Bipolar Disorder and Faith

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Years ago, I was hospitalized for bipolar during the holiday season. It was a particularly challenging time that taught me about the power of hope. Hospitalized for the Holiday It was Christmas Day 1981.  I was hospitalized as a result of a bipolar episode I’d had earlier in the month. On that particular day, I...

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When mania resulted in hospitalization and a bipolar diagnosis, I struggled with my career, faith, parenting, and more. I wanted answers. But I needed a new purpose. New Struggles & Hard Realizations After Hospitalization for Bipolar I wasn’t diagnosed with bipolar disorder until I was 35 years old, in May 2006. I had struggled with...

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Focusing on positive, motivational quotes is a strategy I continue to fall back on to manage my bipolar. They give me strength when I need it most! Whenever I find a saying that resonates with me, I write it on an index card and display it in my apartment. I tape these mottos to my...

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When it feels like nobody understands you, it’s helpful to be in the company of people who have similar experiences. Finding a good fit can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort! Since my diagnosis of bipolar disorder many years ago, I have felt that something has been missing. I have attended therapy and I...

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Mental Health Month is a chance to own your wellness journey, discovering what works best for you and taking pride in your daily wellness quest. May marks two years since I was last hospitalized. I broke a vicious cycle of bouncing in and out of the hospital and turned a corner in my wellness journey....

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This scholar, minister, and author of Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman’s Journey with Depression and Faith talks stigma, faith, and the creativity of vegan cooking. As an author, scholar, and minister, Monica A. Coleman, PhD, knows what it’s like to navigate the intersection between race, faith, and mental health. The professor of constructive theology and...

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Nothing touches the grief of not being able to have children of my own. But as I cope, I am finding acceptance, even joy. My morning devotional provides me a moment of quiet and food for thought to start my day. This morning, the devotional was on limits—grieving and accepting our limits, as well as...

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Two friends, one battling bipolar I and the other battling breast cancer, learn faith and friendship can give them strength during the toughest of times.   By Susie Johnson   I vividly remember the sweltering July day my best friend, Jackie, called. We’d met at church and been friends for ten years. Jackie was in...

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When bipolar disorder seems too tough to navigate alone, faith can help provide lasting support. by Susan Johnson   Living with bipolar disorder is like a perpetual roller coaster.  It’s too hard a journey to make alone. You “Gotta Have Faith, Faith, Faith!” George Michael sang it best in his ’80s song “Faith.”  Looking back...

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 It is natural to feel emotional and sad while grieving, but also remember to be cognizant of your bipolar disorder to avoid the destabilization of your mood. My dad passed away on May 12th of this year (2017). He was the first person I knew who had bipolar disorder. While we knew his health was...

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Accepting the validity of both spiritual and clinical components of a mental health condition and its treatment can make a world of difference. I believe in God and science, prayer and medication, faith and reason. I recognize my bipolar disorder as a sometimes-agonizing clinical condition that requires medical treatment, but I also recognize it as...

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Bipolar disorder can interrupt the life you had planned and leave you feeling hopeless, but hope is always there if you look for it. Trigger Warning: If matters of faith trigger you easily, then you will want to skip reading this or at least replaces the references to faith within this post with those things...

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The healing power of spirituality and religion may be helpful as we manage the symptoms of bipolar and depression. Here are some compelling reasons why: Source of hope According to psychiatrist Mario Cruz, MD, the benefits of spiritual participation for those with bipolar can include a supportive network of friends and acquaintances, financial and other...

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I strive for inner peace more than happiness––largely because of the mental anguish I have experienced from bipolar disorder and OCD. Please be advised: this post discusses religion.  As the year draws to a close I inevitably find myself reflecting back on it. The most amazing thing I experienced this year was the birth of...

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When you are living with bipolar disorder, hopelessness happens all too easily. But having real hope and being hope-filled takes effort, and a little faith. If matters of faith trigger you or you find them offensive, then this post is one you will want to skip. Life can be difficult.  No one makes it through...

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I have lived with mental illness my entire life. Even though I have suffered greatly because of it, I am not resentful because my experiences allow me to help others who are suffering. I have lived with mental illness my entire life. Of course, at five years old I didn’t know I had any disorders,...

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Personally, I struggle with religion. I don’t know if there is a God. What I do know is that I fight for my own sanity every single day. Let me ask a simple question: Why, if there is a God, would He/She allow something as tortuous and destructive as bipolar disorder to exist? That’s a...

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1 in 5 kids experience mental health conditions. So why are we not addressing the problem in all of our schools? It’s time we take some accountability. I was raised a catholic. My parents were catholic, their parents were catholic, all my neighbors and most of my friends were catholic. As a youth I was...

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For me, the Holidays aren’t about merriment and cheer. Instead, rage boils below my skin while depression lurks around the corner. Fourteen years ago, I wrote a holiday letter, stuffed copies of it into festive cards, and mailed or passed it around to family and friends. It was the first Christmas post-9/11, and I wanted...

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Just because someone else’s experience with bipolar disorder is different from yours, does NOT mean it isn’t worth the same respect. Believe it or not, I read the comments that are written each time that I do a blog post.  Usually they are encouraging and insightful (sometimes humorous) comments.  However, there have been some comments...