Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Must Read Article: Researchers Crack Codes for Lithium, Electroshock

This is really exciting news about bipolar disorder treatment. I haven’t heard anything new treatment wise in a long time! I take lithium and had ECT in 2010, so I found this incredibly interesting. I’m interested to know what you think.

Click here to read the article.

Julie

Letter From a Partner with Bipolar Disorder (Pt 1)

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder Letter from a Partner with Bipolar Disorder Pt 1

by Julie A. Fast

This is part one of a two part series for partners.

The following is a note from a person with bipolar disorder to their partner.

Here are the qualities a I would love to have in a partner!

1. Consistency. I can then model you when it’s hard for me to manage my moods.

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.

3. Willing to read books about bipolar disorder– especially Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder. These are great books for discussion.

4. Loving, kind and very, very honest communication. You have to tell me how you feel if I upset [ Read More ]

Get it Done When You’re Depressed…. in the car

Get it Done When You’re Depressed

I had an idea today- and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. I’m going to put a copy of Get it Done When You’re Depressed on the passenger seat of my car= so that when I’m driving around and can’t FOCUS or GET TO WORK or MAKE A DECISION I can just look at the table of contents and know what to do. Yes, I wrote it- but I still have to use it daily.

I hate not being able to easily settle down. I feel so guilty and unhappy when I don’t get my work done.

Julie

GTD: A great car companion.

Bipolar Disorder: True or False

True or false?

It’s estimated that 4-6 % of the US population has bipolar disorder.

……………………..

It’s true! Old statistics basically used Bipolar I as a criterion for the 1-2% estimate of people with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is now seen as a spectrum all the way from cyclothymia (a mild form of bipolar disorder), to bipolar II (bipolar disorder with hypomania) and finally Bipolar I- with full blown mania.

I’ve always known that the 1-2% numbers were way too low just from my own experiences. Everywhere I go, someone knows someone with bipolar disorder.

Now you know why the numbers are so different depending on what you read. I think that the more realistic 4-6 % will be used a lot more in the future.

Julie

Bipolar Happens! is on the Kindle. Practically for Free!

Bipolar Happens! is on the Kindle.

Practically for Free!

My book Bipolar Happens! 35 Tips and Tricks to Manage Bipolar Disorder started my writing career. The Health Cards Treatment System for Bipolar Disorder was ready and I used it every day, but it wasn’t yet in book form.

It had always been my dream to write a book. I said to myself, “What would I want to read if I were just diagnosed with bipolar disorder? What would my mother want to read?”

The immediate answer was STORIES!

Bipolar Happens! is a book of stories. They are not traditional- few books tell stories about anxiety, animal hallucinations, euphoric mania and suicide, but I knew they would be interesting to anyone affected by bipolar disorder.

I’ve sold the paperback copy of Bipolar Happens! [ Read More ]