Category: mental illness issues

What to Do When Your Doctor Can’t Help You

I know what it feels like when your doctor says they can’t help you. I’ve had this happen many times. I’ve experienced everything from being fired by a doctor to having a doctor deny me care altogether. These are rough things. Any time your doctor says they can’t help you, it’s tough to take. But there are things you can do, even at that point. Here’s what to do when your doctor says they can’t help you.

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How to Help Others Understand Mental Illness

Helping others understand mental illness is no mean feat. When it comes to tackling this problem, no one would blame you if you just felt overwhelmed. Some people are very resistant to the realities of mental illness, and creating understanding seems almost impossible. That said, while not everyone will respond positively, I believe we can help others understand mental illness.

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10 Truths About Suicide and Suicide Attempts

There are many truths about suicide that are important to understand. If you or a loved one have attempted suicide, you are concerned for a loved one about suicide, or have had a loved one die of suicide, there’s a lot to be said, and people are often scared about saying it. This fear leads to silence, and silence on this topic is painful and can be deadly. But suicide is not a dirty word; there is nothing wrong with talking about it. To that end, join me for 10 truths about suicide that we need to talk about.

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Memory and Cognitive Problems in Bipolar Disorder Plus Coping Skills

Memory problems are common in bipolar disorder, as is cognitive impairment. It makes sense, really. If our brains misfire when it comes to mood and its related symptoms, why wouldn’t they misfire in other ways as well? People don’t like to talk about this, though. People enjoy the narrative that those with bipolar disorder are more intelligent than others (which is not true), whereas the reality, which is that people with bipolar are additionally impaired, is something people like to glass over. But people with bipolar have memory and cognitive problems.

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Severe Depression and Pain — What Is Allodynia?

I know when my depression is severe because of the pain, because of the pain that is allodynia. Allodynia involves physical pain where the pain wouldn’t normally be present. And while I don’t need any additional reminders that my depression is severe, allodynia provides one all the same. Read on for information on physical pain and allodynia in depression, including how to treat this type of pain.

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What Do You Do When You’re Suicidal?

Spending Time Suicidal

I’ve been unfortunate enough to need to know what to do when I’m suicidal. I know I’m not alone. I know there are many people out there thinking about the same thing. Because, let’s face it, while there’s lots of advice out there on what to do when you’re “down” or anxious or hypo/manic, there’s very little advice on what to do when you’re suicidal. I think this is because people don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to think about it, either. But, unfortunately, life insists that I do. So, here are some thoughts on what to do when you’re feeling suicidal.

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How to Start Writing a Book About Your Mental Illness

I get asked about how I wrote a book about my mental illness all the time. My book is Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar, and I published it in 2016. It has done very well for me, and I don’t regret writing the book for a moment. That said, writing a book about mental illness is not for the faint of heart. It’s harder than you think, and many people find it less rewarding than they think. If you carefully think ahead, though, you can avoid some of the pitfalls.

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Separating My Emotions from Bipolar Emotions — How Do I Know Which Is Which?

Bipolar emotions and my genuine emotions are two different things, even though they come from one brain. In fact, they can be two opposite things. It’s quite complicated to separate a bipolar emotion from my legitimate, organic emotion. What I often find is that the bipolar emotions are so overwhelming that my genuine emotions get drowned out. I feel like I’m trying to separate s specific drop of water from the ocean.

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I write a three-time Web Health Award winning column for HealthyPlace called Breaking Bipolar.

Also, find my writings on The Huffington Post and my work for BPHope (BP Magazine).

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