Hope & Harmony Headlines

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April 11, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 15Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Accepting Our Diagnoses’ Differences and the Unique Difficulties They Present Neurodiversity has been getting a lot of needed attention lately, and awareness that bipolar and other neurological differences should be both recognized and respected is spreading. Author Kate Bornstein deserves...

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April 4, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 14Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines When Mood Triggers Have You Up, Then Down—Then Up “For a highly sensitive person, a drizzle feels like a monsoon.” ~ Anonymous Whoever said that understood what it’s like to feel fiercely, to soak up situations so acutely that it’s...

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March 28, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 13Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines The Seduction of Springtime Mania Spring is supposed to be about awakenings, a time of rebirth and celebration after the doldrums of winter. But there’s one spring fling that can get in the way—mania, which peaks this time of year,...

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March 21, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 12Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Kicking Negative Self-Criticism to the Curb Look around. The world is full of negative messaging. Adding our own voices to the mix—telling ourselves we don’t measure up, for example, or that we’re incapable of measuring up—can make us feel helpless,...

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March 14, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 11Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Saying ‘Good Night’ to Insomnia Insomnia and bipolar go together like, well, old chums. Except the relationship isn’t a healthy one. Poor sleep impairs quality of life, causing negative consequences with mood, motivation, and cognitive functioning. “It also triggers manic...

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March 7, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 10Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Letting Go of Hypomania’s False Promises English poet John Keats once wrote in a letter to his two brothers: “There is nothing stable in the world; uproar’s your only music.” That may very well describe the soundtrack to hypomania. So...

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February 28, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 9 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Why Your Lack of Energy and Body Aches May Not Be the Flu Your body aches and your muscles are sore—and not in a good way, like after gym class. On top of that, you’re melancholy, not very hungry,...

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February 21, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 8 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines How to Shift Your Mindset When It Comes to Weight A large body of research confirms a link between mental health and weight—and a significant one at that. In general terms, the healthier the mind, the healthier the body....

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February 14, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 7 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Use This 3-Step Plan to Handle a Crisis In the corporate world, crisis management is usually boiled down to this formula: prepare, respond, recover. That seems a pretty fitting template for everyday life, actually. Especially given that a crisis...

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February 7, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 6 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Reducing the Risk of Relapse We may not be able to predict—or prevent—a mood episode. Relapse is part of bipolar, and once it happens, the more likely it is to happen again. A 2014 naturalistic study found that over...

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January 31, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 5 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Setting Personal Boundaries May Be Hard, but It’s Healthy Boundaries are the backbone of any successful relationship, so why are they so difficult to establish and maintain? Human nature is one reason—setting boundaries is a skill not often taught,...

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January 24, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 4 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Resisting the Tempting Lure of Hypomania When something seems too good to be true, there’s usually a catch, isn’t there? Especially with something as seductive as hypomania. The catch here is that what starts out as positive creativity and...

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January 17, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 3 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Breaking the Cycle Of Depression and Pain Though the reasons for their connection remain unclear, depression and physical pain are indeed closely related. “Sometimes pain and depression create a vicious cycle in which pain worsens symptoms of depression, and...

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January 10, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 2 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Living a More Meaningful Life Starts With Acceptance Countless quotes try to encourage us to be more accepting. “Happiness can exist only in acceptance,” said novelist George Orwell. Actress Jessica Lange called acceptance a “life-altering lesson.” And self-help author...

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January 3, 2019   •   Volume 12, Issue 1 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Want to Reach Your Goals? Momentum is Key Getting motivated to start something new can be tough enough. Staying motivated can feel inconceivable, especially if a lack of energy and self-direction tend to get in the way. What we...

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December 27, 2018   •   Volume 11, Issue 52 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Taming Obsessive Thoughts as We Look to the New Year Don’t let the “what-ifs” get in the way of living your best life. Especially now, on the brink of a new year, it’s time to put obsessive thoughts in...

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December 20, 2018   •   Volume 11, Issue 51 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines How Social Contact Can Reduce Your Depression Depression is a liar. It is manipulative and sneaky and tells us things we shouldn’t believe. Like we’re better off alone—and that just makes us want to isolate ourselves. Add in the...

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December 13, 2018   •   Volume 11, Issue 50 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines   Why Trusted Friendships Are Key to Our Stability There are few things more comforting than a faithful friend. They alleviate loneliness, improve self-worth, help identify triggers and mood changes and provide support. Where would we be without that...

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December 6, 2018   •   Volume 11, Issue 49 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines Own Your Anger and Then Get It Off Your Chest, Respectfully A Russian medical proverb goes like this: “Feelings that have no vent in words, may make other organs weep.” Let’s apply that to anger. Research shows that bipolar...

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November 29, 2018   •   Volume 11, Issue 48 Subscribe to Hope & Harmony Headlines When You Don’t Take Control, Impulsivity Takes Control of You There isn’t anything inherently wrong with feeling carried away, or making a decision based on a hunch. That’s where excitement and instinct kick in, and who doesn’t want—need, actually—either...