Living with Someone Who Has Bipolar Disorder and Learning as You Go: How to Support Someone with Bipolar Disorder; Part 2

First, let me say it is not easy living with someone with bipolar disorder. Their severe depressions and highest of manic episodes can ruin relationships. Even people who love the person and have supported them for years, can eventually throw up their hands and be done. It is understandable because they have to watch out …

Things Not to Say to Someone with Bipolar Disorder

When someone tells you they have bipolar disorder, there are things you can say that are helpful and some that are not. Below are the things that are not: Video We all have our ups and downs.We are all a little bipolar.I know how you feelYou're acting crazyYou're acting like a psychoDid you take your …

How to Avoid Doing Things in a Manic State That you will Regret Later

While in a manic state, especially if you are coming out of a deep depression, it is easy to use your manic energy to get a lot of things done that you couldn't do while in the bout of depression you just came out of. Like I said, it is easy to do a lot …

Guest Post: Author of Rambler- A Family Pushes through the Fog of Mental Illness Interviewed

How do you think your memoir, “Rambler,” will be helpful in 'writing away the stigma'? The stigma associated with mental illness is tricky to overcome because the symptoms involve a person’s behavior and thinking, making it difficult for people to think of the fluctuations they see in a person as an illness. Neuroscientists are making …

Movies and TV Shows With Characters Who Have Bipolar Disorder

  These movies and television shows are not in any particular order.  Some are fictional and other movies are more factual including some biographies.  Some of them do a better job of depicting someone who struggles with bipolar disorder.    Touched with Fire:  Two poets who have bipolar disorder meet in a psychiatric hospital and …

Picture of Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Bipolar Disorder is a mental disorder marked by alternating periods of elation (mania) and sadness (depression.)

Are All Medications Taken For Bipolar Disorder worth the risk?

I want to make it clear up front that in no way I am encouraging anyone to go off their medications.  If they are working for you and you are staying stable as a result, that is great.  However, I would be careful about the side effects. Are they worth it?  Keep a close eye …

I’ve Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Now what?

If you have recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it could be a relief because you finally know there is a reason why you have been going through the things you have been.  You might have found out because you were admitted to the hospital for either suicidal thoughts, extreme depression, or a manic episode. …

Bipolar Bandit’s Story

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION FOR THE FIRST TIME  I have written a brief story about my battle with my mental illness, but have decided to elaborate on it and break it down to focus on small parts of my life at a time. I hope that by writing these particular blogs I can help at least someone …

Letters in words Manic Depression Describe words Mania and Depression ( now called Bipolar Disorder)

Bipolar Disorder was once called Manic Depression. This is an acronym describing manic depression. It includes many of the symptoms related to bipolar disorder/manic depression. Below is a picture describing bipolar disorder using the letters of manic depression as the starting letters.              CHECK OUT THE VIDEO i

My Opinion on 1st 3 short stories of “Call Me Crazy”

I have bipolar disorder and often get upset by the way not only the media portrays mental illness, but also by how Hollywood does. In the case of "Call Me Crazy", the case is different. I was really impressed with the first three  short stories.   One dealt with a law student with schizophrenia and …

8 Tips If You Feel Like You are getting Manic

  1. It is really important to have a great relationship with your psychiatrist. Be honest with how you feel. If you feel like you might be getting manic or hypomanic, make sure you contact your doctor. 2. Make sure you are taking your medications. You may want to evaluate whether or not you should …

Guest Post: Living with a Mood Disorder by “Diary of an Arizona Girl”

Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm not a serial killer. I've never been a character on Criminal Minds. All I really am is just a girl with a mood disorder. My 2003 diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety/Panic Disorder and OCD explained so much to me about my life. But it left me with even more …

How to Help a Friend or a Loved one who has Bipolar Disorder

Finding out that someone you know has bipolar disorder can be a shocking thing.  If you truly care about the person, you will accept them for who they are and ask them to talk about their illness if they are willing to. Be prepared that they may not want to be around you when they …

Guest Post: Stormy’s Battle with bipolar disorder, MPD, and Fibromyalgia

Hi my name is Stormy and I am 47 years old. I was diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) at the age of 30. Six years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I see a therapist twice a month for the MPD and bipolar disorder.  I also have group therapy that my therapist coordinates. …

How Do People with Bipolar Disorder Deal with Things They’ve Done While in a Manic Episode?

I have had several manic episodes in my life. Some of the things I have done, I don’t remember. However, I do remember bits and pieces of each manic episode.  Over time, it is easier to deal with them. I usually sink into a deep depression after my manic episodes so I keep focusing on …

Guest Post: Getting off the Roller Coaster Ride?

My name is Jane Marie Rouse and this is my story: It starts when I was adopted at 3 days old.The family thought I was special and I had a good early childhood but that changed when special turned into different as the symptoms of bi-polar started to surface when i was 12 years old. …

Facing a Mental Illness while in School

While  watching this video about a student who comes back from being absent from school for two weeks because he was depressed, it reminds me of when I was in middle school and high school and would miss school for the same reason.  VIDEO (Unfortunately no longer available)  This student had a lot of courage …

Guest Post: Rita and Her Struggle with Bipolar Disorder

I was 19 years old when I first began to experience symptoms of bipolar.  I knew something was wrong with me at the time but didn’t want to believe it.  When I would cycle out of a hypomanic state into depression I called it the “slump”.  My hypomanic phases would last months and l absolutely …

Guest Post: I Have Bipolar Disorder and Can’t Forgive Myself by Anonymous

  When I was very young I was always sad, frightened and life was difficult.  I had great difficulty at mixing even at a very young age and felt alienated.  When I was a teenager, my mother regularly told me that I must be a very selfish person to be the way that I am …