Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

The End of Bipolar Disorder Depression Isolation

The following is an excerpt from latest blog on Bp Magazine.

by Julie A. Fast

I used to think that being alone was a strength. I grew up with the very 1980s and 1990s idea that we have to ‘learn to be alone in order to really be with another person.’

That might make sense if you are stable and life is going well.

For people with bipolar disorder, alone-ness and learning to be by yourself before you can really succeed can be dangerous if taken out of context.

I have found that accepting people into my life when I am depressed is far more difficult than being alone. Depression makes me isolate. It makes me see the phone as an instrument of torture. It makes me [ Read More ]

Bipolar Happens! is a Bestselling Bipolar Disorder Book on the Kindle

Bipolar Happens: 35 Tips and Tricks to Manage Bipolar Disorder is often the #1 Bipolar Disorder book on the Kindle.

That’s exciting. I went to the Kindle store to see how my books Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder were doing on the bipolar disorder page. These books are in the top ten ranking- and then I saw that Bipolar Happens! was doing well on Amazon.

Fantastic! Bipolar Happens! is an enjoyable book about a serious topic.

Guess what- it’s only $.99 I want it to be available to everyone.

Yes, I think this is a great deal and a good way to get helpful information about bipolar disorder at minimum cost. Bipolar Happens! was my first book. I knew I wanted to talk about how I manage [ Read More ]

Interview in Slate Magazine for a Daughter who Has a Father with Bipolar Disorder

I was just interviewed for Slate Magazine regarding a daughter who wants to help a parent who has bipolar disorder manage an inheritance. Fascinating. I LOVED talking with columnist Helaine Olen. My interview is in the second section.

Here is the question from a reader to Helaine Olen for her

How Do You Help a Parent With a Spending Problem?

column:

Helaine,

My father recently received an inheritance. He intends to spend part of it on a house, and I assume save the rest for his retirement, which is eight to 10 years away. Here’s the issue: My dad has bipolar disorder. The condition is under control with the help of medications, but he has experienced severe manic episodes in the past that have caused him to become impulsive and reckless, financially and otherwise. He’s made [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder is Episodic… and that’s a positive!

Bipolar disorder is episodic. This means that what you are going through today will not last. I remind myself of this when the mood swings are raging. I take myself back to when I was stable and remember that episodes end.

I work on myself while I am in an episode to get back to stability. It takes the majority of my time.

My work suffers. I isolate. I cry in frustration at what this illness does to me.

But, this is so much better than not helping myself. It’s so much better to know what I am up against than to wonder what is wrong with me.

There is NOTHING wrong with me. I have a physical illness called bipolar disorder and I do what I can do get back to stability [ Read More ]

BP Magazine Article: Bipolar Depression Distortion

It takes a lot longer to worry about getting things done than it does to actually finish a project. This is something I’ve taught myself over the years. As I work on my new book, I have to remind myself to his daily. If I let myself, I would worry more than I would write.

Isn’t amazing how this illness can distort our thoughts to the point we don’t even know who we are anymore?

Isn’t it shocking that we can be fine one day and then suddenly the world turns to black and white and all that was once joyful turns to sand?

It blows my mind that I can be someone who doesn’t worry on one day and then wake up and the worry has taken over my life.

Yes. It [ Read More ]

Positive Changes in Our Bipolar Disorder World

I’m writing today to share good news about the changes I see in our mental health world. I’ve been rather despondent for years regarding the struggles we all seem to go through due to bipolar disorder. This includes those of us with the illness as well as the families, partners, friends and health care processionals who want to help us live stable and productive lives.

What is the good news?

We all know more help is needed from the outside world, especially in terms of government support and today I see it happening. If you’re on Facebook, you know they often share old posts where you can see what you in the past. This morning, I saw a post from two years ago where I wrote:

How many more times [ Read More ]