Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

A Moment of Beauty to Calm a Worried Mind

It’s Normal to Be Worn Out if You Have Bipolar Disorder

It is normal to get worn out if you have bipolar disorder. And before someone writes and says, “Everyone gets worn out Julie!” Please know that the type of WORN OUT that those of us with bipolar disorder experience is NOT experienced by the general public.

This is bipolar worn out!

Julie

PS: Click here to read my latest blog from Bp Magazine on the topic It’s Normal to Struggle if You Have Bipolar Disorder.

Parent of a Young Child with a Mental Health Disorder?

I’m looking for three families who want to be a part of the team for my new book Hortensia and the Magical Brain: Poems for Kids with Bipolar, Anxiety, Psychosis and Depression. Hortensia and the Magical Brain is a book of therapeutic poems for kids with symptoms of mania, depression, anxiety, psychosis, ADHD, irritation, violent behavior and so much more. The book will be a conversation starter for parents and health care professionals to help kids talk about their symptoms when they don’t have the words to explain what is happening in their brains. Parents on the editing team will receive poems to read to their kids to see how the child responds and what suggestions the child has for changes to the poems. [ Read More ]

Caught in the Borg of Depression

Hopefully, when I share my struggles with bipolar, psychosis and anxiety you can feel less alone with what you go through.

I write books on mental health management. I have all of the tools you can possibly imagine at my finger tips. I do everything you read in my books. My relationships are non contentious. I ask for help when needed. I know my symptoms and I have a plan for stability.

And I still get sick! Darn it! This nasty illness is so sneaky and like The Borg it sucks the life out of me!

That is the nature of mental illness. There are positives of course. I am 75% better than in the past.

But the 25% that remains is rough!

No matter how vigilant [ Read More ]

Julie, What are the side effects of lithium? What is lithium orotate?

I want to stress that all drugs have potential side effects- even natural salts like lithium. Side effects are NOT the same for everyone. I have friends who have been on lithium for over 30 years with little to no side effects and normal kidney function. There there are people like myself who get great relief from lithium, but can’t take it regularly due to side effects. Common lithium side effects include a very strong thirst, lethargy and a dull feeling in the mind. It can affect reading ability and writing. Memory can be a problem as well. Weight gain and increased hunger are also side effects. The most serious side effect in my book is APATHY. This means the person on lithium loses interest in doing things that once brought [ Read More ]

Bipolar and Marijuana: What is Dabbing?

Dabbing is advertised as a nice spoon full of honey- it’s not. A dab is a straight shot of THC into our brains. Let’s be careful and learn about bipolar and THC.

Bipolar disorder and marijuana education: What is dabbing? One of the top concerns I see in bipolar disorder management today is marijuana and dabbing. The use of high THC pot is linked to an increase in psychosis and mania in those of us with bipolar disorder. The highest concentrate of THC when people use weed is creating wax from dabbing. The process is explained in the article linked below. The more we educate ourselves and keep an open mind into how we can stay safe and stable, the better we can help our sons, daughters and partners [ Read More ]