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Bipolar treatment is not one-size-fits-all––what works for you may not also work for someone else. That being said, when you are working out your treatment plan, keep these six tips in mind. A while ago, I was on a panel discussion about different treatments for bipolar disorder. This was one of the best panels I have participated in. No one had a hidden agenda. The only thing the other panelists cared about was what works for folks with bipolar disorder. After the seminar, folks came up to us and commented on how nice it was to be part of a discussion that was informative without being stressful and combative. No one was made to feel guilty about the choices they had made up to that point. And everyone received balanced information they could use to make decisions in the future. It was a day well spent, and I would like for... Read More

Obsessive thinking is a fairly common but rarely discussed symptom of bipolar. We look at ways you can take charge when intrusive thoughts take hold. Getting something stuck in your head—the catchy chorus of a song, a gruesome image from the news—can be annoying for anyone. But annoying segues to alarmng when intrusive thoughts, worries or even enthusiasms turn obsessive. For at least a fifth of people who live with bipolar disorder, that scenario happens all too often. And when it does, the consequences can be troublesome. Michelle O. of Florida recalls how one obsessive bout injected a septic ooze into her marriage. When demonstrating an app called Find My iPhone to her mother-in-law, Michelle used her husband’s cell number to show that his phone was with him at the grocery store where he works. Instead, the app pinpointed a location five miles away from where she thought her husband would be. Already... Read More

Gracefully accepting criticism is difficult for anyone, let alone when you are battling bipolar disorder. Having written this bp Magazine column for more than a decade, I’ve received lots of feedback. While I’m touched by the positive comments, I’m also grateful for the criticisms. After speaking at a mental healthconference a while back, I was especially taken by a particular critique: The only thing more rotten than the bananas at the break was Stephen’s presentation. (I’ll admit that those bananas were disgusting!) I regret not having had a chance to speak with that individual. I would have liked to know what led him or her to make that statement. There’s no doubt I could have learned something valuable. I’ve come to see criticisms as suggestions for changing my thinking and improving my message. Here are some remarks from readers, coupled with my thoughts: Criticism #1: Don’t make it seem so easy. Those of us... Read More

Science and research reveals how you can create a positive impact on your brain function, mood and general mental health with daily physical exercise. Lift, squat, repeat… think? Exercise has become a dreaded word to many. It sounds like a chore. Who knew that movement could help you think, that regular exercise could help you exorcize your depression and help to organize what goes on in that most complex organ of ours, the brain. New research reveals how multi-faceted the effects of movement and exercise are on the brain and how it can help with your stress, sleep, cognition, mood and overall quality of life.   EVOLUTION OF EXERCISE Researchers have found that human evolution linked thinking skills to movement. As luck would have it, too much sitting, which our modern lifestyle generally demands, is not good for the brain. “Foraging involves many different cognitive abilities and associated brain areas, many of which... Read More

When dealing with bipolar disorder, the more you choose the act of acceptance, the more chances you have for contentment. I, like many of you, keep regular appointments with my therapist. It is something I do to continue my journey towards optimal health. I maintain my mental health balance by seeing him regularly. I have come to trust and like my therapist very much and look forward to seeing him. At our last appointment I brought up the fact that I constantly feel like my bipolar depression is going to rear its ugly head. There is a part of me that I don’t want anyone to see. Sometimes I feel like I can’t trust myself to say and do the right things all the time. I told him about some recent events where I felt like I was struggling regularly (driving, shopping, work, etc.) and asked him if this was the beginning... Read More

A study published Thursday in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology finds the percentage of U.S. teens and young adults reporting mental distress, depression and suicidal thoughts and actions has risen significantly over the past decade. While these problems also increased among adults 26 and older, the increase was not nearly as large as among younger people. The study findings suggest a generational shift says psychologist Jean Twenge, with San Diego State University who headed the study and is author of the book iGen.To see a significant increase in negative psychological states “among our vulnerable population of teens and young adults is absolutely heartbreaking,” she says. Twenge and her colleagues analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a government survey that tracks mental health and substance use in individuals age 12 and over in the U.S. They looked at survey responses from more than 200,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 and almost... Read More

You may have to modify your dreams to accommodate bipolar, but you can still dream big and achieve your goals. For a long time, my dreams of the kind of life I wanted were thwarted by bipolar disorder. I’d set a goal, create a plan, tell myself all the positive things I’d learned from self-help books—“You can do it, Julie!”—and boom, no matter what I tried, bipolar usually reared its ugly head and wrecked everything. Failed dreams litter my past: photography school, finishing university in four years, learning a second language, writing books, speaking in public, living in a foreign country. And let’s not forget making millions. If you know my work, you might say, “Julie, but you have written books. You do travel, and you have had success.” It’s true—but much later in life than I wanted, and always with my illness in mind first. I’ve learned to respect bipolar’s power. “Julie, are you telling me that... Read More

Abandonment in his past has led columnist Jasper Benitez to fear the future. Now, he is working to stay focused on the present.   As someone who lives with bipolar, I can tell you that fear of the future is one of my biggest struggles. I become so engulfed with thoughts about the future that I forget the present. I become trapped in my own mind; worrying about circumstances that are not yet real, planning for situations that do not yet exist. Those who know me know exactly when I am in this frame of mind because my facial expression changes completely. My eyes wander around as if they are scanning every inch of a room for potential threats; my lips are pursed as if stitched together to create a barrier that will prevent these irrational thoughtsbecoming audible to those around me. It feels as if my brain is engaged in a game... Read More