Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

I’m here in Monterey Bay, California for three days of presentations. I can’t wait to meet everyone. I brought lots of books and many, many stories to share. Please stop by and say hi. You can read all of the details on my Julie A. Fast Facebook page. It’s a great place to leave me a message during the events. I will check it regularly. If there is a topic you would like me to cover in one of my sessions or if you have a question, please post it on Facebook and I will make sure I answer it this week. Julie

My mother is a genius when it comes to helping me with bipolar disorder, but it didn’t start out that way. It took her many years to know how to help me. I created my treatment program (The Health Cards) in 1998. There was definitely a learning curve for my family. When someone has bipolar disorder, family members want to help, but they rarely know how. All of the comforting techniques that work on others don’t work when a person is in a mood swing. Family members have to educate themselves.

It’s natural to say, “But you have so much!” when someone you love is depressed. It never works. It’s natural to say, “Why can’t you just focus? It’s a really simple thing to clean your house.” It’s natural to [ Read More ]

I am sitting here with author, speaker and mental health advocate Gayathri Ramprasad. (Click here to read her original guest post.)

She just told me this story.

“The Indian national motto says: Satyameva Jayate. In English it means, “Truth Alone Triumphs.” As a child I was raised by parents who taught me that honesty is the greatest virtue- they were hardworking and modest people. And yet I remember at age 25 in 1987 sitting in a psychiatrist’s office in Bangalore, India getting my diagnosis of depression and anxiety and in a heartbeat believing that my truth about mental illness would destroy not just me and my family but generations to come.

Unfortunately things haven’t changed a whole lot- we are still so terrified to share the truth [ Read More ]