Hi, Have you ever become depressed after an excellent event? It definitely happens to me. I had an amazing time talking with people on my radio show yesterday and I’m proud of my work. The people who called in were so supportive and had great questions. The phones were full one hour before the show. People had to call back. I had more email than I could answer.
It was good!
Then, the minute I walked out of the studio back to my car I went into a downswing. It was a tough one as it takes away my pleasure from something I worked so hard on.
Bipolar disorder does this to me. It’s not real in terms of how I FEEL. It’s an illness. By the end of the night I was feeling a lot better. I managed to get pleasure from the day.
Stress causes mood swings- and bipolar doesn’t care if it’s stress with a positive outcome or stress with a negative outcome- it’s all the same to bipolar. I will just deal with it. Life is stressful. I can survive these mood swings- and I will!
Julie
Hi there,
As a reminder, I’m having a call in radio show for the first time today! If you scroll down, there is a blog entry with all of the details. You can read all about the radio guests and today’s show at www.juliefast.com/radio
I’m having my typical pre show anxiety. It has been quite awful for months now! No matter how much I prepare or how well the shows go, I have the anxiety every time. It’s a physical thing.
In celebration of this anxiety, I’m going to offer my anxiety treatment tips throughout the show today. I have to laugh at it and make the changes needed. The show must go on!
I hope you can call. Julie
HI All, I just received this from my radio station- it has a good explanation of my mental health radio show.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AM 910 KTRO WELCOMES THE JULIE FAST SHOW TO ITS WEEKEND LINEUP
(Portland) – May 9, 2008 – AM 910 KTRO welcomes The Julie Fast Show to its weekend lineup.
AM 910 KTRO is please to announce the addition of The Julie Fast Show to its weekend lineup! The Julie Fast Show which airs on Sunday’s from 3pm-4pm PST, offers straight talk on mental illness through education, inspiration and lively conversation. Guests include health care professionals, writers and people who are affected by mental illness in general. Host Julie Fast, shares her experience as a person with chronic bipolar disorder and gives her audience insight into ways to manage all mental illnesses more effectively.
Topics include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, PTSD and war, borderline personality disorder, child and adolescent psychiatric disorders, romantic relationships, friendships, mental health memoir writing and more. The Julie Fast Radio Show openly talks about the reality of mental illness, from the struggling stories to the triumphant.
Julie Fast is the bestselling author of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and Get it Done When You’re Depressed. She is the recipient of the Eli Lilly Achievement Award and the Mental Health America Journalism Award.
Justin Mansfield, Programming Director for AM 910 KTRO states “We are thrilled to make to our programming lineup! I really think that Julie’s knowledge and experience will benefit many people in the Portland area.”
**
If you click on the radio tab to the right, you can hear a few of the shows from this blog. They will be on Itunes soon! I keep saying that, but it will happen!
Julie
After much request, I am finally doing a listener call in show this Sunday. I willl answer any and all mental health questions.
The show is from 3-4 PM PST on Sunday, June 1st.
I will post the call in phone number closer to the date.
People outside the US can email questions that I can answer on the air.
Julie
I’ve received so many kind and supportive letters about my new radio show. I wish I could answer more of them! I just received a nice letter from a radio listener. She asked why there was not a show posted the past few weeks. Well… I had NO idea how much work the show would be. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my working life- but easily the most stressful endeavor of my working life. It’s definitely more stressful than writing books. I’m learning what real stress feels like. It’s hard to deal with, but not impossible. It’s nothing like the stress that comes from being sick with bipolar disorder.
I was a bit scared when I took on the show that I would have a lot of mood swings. I’m so used to getting sick when I work too much. In the past, too much was part time.
I know what stage fright – I should say radio fright- feels like now! I spoke to over 200 people for an event a few months ago. I had no stress and loved giving the talk. But the first few weeks of the radio show were so bad that I couldn’t go out at night on the weekends at all. I sometimes doubled over with a stomach ache. I felt anxious and downright panicked. It was odd. I knew I could do the show. I never thought it would be easy. But I honestly had no idea what it would feel like to go on air and be so nervous I could hardly talk. If you listen to the first shows, it may be hard to tell, but I was so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up. I could hardly breathe and the show felt like I was under water.
It’s getting better. My fabulous cohost Avi has made such a difference. Have you heard his voice? Believe it or not, he had never been on the radio and just turned out to be a natural.
This is longer than I intended! What I wanted to say is that I have a new show that should be up within the next day. It’s on child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and I’m very proud of it.
I can do this. Taking a risk is the only way to reap big rewards.
Your support means so much to me.
Julie
