Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Watch Out for Summer Mania! BP Magazine Article

Watch Out for Summer Mania is my most popular article from BP Magazine.

We all have to be careful of mania in the summer. Our brains love the sun a bit too much and mania peaks as do hospital stays when the sun comes out.

Click here to read the summer mania article.

Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might get manic or is getting manic. If you’re feeling the symptoms of mania right now. You know what to do!

PS: Sun is a wonderful thing- but it can also be very sneaky. Be careful!

Newsletter: Five Mistakes People With Bipolar Disorder Need to Avoid!

I’m very proud of the BipolarHappens.com newseltter. The following is an example of the quality advice you will receive when you sign up to your right. I try to make the newsletters fun and informative.

Five Mistakes People With Bipolar Disorder Need to Avoid!

1. Overuse of caffeine. Ah yes, coffee, tea, Mountain Dew, energy drinks and even the natural stuff. They keep you up for a while and then either lead to the shakes or a crash. They then cause sleep problems. If you have more than one regular coffee a day, simply ask yourself if it affects your sleep. If it doesn’t, then have it! If, like me, only one iced coffee late in the afternoon will keep me up for hours, then you have to think if it’s worth it.

[ Read More ]

Bipolar Hypomania vs. Full Blown Bipolar Mania

That sounds like a boxing match. People who have full blown mania have Bipolar I. People who have hypomania have Bipolar II. It’s extremely important that you know what diagnosis you have.

I have quite a few friends with bipolar I. All of them have been in the hospital because of psychotic mania. If you have been hospitalized or you know someone who has been hospitalized for mania- they have Bipolar I.

I have Bipolar II. This means that I have all of the same depression symptoms as Bipolar I, but my mania is milder- which is why it’s called hypomania. Hypomania is so sneaky- it can destroy your life just like full blown mania- but because it’s milder it’s usually seen as a lack of personal control and is often not diagnosed.

Do you have full blown mania or hypomania? I talk about this in all of my books. It’s important to know the [ Read More ]

Does Your Partner Have Bipolar Disorder? You are Not Alone.

Group Coaching Call for Partners of People with Bipolar Disorder

“When I went into this relationship there were two people, now bipolar disorder makes it feel like there are three.”

Does bipolar disorder negatively affect your relationship? You’re not alone if it does. Bipolar disorder is notorious for creating relationship problems. It’s also easy for you to get lost when a partner is ill.

Are you interested in the following topics?

Communicating with your partner during mood swings. Sex. (Just one word and yet so complicated!) The complex world of medications. Lack of insight or refusal of the diagnosis. An end to caretaking. Successful bipolar disorder management.

Then this coaching call is for you. Whether your relationship is doing well, but you need more bipolar disorder tips or your relationship is currently [ Read More ]

Wow! Look at those shoes!

When I have a lot of mood swings- managing bipolar disorder becomes my job. Everything I do has to be examined- will this help me get better? Will this make me more ill?

It’s hard. I just want to be a person who gets up, works, sees friends and family, has fun and goes to bed. That is my dream! I have lived it a few times.

When the bipolar comes back, I have to be ready for it.

This afternoon, I saw a nice looking woman who was in her 50’s walking down the street. She was very well dressed. The well part of me thought, “Wow, those are great shoes!” The sick part of me thought, “What is the point of even looking at her shoes, we will all be dead eventually.”

It takes a lot of work to have [ Read More ]

My Daughter Has Bipolar Disorder. Can you help?

Hi, I just received this comment about a presetation I gave to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) a few weeks ago.

Julie. . . .we attended your speech in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday night. My daughter is having a hard time right now and any little “light” that she can see is SO important, so you can imagine how important it has been for her to be exposed to your hopeful messages. the time you took to speak to us afterwords was invaluble. When we were in the car she said, “Julie wasn’t ashamed- she just stood up there. ” I can’t thank you enoug for the time that you took to speak with us afterward! We bought the Health Cards. Haven’t had time to [ Read More ]