Blog

Sometimes the biggest clue that I’m struggling through a bipolar disorder relapse sounds like nothing—withdrawal doesn’t make noise. Recently, I received a phone call from someone who wanted to check-in on the state of my thoughts. I was having a trying mental health day, and I had phoned this person earlier requesting some words of encouragement. We spoke for awhile and then I carried on about my business to the best of my abilities. I was both surprised and touched by the follow up call. I don’t think I’ve received one like it before, unless you count the one from the nurse after a medical procedure. I don’t know if there is another person in my life who understands me or bipolar well enough to recognize that it was necessary. I’m not sure how many people in my life realize I live with a serious illness. It’s also a treatable and... Read More

Heavy despair weighed me down and dulled my mind. I just wanted to hide. But then I shifted my focus to taking care of myself. Now I’m living proof that, in time, you will recover from the worst of it. During my dark days, I tried to work. I wanted to work. I had started working at 14 and had always held a job. And I wanted out of the hell I was in.  But, time after time, bipolar depression would raise its ugly head. During the depression, my work suffered. I struggled to do a good job. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. While training for my new position, I could not grasp what I was being taught. With depression and anxiety, nothing stuck. So I faked it. I pretended that I got it, hoping that at any moment I would. But that moment never came. One time, I was hired as a store manager... Read More

Never forget: When it comes to managing symptoms, we are not powerless! You can take control of your wellness plan and stability with healthy personal choices and these tools and actions. #1 Customize your own treatment plan What works for one person may not work for the next. Those who are finding success in treatment often have created their own personalized wellness plan that works for them. For one of us, focusing on therapy for the mind may work, while another is better treated with certain medications plus a particular nutrition plan. All treatment—pharmacological, therapeutic, and lifestyle—needs to be designed specifically for you with the help of a professional. #2 Get to know your triggers and prepare Knowing what stressors leave you vulnerable to mania, depression, anger, anxiety, and so on can help prevent recurrences—if you have a plan. Stress, sleep disruptions, and different aspects of our lifestyle can all... Read More

Weight gain is an incredibly common—sometimes psychologically painful—result of many bipolar medications. Here I share five ways to help you process this change. The most important thing to remember, if it happens to you: Be kind to yourself. I would do almost anything to be skinny—anything, that is, except for dying or losing my mind. In 2014, I had to choose between thinness and sanity. Faced with my diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, my doctor had difficulty finding medications that would help me. After several rounds of medication changes and hospital stays, we landed on my current medication combo: a mood stabilizer, two antipsychotics, anti-anxiety medications, and a sleep aid. Almost immediately after this medication change, I started rapidly gaining weight, despite no major changes to my diet or exercise regime. Beginning at a healthy BMI, I eventually went on to gain 50% of my body weight, which settled mercilessly around my... Read More

Having a reliable, compassionate, and genuine friend by your side is invaluable in life. Here we offer practical and insightful tips for cultivating new friendships, maintaining current ones, and reestablishing relationships with friends from our past. There’s no greater find in life than a friend. While making and maintaining friendships can be stressful, even overwhelming, for those of us with bipolar and for our companions, supportive and understanding friends are as important to recovery as medication or therapy. There is nothing like a faithful friend to alleviate loneliness, improve self-worth, identify potential triggers and mood changes, and respond during a crisis situation. Without a doubt, true friends offer an amazing combination of camaraderie, connection, and compassion. Reaching out Are you looking to make some new friends? Exploring a variety of interests increases your chances of meeting and connecting with others. Consider visiting a support group where you’ll find people who can relate to your experience. There is always a friend to be made... Read More

Good news: there’s another tool for bipolar mood management—food. More specifically, brain food. Recent findings show that eating more of what helps nourish our brain can improve our stability. #1 Good food helps mental functioning Studies have revealed a positive correlation between consuming nutritious food and better mental functioning, said Bonnie Kaplan, PhD, a member of the University of Calgary medical faculty. “Your brain is the most metabolically active organ. Your heart is second,” Kaplan explains. “Your brain and heart need to be fed constantly.” #2 Nutrients are powerful Because the brain needs a variety of nutrients to power it, when you don’t provide your brain with enough of the right nutrients, it doesn’t perform as well and both mood and mental ability suffer, explained Kaplan, referring to the range of carbohydrates, fiber, fats, B vitamins, calcium, potassium, zinc, and other elements off the periodic table. #3 Food protects our brains Since the brain is... Read More

These gems give us pause … They encourage us to reflect on our lives; uplift our mood; and give us a new perspective to approach the day ahead. #1 “Love has, at its best, made the inherent sadness of life bearable, and its beauty manifest.” ~ Kay Redfield Jamison #2 “If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore #3 “You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.” ~ Julian Seifter #4 “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher #5 “Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Succeeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of... Read More

Practicing these six principles can give you added strength for staying on the road to recovery. Bipolar is a multifaceted condition that affects the whole person: physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. It impacts virtually every dimension of one’s life. That said, how does a person impacted by a mood disorder go about solving his or her own problems? Well, fortunately, you have the power! Let me spell out six powerful PERSON-based principles: #1) Perspective Your reality, by which you live your life, is subjective and based on your mental outlook. If you envision a future of doom and gloom, that becomes your reality. Alternatively, if you believe in the possibility of recovery—however you define it—then your thinking helps head you in that direction. The single biggest determinant in redirecting my recovery was learning to see fewer problems and more possibilities. You can make major headway toward wellness by focusing on this... Read More