Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

You CAN Get Well Enough to Work

After 15 years of daily bipolar disorder management- I’m really seeing the results. I never thought I would get better. I’m going to sound like a broken record on this, but it’s true. You can get better. I can’t give you a time frame, but it can happen.

By better I mean that I can work part time. It’s interesting that I would measure my success on this level,but I do. I have worked for years on my friendships and they are going well. They are always challenging,but I feel I have the skills to deal with what comes up- especially in terms of my jealousy and paranoia when I get depressed. I have a good relationship with my family. I can see a lot of good things in my life. It’s [ Read More ]

Bipolar Disorder and Suicide

Suicidal thoughts are normal when you have bipolar disorder.

I remember driving one day when I was very stressed and unhappy. I was on a busy road and saw a red light up ahead. My mind said, “Julie, you can just run that red light and a car will hit you and all will be taken care of!” These thoughts used to scare me a lot. I now know they’re a response to stress. When I told my friend Laney this story she said, “Well, your brain thought is was helping!”

So true. These thoughts are not real. They are manufactured by a bipolar brain. Don’t believe them.

If you are suicidal right now, you have options other than killing yourself.

#1 Say to yourself: I have bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts are normal. Say it over and over again until you [ Read More ]

A letter to the partner of a person with bipolar disorder

Dear Loving Partner,

Here are the qualities I so appreciate in you:

1. Consistency- this helps me stay consistent.

2. Understanding of my need for structure- and an equal understanding of how hard it can be for me to create and stick to structure. (This is a tough one and is often very hard on you I know.)

3. Willing to read books about bipolar disorder- especially Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder. We can then talk about the illness together.

4. Love, kindness and honesty. You have to tell me how you feel if I upset you- otherwise it stays bottled in and you will want to leave me. And then you feel guilty! ( I know you probably feel this way sometimes [ Read More ]

My Mother and Bipolar Disorder

My Mother Rebecca!

I am the luckiest person in the world when I get sick. My mother is always there for me. I can only imagine what it’s like for her. I don’t ask her about it much as it would make me cry. She does what she has to do. When I’m suicidal, she reminds me to use my Health Cards. When I’m manic, she gets out my cards to remind herself what to do. Actually, she has them memorized now, so she doesn’t have to read them anymore. She helped edit all of my books before I sent them to the publishing companies!

I can remember being so depressed one day I rolled around on the floor sobbing. Imagine being a mother and having to see your [ Read More ]

Famous Pioneers with Bipolar Disorder. Thank you!

Buzz Aldrin, Jean Claude van Damme, Linda Hamilton, Carrie Fisher and Patty Duke. These mental health pioneers talked about their bipolar disorder before society even understood the term. We owe them many thanks!

Thank you pioneers!

Generic Lamictal (lamotrigine) for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder and Medication Woes: Generic Lamictal ( Lamotrigine)

This is a long newsletter as it is a long story about bipolar disoder and genetic medications! This is a past story that is still relevant.

Have you noticed that bipolar disorder can sneak up on you in so many ways? I’m always amazed when it sneaks up on me and I get sick no matter how carefully I manage the illness. For the past few weeks, I’ve had a terrifically difficult time working. I have also been really hard on myself. I kept saying, “What is wrong with me! Why can’t I just sit down and finish this book project! It’s only about 20 hours of work and then I can get another book deal! Why am I putting off something that [ Read More ]