The Power of Awe
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
3d ago
My husband asked me if I wanted to watch this movie, Operation: Arctic Cure. He knows I love stories about people who face hardship. Sometimes they triumph. Sometimes they fail. But they’re always out there trying. Dan also knows that I like stories of Arctic adventure—mountain climbers, exploration ships, races to the pole, and the like. So he figured the movie would be perfect for me. And it was. It was a documentary telling the story of a handful of people cross-country skiing across Baffin Island, Canada, to reach Mount Thor, pictured above. What made this expedition different was that th ..read more
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Self-Care and Social Care
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
1w ago
We hear a lot about self-care these days. Much of the mainstream media seems to think that it means “shopping therapy,” indulgent desserts, spa days, and mani-pedis. Expensive things. Ones that you need to be able to leave the house to do. (Except for online shopping, of course.) Businesses are also quick to suggest self-care for their workers who are experiencing stress. What they mean by self-care is to take up yoga or meditation—on your own time and your dime. Real self-care may include yoga and meditation and even the judicious use of ice cream, but it’s much more than that, of course. Se ..read more
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Agency, Autonomy, and Mental Illness
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
2w ago
I once suggested to a writer that he should include chemist Clara Immerwahr in his book on notable women. After her education, she had no opportunities to do her own research, as it was the early 1900s. Instead, she helped her husband in his. In 1915, she killed herself because she couldn’t accept the weapons-related research on poison gases her husband was doing. My friend replied that he wanted the women in his book to demonstrate agency. At the time, I didn’t know what “agency” meant in any context than as an organization or business. Gradually, I learned what else it meant. And I looked i ..read more
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What’s My Blood Sugar and Why Does It Matter?
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
3w ago
In the past, I’ve had difficulties with my blood sugar. If I went more than four hours or so without eating, I got dizzy and weak. Fortunately, It’s not that difficult to arrange to get food within four or five hours. As long as I kept an eye on it, I wasn’t overly bothered. Although once I didn’t eat for about three days and didn’t just get dizzy, my entire body started shaking. But a good while back, when I was undiagnosed and unmedicated, I had a different relationship with food. When I was manicky (which in my case manifested as anxiety) I didn’t eat much. I got so skinny that I feared my ..read more
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Bipolar Poetry
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
1M ago
I used to write poetry, since I was in second grade. I continued through high school and college. I stopped because they kept turning into prose. So I wrote prose. I knew I could never make a living writing poetry anyway. Recently, though, I decided to try poetry again. I thought that instead of the free verse that wanted to turn into prose, I would try my hand at more structured poetry—villanelles and sonnets. And my subject: bipolar disorder, of course. Here’s what I came up with. Villanelle We understand there is both loss and gain and much besides we cannot think to know In trying to cont ..read more
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Sensory Overload
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
1M ago
I know that sensory overload can be a problem for people on the autism spectrum. Too much noise, uncomfortable touch, and assaults on the other senses can affect them negatively. I discovered this firsthand when my best friend, Robbin, and her ten-year-old daughter, Kelly, visited my house. My husband collects clocks, and the sound of all the ticking bothered the young lady. Then the clocks started to chime. They were not synchronized, and they sounded off one after the other, sometimes overlapping. It was noon. Kelly was visibly distressed by the sound, and they left soon after. I’ve had som ..read more
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What Does Body Temp Tell You?
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
1M ago
My husband and I have a dynamic that’s common to many couples. I’m always too cold and he’s always too warm. This becomes apparent at bedtime, when he has the window open and a fan on, and I’m wrapped up like a burrito in assorted quilts. When I ask how the weather is and he says it’s comfortable, I know I need to put on at least a sweater before we go out. What does this have to do with mental health? Well, the stats on major depressive disorder are alarming, especially among teens and young adults. “This is particularly concerning as the disease course is most likely to be malignant, and th ..read more
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Everything in Moderation
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
1M ago
Support systems are important for good mental health. There’s just something about sharing difficulties and successes with people who truly understand because they’re in the same place, facing the same issues. You get to say how you’re doing and what has helped you. You get to listen to what has helped others and incorporate their insights into your own journey. You get a chance to bitch and moan if that’s what you need to do. And after you’ve vented to people who share your pain, you feel better. During the pandemic, we learned the value of connecting without physical presence. In many ways ..read more
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How I Treat My Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
2M ago
There are many treatments for bipolar disorder, from SSRIs to EMDR and more. I must admit that I haven’t tried all of them, but I have encountered a few over the years. Some worked well, others not so much. But I’m doing well now, so I thought I’d share what works for me—my roadmap to stability. Note that I said, “How I Treat My Bipolar Disorder.” That’s because my treatment is up to me. My psychiatrist or therapist can recommend a certain treatment, but whether I take that drug, undergo that procedure, or engage in therapy is ultimately my choice. I look at my providers as people who recomme ..read more
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Is It Narcissism or Gaslighting?
Bipolar Me Blog
by Janet Coburn
2M ago
We know that narcissism and gaslighting both lend themselves to abusive treatment, but they are actually two different things. They’re both extremely destructive. They both have serious negative effects on the people around them. And people who are victims of narcissistic abuse or gaslighting face similar problems in determining what to do about it. Let’s take a deeper dive. Narcissism is a psychiatric condition—a personality disorder—that’s included in the DSM and has been recognized for years. The DSM says that NPD involves “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a con ..read more
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