The 2024 Social Health Awards ProgramEditorial Note: Nominations for 2024 are now closed. We are very excited to announce the launch of the 2024 Social Health Awards program! The Social Health Awards is an awards...Reactions0reactions
Do I Need Help? What I Wish My Supports Would Say (And What I Wish They Wouldn't)When I need help, there are things I hope my supports will do and things I hope they won't. But it's hard for supportive people to know what those things...Reactions0reactions
Avoiding a Tragedy in Love With Bipolar DisorderAs someone with bipolar disorder, heavy on the depression end, there are few things I've thought about more than love and happiness. I'm far from the only one. Everyone does...Reactions0reactions
How to Foster a Positive and Effective Doctor-Patient RelationshipThe doctor-patient relationship is such a critical one. I view it as a partnership that forms so you have someone on your side against the bipolar disorder. If you don't...Reactions0reactions
Where ADHD and Bipolar May OverlapAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder are two different mental health conditions, but they can sometimes share similar symptoms and characteristics. The similarities can make it difficult to tell the...Reactions0reactions
Hire Me! Why Employers Shouldn't Overlook Me Because of BipolarAs a person with bipolar disorder, it should come as no surprise that I feel employers shouldn't be overlooking those of us with the illness. In fact, I feel employers...Reactions0reactions
All Things TherapyFor most of us with bipolar disorder, medication plays a critical role in managing our symptoms. However, therapy is also a vital component in the effective treatment of the condition...Reactions0reactions
Should You Be Open About Living With Bipolar Disorder?About 12 years ago I decided to live openly with my mental disorders – high-functioning autism (HFA) and bipolar disorder. It was the right choice for me despite the difficulties...Reactions0reactions
Parents – Tell Your Kids About Your Mental IllnessMany mental illnesses tend to run in families. It's not always the same mental illness in every generation, but mental illnesses tend to clump. Despite this, people tend not to...Reactions0reactions
Special Considerations for Older People With Bipolar DisorderExperts are paying more attention to bipolar disorder in older people. People with bipolar disorder who are over 40 or 50 years of age have not always been the focus...Reactions0reactions
Grieving a DiagnosisWhen I first received a bipolar I diagnosis, I felt a wide range of emotions. My feelings were aligned with the stages of grief. Instead of grieving a loved one...Reactions0reactions
Sleep and Bipolar DisorderBipolar disorder is a lifelong mental health condition. It causes extreme changes in mood. There are episodes of emotional highs, called mania, and emotional lows, called depression. Bipolar disorder can...Reactions0reactions
Finding the Right Psychiatrist Is Not Always EasyI have been seeing psychiatrists for 25 years, and in that time, I've had various experiences with them. Sometimes, I've found psychiatrists to be the worst influence in my life...Reactions0reactions
5 Things Not to Say to Someone with Bipolar DisorderI have been a professional mental health advocate for 14 years now, and I have a lot of experience hearing supportive and decidedly unsupportive utterances. While people rarely mean to...Reactions0reactions
My Plan for Hypomanic Episodes – What I Do FirstI have bipolar disorder type 2, and thus, experience hypomanic episodes, not manic episodes. Hypomanic episodes have the same symptoms as manic episodes but are not as severe. However, even...Reactions0reactions
Want to Write for Us?Would you like to share your experience with bipolar disorder and help others? We're looking to add new voices to our Patient Leader team and would love to meet you!...Reactions0reactions
Having a Parent With Bipolar DisorderThe impact of bipolar disorder reaches far beyond the person diagnosed. Bipolar disorder can affect the lives of family and friends. While experience with bipolar disorder is unique, the mental...Reactions0reactions
What It Feels Like When Your Doctor Doesn't Listen to YouIt seems like many doctors don't listen to their patients, and when it comes to patients with mental illness, the problem tends to be even worse. Sometimes, I've been lucky...Reactions0reactions
Coping With Grief When Living With Bipolar DisorderThe goal of managing bipolar disorder is keeping mood swings minimal. Finding a good treatment plan and avoiding triggers is helpful. Some triggers, like grief, appear suddenly. Grief can be...Reactions0reactions
Why People with Bipolar Disorder Get MisdiagnosedWhen I saw a psychiatrist for the first time, I was incorrectly diagnosed. I thought I had bipolar disorder – the psychiatrist disagreed. He said I had unipolar depression (depression...Reactions0reactions
