, and how this topic has...
![Embracing Gratitude](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Insta-Blog-Template-12.png)
Embracing Gratitude
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...
![Cheers!](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Insta-Blog-Template-11.png)
Cheers!
Author: Melissa Anderson Can we just take a moment out of our busy lives to congratulate ourselves? Bipolar disorder can be a beast. We are either living with it or supporting someone who does, and that deserves some recognition. Every day that we get up and face the...
![Bipolar Depression](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Insta-Blog-Template-3-1.png)
Bipolar Depression
Author: Valéry Brosseau Bipolar depression is like an old faded blanket that’s worn out in just the right spots. The one I can’t bear to throw away. Once in a while it falls out of the closet and I pick it up, wrap myself in it and hide from the world. It’s...
![Bipolar Disorder Book Recommendations](https://ibpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Insta-Blog-Template-2-1.png)
Bipolar Disorder Book Recommendations
Author: Claire Gault As someone with bipolar disorder, I have a fascination with reading about and researching the illness itself. I believe that the more information I learn, the better equipped I can be to manage the illness. My favorite way to learn is through...
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Sharing lessons from personal experiences, time-saving tips, and helpful strategies to support you or your caregiver and navigate a bipolar diagnosis.
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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.