Is bipolar disorder illness really REAL? I ask myself this all of the time.

  I was diagnosed with ultra rapid cycling bipolar II with psychotic features in 1995. Now there is a diagnosis! I had my first hypomanic episode in 1980. So I have been living with bipolar disorder for all of my adult life. I’m 47 now. You would think that I would be used to it. I’m not. It always shocks me when I get really sick. The mood swings are just so odd. They can be so random and simply stupid-  I can get psychotic just because someone is rude to me in public? That is crazy! I have an argument with my brother and I get in my car and cry so hard I can’t drive? I go out and have fun and meet someone attractive and I get OCD so badly I never call the person again?

How about the depression that comes from change?  It can even be good change such as [ Read More ]





Posted on January 4th, 2011 | Tags: , , | Category: About Julie, Bipolar Treatment Tips

I just sent a special offer…

to the newsletter list. So please check your spam, because we know that is where most of the email goes these days!

It’s an exciting offer for newsletter subscribers only. If you are not on the newsletter, you can sign up to the right. You can then leave a comment below if you want to receive the special offer.

Today is going to be as best as I can make it- that’s my hope for today. Just keep going and keep working and keep being with people. That is my key. What’s yours? Julie

PS: this is a holiday special offer!





Posted on December 2nd, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Uncategorized

We can all get better and better no matter what…..

I’ve always known that it has always taken really big changes for me to stay well enough to work. Here are some of the changes I have made in the past few years.

- Celibacy (yes, celibacy!) – Less travel – No contentious relationships – Avoid work situations that will make me sick – Using my Health Cards daily – Visualizing my strategies from Get it Done When You’re Depressed – Watch inspirational reality TV instead of downer TV

I could write a lot more here! By the way, the celibacy thing is just a choice and not something people with bipolar disorder have to do to stay stable! Haha. But my goodness, it has helped. Especially when I get hypomanic and just want to drink beer and meet people.

My problem is that the bipolar has not being doing well. This means that I work every day to stay stable and sometimes the [ Read More ]





Manic Depression rapid cycling: What can one do?

Manic depression is such an old term. I like to use it once in awhile. It’s certainly descripitve! Now, on with the blog!

I ask myself this question a lot- so I will ask it to you. What can you do if your bipolar simply won’t stop affecting your life? I know that I do every single thing I write about in my books and have changed my life 100%. And yet there is still a problem. Bipolar disorder can be managed, but it doesn’t go away.

This sucks- pardon my French.

I no longer struggle with the ‘why me’ of having this illness. What I struggle with is working so hard every minute of the day and still being sick off and on. I do know that I would be in and out of the hospital without my plan. And I know I would not be able to do the work I love so [ Read More ]





Posted on August 16th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: About Julie

Waking up with strike three….

oh wow. Don’t you just love this illness. It is so great- it can actually cause you to wake up with three strikes against you before you get out of bed!

1. Crying as you get ready for your day.

2. Suicidal thought while driving to work.

3. Belief you will never be happy or that anyone will love you.

All by 8AM!

That is three strikes!

But- you don’t have to give in to them. Fight them- read books to counter act them (Get it Done When You’re Depressed is the one I use for this).

Your goal is to reverse the strikes minute by minute- hour by hour.

And make sure you wake up with no darn strikes tomorrow!

Julie





Posted on June 15th, 2010 | Tags: , | Category: Bipolar Treatment Tips, Depression

Hello to all and thanks for reading!

As you may have noticed, I have not been as active on the blog as I normally am. The reality is that I went through a period of quite serious illness where I spent all of my time getting better. I am better. And wow do I have a story to tell. I promise I will in the future. I know it will be the topic of my next article in BP Magazine- so make sure your subscription is up to date!

www.bphope.com

I have many blog questions to answer- and my goal for June is to get to all of them.  I will point out the questions that are answered in my books- and personally answer those that bring up new topics. Of course, if you want to know my treatment philosophy- it is outlined in the Health Cards- You can read about the Health Cards at www.BipolarHappens.com –  the system that [ Read More ]





Posted on June 7th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: About Julie
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