Hope

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By opening up about their diagnosis, these well-known and respected women help put a face to bipolar and improve public understanding of the commonly misunderstood condition. #1 Jenifer Lewis The stage and screen actor, singer, and comedian Jenifer Lewis is known for her unabashed comments, brash humor, and outsized personality—not to mention more than 250...

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Nonprofit founded by Patrick J. Kennedy, who has faced his own challenges with bipolar disorder and addiction, works to expand mental health care. When the Kennedy Forum was launched in 2013, the U.S. government was finalizing regulations for the broadest application of “mental health parity” since legislation to equalize insurance coverage was first introduced 17...

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“Relieved” to have a bipolar diagnosis to “validate her lifelong pains,” this rising pop star recounts her mental health journey in her latest album, Mystic. Mackenzie Nicole, 22, was singing operas in several languages by the age of 6 and collaborating with rap icons at age 9. She’s been contending with bipolar depression and psychotic...

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Some of history’s greatest profiles include people who also lived with the hallmarks of bipolar disorder—impulsivity, creative thinking, deep emotions, sustained periods of high energy, and deep depressions. History abounds with stories of creative, complicated, and ground-breaking individuals who toiled hard and thought about things differently. People who struggled, failed, tried again, and found success....

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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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During bipolar depression, building up a sense of hope may seem impossible—at first. Opening up to brighter possibilities is a habit worth investing in. Our thoughts and beliefs about hope can both indicate a mood episode and change the course of one. After all, a pervasive sense of hopelessness is often listed among the primary...

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Former performance poet Bassey Ikpi is tired of retelling her story about dark times and struggles with bipolar depression. She wants you to know that it’s worth putting in the work to get healthy and stay there. Performer & Activist In the world of Google searches, Bassey Ikpi has two major claims to fame. The...

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Often, the obstacles we face aren’t visible—especially with bipolar. But when we must literally climb over them, we can’t help but stop to assess the achievement. Becoming My Own Cheerleader On the last Thursday in June, I learned that I would be teaching summer school seven miles across town, starting the following Monday. However, my...

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Do you have a dream but think your bipolar disorder will make achieving it impossible? Think again. Here’s how I went from stage fright to center stage. The Courage to Learn In 2015, I was terrified of public speaking. In January 2021, I stepped onto a prestigious TEDx stage and shared my story, “Having a...

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He fended off bipolar depression as his life fell apart. Now Rick Killpack’s helping others as part of a mental health mobile crisis unit. Unemployment Catalyzes a Career Last year, Rick Killpack was jobless and living in a tent in a state park outside of Park City, Utah. He sees irony in the fact that...

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The elite basketball coach has stepped off the court to foster wellness using self-discipline, self-care, and a come-back attitude. Coach P. has a new team in her sights—and it’s all of us. Coach P. would be Joanne P. McCallie, who has racked up an impressive list of stats and accolades over 28 years coaching women’s...

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I became a DMX fan before I, too, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder—before I really understood his lyrics and what he represented to the wider Black community … and to me. At the time of this writing, it has been just over 24 hours since the news of DMX’s passing hit the headlines. Because I...

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Terri Cheney nearly sank under depression and anxiety as an entertainment lawyer, then found salvation in a therapy project that became her best-selling memoir, Manic. When I was a little girl, I wrote exceedingly bad and alarmingly dark poetry that my adoring father tried to get published. Looking back on those poems, which my father...

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The current Miss Utah USA is the first Miss USA state pageant winner to talk openly about having bipolar disorder and identifying as an LGBTQ+ woman. Rachel Slawson has broken two barriers in the Miss USA pageant: She is the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to win a crown (she’s bisexual) and the first to talk...

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The innovative chef behind the Momofuku empire opens up about his bipolar depression and anger in hopes of helping others get help Pursuing a Sense of Purpose with Bipolar Depression As David Chang tells it, he owes his culinary empire to a severe bout of bipolar depression.  When he opened his first restaurant in 2004,...

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With bipolar depression, you may struggle and feel as if you can’t go on—but, like a phoenix, you can and will rise again! How I Keep Going When I Feel Like I Can’t You might not know it yet, but deep inside of you is an essence that is untouched by bipolar disorder. I call...

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I learned long ago, to move forward to positive, healthful, stable days, we must first release the trauma of the past. Coping with Trauma & Triggers I once learned a valuable life lesson at the dog park, of all places. Years ago, I adopted the cutest little apricot-colored shih tzu, whom I named Lady. The...

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Individuals living with bipolar share their accounts of when a few wise words made a world of difference in dealing with mania and depression, handling distorted thinking and delusions, releasing self-blame, and more. What’s the best advice you were ever given? Sometimes hearing the right words at the right time can help you find a better...

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After raising two kids alone and running the family business, this manager stops denying her diagnosis and seeks tools to manage her bipolar I disorder. Raising two children as a single parent. Climbing the professional ladder into the upper executive echelons. Doing it all while yo-yoing emotions made most days a study in fortitude. That...

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Those of us who write about our bipolar have different goals: public awareness, sharing information, inspiring others…. I’m wondering what to share and how—intention vs. impact, social value vs. personal risk. And when is it “too much”? Writing about Bipolar & Being an Open Book All of the contributors here at bpHope Blog write about...