By Dr. Lynette Charity, Board-Certified MD, Anesthesiologist & Keynote Speaker Hello, my name is Lynette Charity MD, and I suffer from depression. Becoming a physician was my dream come true. I still remember watching the TV medical drama Ben Casey when I was 9 years old. The year was 1961, and I lived in the…
The medical model of treatment is comprised of medication management and therapy. Finding a therapist may seem intimidating and overwhelming, but I am here to provide you with some guidance. What To Look For In A Therapist When looking for a therapist, you must ask yourself some direct questions. The answers you get from these questions will help…
Progress is something you need to gauge regularly. Reviewing your progress will help you decide if the treatment plan you are following is successfully managing your bipolar disorder. Successfully managing your bipolar disorder will lead to greater stability. This will give you more control over your illness. The result is stability. Lifting Weights is Similar to…
The dictionary defines success as, “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose; the attainment of popularity or profit; a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity.” For those of us living with a mental illness, the definition takes on a whole new meaning. I live with bipolar type 1, and I see firsthand…
When I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, my doctor sat me down, and we had a heart-to-heart. Triggers of a mood episode were the focus of the conversation. My doctor went on to explain that medication would be the foundation of my overall treatment plan. She told me I would have to adopt a healthy lifestyle comprised…
Have you ever wondered about the different types of bipolar disorder? When I was diagnosed back in 1999, there were three types of bipolar disorder: bipolar type 1, bipolar type 2, and bipolar NOS (“not otherwise specified”). Fast forward to the present day, and you can see the change in diagnostic criteria of bipolar disorder…
The Ultimate Guide to Surviving When Your Partner Has Bipolar Disorder answers the question, “What are some strategies I should practice when my partner has bipolar disorder?” I picked the top 8 strategies I feel will help you and your loved one. This list is not at all exhaustive. Here they are in random order (mostly):…
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…
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…