My Wellness Chat with Stigma Free Society is now available for online viewing!
Facebook Live Event January 27!
Join me on Facebook Live January 27th, 2022 at 11 AM PST / 2 PM EST for a discussion with Stigma Free Society! I’ll be talking about my recovery journey and my book. The event will be recorded so if you miss it, I’ll share the viewing link here.
Unhelpful Advice for Bipolar Depression
International Bipolar Foundation Interview is Live!
I was recently interviewed by the International Bipolar Foundation about my book! Check out the video on YouTube.
I’m Thankful For My Bipolar Diagnosis
You may find it surprising, but I’m actually thankful for my bipolar diagnosis. My dad—who struggled with bipolar disorder his whole life—died by suicide when I was 24. Four years after I lost him, I experienced my first major depression. I had a delayed reaction to his death because it was so traumatic for me. That was when I myself was diagnosed bipolar.
At the time, the diagnosis was terrifying. It felt like a death sentence. I just kept asking myself, “Will I end up dying by suicide too?”
My whole life, I’d struggled with inexplicable impulsivity, racing thoughts, irritability, and tumultuous relationships. I’d always known something was wrong with me, but I didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t until I had a psychological evaluation, underwent therapy and found the right mood-stabilizing medication that I was able to find answers. I finally had a name for the tornado that had been raging in my head for as long as I could remember. My bipolar diagnosis has ultimately made me stronger.
My Latest bpHope Vlog: Bipolar Disorder and Impulsivity
bpHope Vlog – My first video!
Daddy Issues: A Memoir
My memoir has been published!
It’s now available on Amazon.
If you subscribe to Amazon Kindle Unlimited, my book is available for free through their program as well.
I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone for their support.
I hope you enjoy reading my book.
Accepting the Grey Spaces Help Us to See the Light
A Guest Blog From Alexis Zinkerman
of A Mile A Minute
It is grand larceny to waste away the dull moments in life. Mania allows us to fill the dull spaces with everything. But true happiness is a balance of white, dark and grey spaces.
My memory often fails me as part of my illness. It feels fragmented like a dream. Since being diagnosed bipolar 1 25 years ago, it has been a long struggle for stability. Sometimes I feel I’m in a spin class rapid cycling to the loud beat of several different tunes. My motormouth was always on green light going miles for every minute.
5 Ways I Keep Myself Focused
Last week, something frightening happened to me. I was talking to a friend about Downton Abbey—a TV show we both love—when I couldn’t remember one of the main character’s names. I pictured him clearly, and I could describe everything about his experiences on the show. He’s my favorite character, but I just couldn’t recall his name to save my life. I racked my brain, but I was stuck. The harder I tried to focus, the blanker my mind became. Before you say to yourself “Oh, I’ve done that, it’s not so scary,” consider this: I usually have a perfect memory for things like movie titles, and actor and character names. This was way out of the ordinary for me. I don’t know about you, but because I live with bipolar disorder, any potential disruption in my thought patterns worries me. It could be an indication of an impending episode, and that’s not something I take lightly.