Uncategorized « Straight Talk on Managing Bipolar Disorder

Julie A. Fast Interview on Voice of America Radio Live Today

Listen to Julie A. Fast live on the Voice of America Radio show ‘Caught Between Generations’ today at 12:30 PM PST, 3:30 PM EST. Click on the ‘listen live‘ link on the webpage to hear Julie talk about depression and bipolar depression in children. Topics include: 1. Do children get depressed? 2. How do you know the difference between a teenager’s growing pains and actual depression? 3. How can parents talk to kids about suicide at any age? 4. Are there different kinds of depression- what is the most dangerous? 5. How does a caregiver help someone with depression without losing their own ability to enjoy and function in life? Episode Description

Are you living with a family member who has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or [ Read More ]

Tips to End Severe Bipolar Depression

Remind yourself that depression is an illness. The symptoms will always be the same.

– Lack of joy in what used to bring joy. This does NOT mean you need to change your life. It means you need to end the depression so that you can again experience joy. Many people make the mistake of leaving relationships, quitting jobs and thinking a big change is the answer to ending depression. I suggest that managing depression is a better choice.

– A sense that you will never get better. This is a symptom of depression. Depression is a succubus. It lies. I call depression the most successful illness in the world. It does the job well. I fight this by accepting that I am going to lose work time and energy while I am depressed. It feels like I am drowning [ Read More ]

On the Road with Bipolar Disorder

You can plan for everything when you travel. You can work on your bipolar, deal with the time change, make sure your relationships are good back home, study languages, save your money, pay for a great place to stay, pack your bags well, DO IT ALL!

But you will never be able to control the situation created by the people you meet.

My trip to England last year could be described as a perfect storm of what you don’t want to happen when you arrive in a new country.

The first day I arrived, I was attacked by a huge and I do mean huge dog. On the second day, I realized that my friend’s marriage was abusive and falling apart before my eyes. I was staying in [ Read More ]

Common Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

1. Inability to stay in a job for long.

2. Difficulty working despite possessing the qualifications to do the job.

3. Money problems.

4. Feelings of being overwhelmed by job requirements or other life responsibilities.

5. Sadness and frustration over inability to work or get things done.

6. Feelings of hopelessness about the future.

I lived with these symptoms daily until I learned to manage my bipolar disorder more successfully. I want to encourage people with bipolar disorder to see the list as what life is like without a good management plan. Once the plan is in place, everything changes.

We are able to find work that fits our needs.

We can create relationships that help us stay stable.

We can learn to live a life filled with joy and good times vs. life [ Read More ]

Guest Blogger Noor Baizura: What’s my Unique Signature Relapse?

by Noor Baizura

Every each one of us is unique.

That is why Stigma deserves a stick in the eye.

Our unique personality, experience and nature

Requires us to navigate how we interact and react

To the people and environment around us.

With Bipolar Disorder, we have unique reasons that triggers our highs and lows.

So we need a unique recipe, set of tools and map to navigate our road to recovery

For our unique and amazing destiny in Life.

There is wisdom in both our pains and pleasures, but are we ready to discover and embrace it?

This powerful awareness and knowledge is what I call The Unique Signature Relapse.

It is only [ Read More ]

Chris Cornell: When Suicide Doesn’t Make Sense

Sometimes, people commit suicide and we are able to make some sense of why it happened. It’s scary and upsets our world, but on a basic level we think we understand. Robin William’s suicide comes to mind. He had a history of depression and his health was failing. Oh how we all wish he could have found more help, but I don’t think it was as much surprising as it was devastating and sad for the millions who loved him when he died. Then there are suicides that make no sense. The idea doesn’t fit with how we see the individual’s personal life or fit with how they describe their life in public. The partner or other loved ones are shocked and usually vehemently deny that the person was acting suicidal. Society likes to look for something deeper when they hear that the person wasn’t outwardly suicidal. A possible secret life or maybe the [ Read More ]