*Photo by Jong Marshes on Unsplash Water is one of the most important and healthiest things you can put into your body. However, water is often one of the easiest things to overlook. Living with bipolar disorder, I am constantly reminded of treating my mind and body with the respect they deserve. To function at…
For over two decades, I have been managing bipolar disorder, learning about it, how to cope with it, and how to keep it at bay. This has been no easy task. After all, trial-and-error is extremely time-consuming and exhausting. When I first started on my journey, post-diagnosis, I never dreamed that discovering the right treatment would…
Have you ever heard of “treatment fatigue”? If you live with bipolar disorder and have never heard of the term, treatment fatigue is what you experience as you look for a successful treatment plan. Over time, searching for the right treatment takes its toll on you. I know it did for me, and it still sometimes happens to…
By Natalie Dale, MD “I long ago abandoned the notion of a life without storms, or a world without dry and killing seasons. Life is too complicated, too constantly changing, to be anything but what it is.”– Kay Redfield Jamison, An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness Unstable Resident I was diagnosed with Bipolar…
Many times throughout the past few years, people have asked me, “Is there a ‘cookie cutter approach’ to the treatment of bipolar disorder?” I wish I could answer with a resounding yes. That would make things so much easier. Unfortunately, there is no “cookie-cutter approach” to the treatment of bipolar disorder. That is one of the main reasons…
This year has been overwhelming. As someone who is inherently empathetic, this overwhelming feeling has intensified to the point that I am both mentally and physically exhausted. I do not bring this up as a way to throw a pity party for myself. I share it to show that if you feel the same way…
by Paul Marlow Today I am going to help you create a winning blueprint, a blueprint for making it through those mentally tough days. To give you the best chance at positive mental health from sunup to sundown. Realizing the power of creating these mental health routines took me over eight months, and I want…
I am a firm believer that we all have more control than we realize. One of the main ways you can take control is to empower yourself. Perhaps this sounds difficult or overwhelming. At first, it was for me, too. Over the years, I have learned it is more important to take preventative action in managing…
We all have heard of expectations, but have you really thought about them? For example, think about these questions: Until recently, I felt discouraged when it came to the people in my life. I’m not saying everybody disappointments me—please don’t get me wrong. I had an epiphany, you might say. The expectations I set for…
*Photo by Damian Markutt on Unsplash By Steve Poehler I am a white male in my late 30s. I live in a middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs of mostly white Oregon. I certainly do not consider myself “racist.” I bring all of this up so you can understand where I’m coming from. Let’s just call it what it…