Even if you are taking medication for bipolar and seeing a psychiatrist, you may want to consider therapy for additional support and coping skills. If video is not showing, click here Seeking Psychiatric Treatment Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big believer in psychiatric treatment for mental health. I believe that if something is...
READ MORE
If I could “snap out of it,” I would. Here’s why advice like that isn’t helpful—plus 5 strategies that do help me cope with bipolar depression. Unhelpful Advice for Bipolar Depression Have you ever gotten this advice when experiencing bipolar depression? “Think positive.” “It could be worse.” “Snap out of it.” I’ve heard it all,...
READ MORE
Years ago, I learned firsthand that serving others in need can also help alleviate the heaviness of a long episode of bipolar depression. Bipolar Depression on Thanksgiving Years ago, when I was a 20-year-old with a new diagnosis of bipolar disorder, my parents had dragged me—kicking and screaming—from my native land of California to the...
READ MORE
Is there a secret to managing bipolar and maintaining a successful relationship? Perhaps. Over the years, my wife and I have found that teamwork is essential. If the video is not showing, click here. An Open Dialogue: Partnership & Managing Bipolar Disorder Managing bipolar disorder is no easy feat. The same could be said of...
READ MORE
Sometimes our choices and actions don’t align with our conscious intentions, especially when it comes to self-improvement. Here’s how to put an end to habitual self-sabotage. Often, we know what is best for us, we just have a hard time either starting to make a change or sticking to it when the symptoms of bipolar...
READ MORE
Parenting can be challenging on its own. Add bipolar moods, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way. Parenting road maps are difficult to sort out as it is; we have so many choices to consider—whether we are working with one tiny baby or a pack of tweens...
READ MORE
Often family members of those with bipolar do not fully understand what their loved one is going through. Empathy and education are invaluable tools. If video is not showing, click here Family Members Seeking to Support Loved Ones with Bipolar I’m going to be speaking with you about bipolar disorder and family. In particular, how...
READ MORE
Friends and family often have questions about bipolar, so I invited mine to a BP Q&A! Here we address moodiness, heredity, and how to help someone you suspect is experiencing a mood episode. Because we each experience the world from our own perspective, it helps to have open conversations about bipolar with the people around...
READ MORE
Trusting someone with your heart—and well-being—is a leap of faith. Here are the essential ways my significant other supports me with my bipolar disorder. We will have many different kinds of relationships in our lives, but one of the most important and impactful is having a life partner. Someone who sleeps beside us at night,...
READ MORE
Naturally, my journey with bipolar has had its ups and downs. It took time, faith, family support, and a lot of persistence to come to a place of mood stability and genuine happiness. In the depths of my bipolar depression, I never could have imagined living the life I now treasure. My Lifelong Dream Since...
READ MORE
A recent health concern requiring medical tests, doctor visits, and more appointments complicated not only my daily living but also my bipolar, triggering a depressive episode. Here is how I got through it and came out the other side. Regular Maintenance, a Reality of Bipolar Let’s face it. Sometimes, having and dealing with bipolar can...
READ MORE
When a person we love is hurting, we want to somehow love them out of their depression. This rarely works. Instead, try helping them to harness their inner drill sergeant. Why Love Isn’t Enough Bipolar depression is an illness, like diabetes, so—unfortunately!— love is not a treatment. I learned this from my 10-year relationship with...
READ MORE
In trying times, works of faith bring comfort, acceptance, and peace of mind. These verses and suras provide solace when bipolar complicates our lives. There are times when things get difficult and I need something a little extra that I can’t grasp. When this happens, I turn to my faith. Faith is believing in something...
READ MORE
If you are regularly or suddenly dealing with suicidal thinking or ideation, there’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Tell someone! I’m so glad I did. If video is not showing, click here My name is Jon Press. I have bipolar disorder, and I experience suicidal ideations. I have had them, on occasion, over...
READ MORE
Mental health advocacy is extremely invigorating, fulfilling, and challenging work. My journey shows the rewards of this work, plus how imperative it is to consider the required patience, dedication, and commitment. [Trigger Warning: This post mentions past struggles with suicidality.] Feeling “Cursed” after My Diagnosis of Bipolar In 2005, I suffered a major breakdown, and,...
READ MORE
Lately, there’s been a battle in my head—my own thoughts are warring with the cruel monster of bipolar disorder and its lies, all while I hear my psychiatrist’s voice in the background. To keep pushing forward, I’m focusing on the basics: sleep, medication, connection, and creativity. Bipolar Disorder & Feeling Hopeless It’s been a season...
READ MORE
Losing my job because of this pandemic meant also losing my much-needed daily structure. With my go-to strategies for stability out of reach, I didn’t know how to manage “empty” time, isolation, and my bipolar. So, I used my calendar to make “appointments” with myself: complete a task, socialize virtually, exercise, and practice self-care. It’s...
READ MORE
We all need a little prompting to make use of simple, yet effective, feel-good options to ease bipolar stress when life gets difficult. During periods of high stress, our moods can wane, our appetites may change, and it can become difficult to concentrate. As we navigate through life with bipolar during these anxious times, it’s...
READ MORE
Grief overwhelmed me. I lost not only my dear father, and his love and support, but also my entire sense of self. From ongoing dissociation to budding psychosis, my mind resisted coming to terms with this reality. Last summer, my dad turned 82. But not really. Two years prior, he passed away suddenly, just before...
READ MORE
Mania can sneak up on me. When I recognize that I’m about to experience an episode, I turn to specific steps to keep it from escalating. Sudden Onset of Mania Manic episodes in bipolar disorder can be scary. Often, due to a phenomenon called anosognosia (where a person is not aware of their own behavior...
READ MORE
