Today's All Things Bipolar Newsletter is now available

It includes my weekly update and continues the Surviving Bipolar Series.

#speakingbipolar #bipolar #mentallillness #mentalhealthawareness

https://speaking-bipolar.ck.page/posts/surviving-bipolar-part-16-friends-kept-me-busy-my-therapist-was-a-disappointment

Love can be challenging when fighting the bipolar monster.

Your mind can trick you into feeling false emotions

or make you feel none at all.

It’s tough, but love is vital for good mental health.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness #love

https://open.substack.com/pub/speakingbipolar/p/love-musicals-and-living-your-best?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=y4fp9

There’s no mistaking the sound of a body hitting the floor above you.

In full sprint, I bounded the stairs, jumping two at a time.

My dad has fallen several times, but never so hard that the house rattled.

As I turned the corner, one of the kitchen chairs was missing.

Looking down, I saw it lying next to my crumpled mother.

My entire plan for Sunday changed with a thud on the floor.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/@SpeakingBipolar/one-sound-changed-my-whole-day-b7d97e3e725a?sk=7c3bc2df6a512c7f03df0239785396ab

A new All Things Bipolar Newsletter is available!

#speakingbipolar #mentalhealth #bipolar
https://speaking-bipolar.ck.page/posts/one-sound-changed-my-whole-day-or-what-happened-last-sunday

Last week was stressful.

My aging parents are coping with new health issues.

My job is full of clients who ghost me or have wild requests.

To add insult to injury, I also took part in an online presentation.

Stress is a killer, and this is especially true when you have bipolar disorder.

So how do you cope?

Here are 6 things I did.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/healthy-ways-to-reduce-your-stress-levels-with-bipolar-f06c66a52ee3?sk=b951476e01dafea79714e8f78943d2ae

Leon MacFayden is a writer and the creator of the Substack: Policing Mental Health.

He writes for many publications, sharing his experiences as a police officer who experienced mental health problems for 20 years and recovered.

I interviewed him on my Substack this week.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://open.substack.com/pub/speakingbipolar/p/leon-macfayden-interview-q-and-a?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

My friends tell me they can’t swallow pills.

When I mention I take several medications every day, their face goes white.

Inside, I laugh every time.

I've shared many meals with these friends.

I’ve seen them swallow an entire slice of pizza or half a corn dog without chewing.

Yet, a tiny pill smaller than a pea?

They can’t handle it.

#Mindset is a funny thing.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/mindset-the-most-powerful-tool-in-the-fight-against-mental-illness-df22a4309da0?sk=54c3867225cd833cb70a6e31dc5c66b7

Did you see all of last week's content on Speaking Bipolar on Medium?

Here's a collection of links to all the newest stories.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/last-week-on-speaking-bipolar-august-13-2023-edition-1bb0a9866c4b

Many of my favorite journal entries are about time I spent with my soulmate.

Now that she’s gone, those memories are all I have.

At least a few times a year, I dig into those memories and spend a few days with Lizzy.

But sometimes I get stuck there.

What follows is how I start moving again.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness #grief

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/visit-the-past-but-dont-live-there-67b524864f5a?sk=32116ff4b8554b1ae6ab7888f6eb56a9

Whether you’re trying to find a way to remain stable with mental illness or pursuing a new career, very few things happen overnight.

Everything takes work and time.

Everything.

There will be times you feel you’re going nowhere,

but I promise you,

you are making progress.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/5-years-of-online-content-writing-a-reflection-on-progress-28f422a001d3?sk=355b2cd22f6458b7d75e99e6747fd73d

Grief is a funny thing.

When you lose someone close to you, grief becomes a lifelong companion.

Not every day is as tough as those first few, but grief shows up where and when it wants to.

Painful as it can be, taking time to feel your #grief helps you remain positive the rest of the time.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://open.substack.com/pub/speakingbipolar/p/walking-through-mental-graveyards?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=y4fp9

Imagine you woke up feeling good.

You got up on time, ate a healthy breakfast, and were ready to take on the world.

Then at work, your boss started barking orders and your co-workers were full of negative gossip.

It’s enough to send anyone into a downward spiral.

It can be hard to keep your mood stable during times of stress.

