Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

We Can Learn the Signs of Bipolar Disorder Mania

We can do anything once we know what we are up against. When I was finally diagnosed with #bipolar disorder at age 31, I had an answer to the eternal question of, ‘What is wrong with Julie!?” This gave me a platform to change. I learned about the illness and came up with a management plan. It’s in my books. I use it daily. It works for anyone affected by bipolar disorder. Parents and partners are my focus and believe me, you can learn to help someone with bipolar disorder even if the person doesn’t want to accept your help right now. You can- we can- anyone can learn the signs of this very obvious and easy to spot illness once the signs are listed. It’s not complicate to [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder and Brain Injury Poetry

A confession. As some of you know, I had a biking accident in 2012 where I severely injured by back and hip. Rehab has been rough to say the least, but I’m doing it. What I haven’t shared much as I am still processing the information is that I also experienced a traumatic right brain injury during the crash. It’s called a TBI. I can fill a book with all of the terrible things I have experienced due to the crash, but I would rather share some of the magical experiences that were a result of my concussion….especially….. Poetry. I have always been a writer and I can basically rhyme anything, but poetry has never been my talent. After the injury, the poetry flowed out of me in a torrent. I [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder: The Corkscrew, Garbage Pail Illness

corkscrew

People withbipolar disorder have depression, mania, anxiety, psychosis, ADHD symptoms and restlessness. You are not alone if you have these symptoms- sometimes all at once! I call it a corkscrew illness and the garbage pail illness. We have ALL of the symptoms of most major psychiatric disorders when we are in an episode. We are STABLE when we are not in an episode. Julie

Can you Create Happy Holidays When You Have Bipolar Disorder? Of course you can!

Do you have plans for the Festive Season? Do you have plans for New Year’s Eve? NOW is a great time to work out who you will see and where you will be. We are social creatures- as seen by the Santa mob below. If you have a tendency to isolate and not take care of your needs during the holidays, what can you do differently this year? If you usually get overwhelmed and burn out during the holiday seasons, what can you do to voice your absolute right to say NO to what you can’t or simply don’t [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder and Work

Ah. Bipolar and work ability. It often takes me two hours to get myself situated to work for one hour. This is not fun for me. But….. It means I get work done.

Before I taught myself to manage this illness, I couldn’t work. Now I can. It’s not as much as I want and it’s never when I want, but I work.

I have a career based on 25 work hours a week. That is all I can handle.

You can learn to manage this illness to the best of your ability. It won’t be the ability you see in someone else. It will be at your pace. Accepting this is the path to getting better.

It’s not fair, but I want to stay alive, healthy, stable and happy. So I [ Read More ]

Where’s Julie? Oxford University Mental Health Panel on October 25, 2016

The Student Mental Health Crisis – What Next?

I’m speaking on a mental health panel at the Oxford Union at Oxford University in England on October 25th and could use your help. If you are a college student or know a college student in the US who has bipolar disorder, what is available at school for helping the student? I’m sure the British crowd will ask me about the US system. I know a lot about it from a parent perspective and would like to hear from someone who is actually in school. Thanks!

From the Oxford Union website.

The Student Mental Health Crisis – What Next?

25% of adults suffer from mental health conditions; this figure doubles among Oxford students. [ Read More ]