Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Explain Depression to the People in Your Life

My book Get it Done When You’re Depressed has a strategy on how to explain depression to the people in your life.

Here is an example:

When I’m depressed I have trouble deciding what to have for breakfast, what to wear and definitely don’t look forward to my day. Work is two to three times more difficult than usual. Time goes slowly and my brain tells me how worthless and unhappy I am all day. This happens because my brain is not functioning correctly. There is nothing really wrong with ‘me’. I hope you can understand that. But there is definitely something wrong with my brain. This is why I truly appreciate your help.

I tell my family and friends what I’m going through so that they can help me every time I get [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder Mania and Psychosis: Are you in there Ivan?

When my former and much loved partner Ivan got sick, it happened very, very quickly. There were small signs for weeks that we missed- but that’s understandable and no one had ever even heard of bipolar disorder in my family.

We knew something was wrong on the day of his 21st birthday party.

He looked different- his eyes were wide and his face was very illuminated. He talked constantly and had very strong opinions on things he had never found interesting in the past. He told me how to parallel park my car and he didn’t drive!

We laughed because it was all so crazy. What was he doing? He’s a fun and interesting guy, but all of this talking and disagreeing and telling us his ‘genius’ ideas was not like him at all. When it became bizarre, we [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder and Baby Steps

A friend of mine just wrote me that she was having a hard time with her bipolar disorder and she had to remind herself that it’s all about baby steps- especially when you are first diagnosed. This is what I wrote back. When I read it I thought it might be a message that could help other as well!

Oh yes. It’s baby steps for the rest of your life- but it gets easier because the hard times have a lot of good times in between. I went a long time without a down swing and then had a bad reaction to a medication for my back. It reminded me of how much I hate depression. I then wasn’t able to get to sleep- and I was reminded of [ Read More ]

What is Bipolar Disorder Mania?

I Just Posted Answers to your Blog Comments

Ah yes! It’s always a goal to answer my blog posts- and today it happened! Check the list of the latest blog comments on the right and you will find my answers under each comment. I wish that I could answer all of my blog and social media comments. It’s not always possible, but I do read each one and am very thankful for all of the support- and am always fine if you don’t agree with my opinions. It’s the spice of life! Julie

Julie Fast on Bipolar Disorder, Pot and Spice- the name for synthetic pot…..

New video from the Daily Mail talks about synthetic pot in prisons. Spice…. it sounds nice, but it’s dangerous for people with bipolar disorder.

Click here to watch the video and come back to read my opinion!

All of my newsletter readers and blog readers know how I feel about what I call the New Psychotic Pot that’s been legalized in two states so far here in the US. Now, we have a bigger problem in the world- synthetic pot. I spoke to a lot of younger people when I was in California last week- (wow, when did I get old enough to call those in their 20s ‘young people’ he hehe! ) I said this and I stick by it, “I don’t care what people without bipolar disorder [ Read More ]