Here's how to handle bipolar symptoms on difficult days.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/how-to-successfully-handle-common-bipolar-symptoms-33e653f2eabc?sk=33819ab0fa3a7fc709e9edb152e56793

You’re in your pajamas, scrolling through pictures of a friend’s vacation.

They’re on a beautiful white-sand beach, the sun is shining, and the water shimmers like an emerald.

You start to feel a little down, wondering why you’re not doing more with your life.

“Why can’t it be me?” you think.

Shouldn’t you be further along by now?

Not necessarily. Here's why...

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #lifelessons #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/why-we-should-embrace-lifes-unknowns-7991d20b0b9c?sk=496b8edb1d3e49776de8e91c104bee5f

Bipolar disorder is a tough foe to fight.

I received my diagnosis back in 1995 (bipolar 1)

but there are still days I feel like a beginner.

On the hardest days, I still feel like I’m doing it all wrong.

The good news is you have fewer awful days when you learn to manage your mental illness.

Once you know what you’re fighting, here are some tools to help you do your best.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #lifelessons #mentalillness

https://medium.com/@SpeakingBipolar/how-to-improve-your-life-with-bipolar-disorder-e3a223383859?sk=ade1d4a6c470ced6d3c4619f8c71e13f

Beginnings can be messy.

Think of a baby boy, about six months old.

To me, that’s the age when you really start to see their little personalities develop.

It’s when they learn to sit up, giggle, and put everything in their mouths.

We take eating for granted as adults.

I’m a master eater now.

Many years ago, though, I was a baby boy, with teething cookie residue all over my face.

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #lifelessons #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/why-its-okay-to-be-a-messy-beginner-the-power-of-perseverance-cb529ff4bbb6?sk=0a7d67dab895e963bd515888105c85d4

There’s a nagging voice in your mind telling you it’s time for help.

You may want to ignore the signs showing up, but each passing day is making it clearer that something is wrong.

Could it be bipolar disorder?

Only a medical professional can diagnose bipolar disorder.

But you might see signs.

It’s important to understand how each symptom feels.

Here are 11 of the most common symptoms:

Read more...

#bipolardisorder #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/could-it-be-bipolar-disorder-11-common-symptoms-to-understand-c9f20fd936d1?sk=34b178d6ea848d0b17a80d8746678cc0

Matthew stormed toward the front door.

Just steps from the doorknob, when his father stopped yelling, Matthew heard a heavy thud.

Matthew spun around to see what his father had thrown, but it was his dad who was down, lying still on the thick carpeting.

He was no longer arguing, no longer breathing.

No lesson would ever teach Matthew more about the value of the words he spoke.

Read more...

#bipolar #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #lifelessons #mentalillness

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/you-cant-always-say-goodbye-so-make-all-your-words-count-1cf584e6d668?sk=d4c385123ced9c987b77eed6703cf401

Here’s a truth I don’t share with most people: I feel like a failure every day.

My business is not where I want it to be, my career pays me much less than I’m worth, and my mental health is like riding a roller coaster in a hurricane.

And we’re not even going to talk about relationships.

Yet, I'm not a failure, and neither are you.

Here's why.

Read more...

#bipolar #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #lifelessons #mentalillness

https://open.substack.com/pub/speakingbipolar/p/why-youre-not-a-failure-and-how-to?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=y4fp9

“I am bipolar.”

No other words cause more backlash than when I publish a post with those three words.

I don’t know why the phrase makes people so angry, but after being raked over the coals a dozen times, I’m using them less often.

As I’ve written before, to say, “I’m bipolar,” doesn’t bother me.

I believe everyone should be able to label themselves however they want.

But I also...

#bipolar #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #lifelessons #mentalillness

Read more...

https://medium.com/speaking-bipolar/bipolar-disorder-life-the-struggles-with-your-mind-are-unique-to-you-33204bc37b0e?sk=0655cb984b476df84de12c45c5cf8e0b

We are a lot like mountains.

There are a lot of things we can’t change.

When you received your mental illness diagnosis, it likely changed your reality.

I know it did mine.

Unless doctors discover a cure, it’s going to be part of your story for the rest of your days.

But it's not the end of your story...

#bipolar #SpeakingBipolar #mentalhealth #lifelessons #mentalillness

Read more...

https://open.substack.com/pub/speakingbipolar/p/mental-health-lessons-from-a-mountain?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=y4fp9