Journaling is something I’d dabbled in throughout my life but had never really committed to. What did I even have to write about? Why spend all that time and effort? I couldn’t convince myself enough to get started, or if I did get started, I’d abandon the effort after one or two entries. I had a few notebooks, I think I made a LiveJournal at one point in my life (ha!), but nothing lasted. The importance of journaling just didn’t hit home until recently. Just over 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Receiving the information that I had been living with bipolar disorder w ..read more

  Award-winning researcher Dr. Holly Swartz breaks down the “bipolar clock”, and proposes a fresh approach to take charge of your bipolar symptoms by timing your light exposure, temperature, body position, eating, and social contact. Dr. Swartz also shares the science behind social rhythm therapy (SRT) and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) in helping to reset your biological body clock and take charge of your bipolar symptoms. Hosted by Dr. Erin Michalak. Chapters and Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:13 About Dr. Holly Swartz 04:00 Circadian Rhythms Are Key ..read more

We’re giving away 2 copies of “The Social Rhythm Therapy Workbook for Bipolar Disorder” by Dr. Holly Swartz To mark the launch of Dr. Holly Swartz’s new book, we’d like to send 2 physical copies of “The Social Rhythm Therapy Workbook for Bipolar Disorder” to talkBD podcast supporters anywhere in the world! Here’s how to enter the giveaway: Follow us on our Instagram or LinkedIn Comment on our Social Rhythm Therapy Workbook giveaway post on Instagram or LinkedIn, with the hashtag #talkBD Tune in to the “The Bipolar Clock” talkBD episode! Winners will be picked at random and contacted on Apri ..read more

The Biggest Bipolar Disorder Event on the Internet For over 48 hours on March 19th 2024, the CREST.BD network is hosting our 6th annual “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) on Reddit in honour of World Bipolar Day. The 2024 AMA When: March 19, 2024 (goes on for more than 48 hours!) Read the AMA:  r/IAmA on Reddit This year, we are starting our AMA on March 19th, days before World Bipolar Day in March 30th (as it falls on Easter weekend). This AMA will take place on r/IAmA on Reddit! It’s a platform for question and answer events, where anyone with a Reddit account can ask a question. Ou ..read more

A Personal Perspective: Dealing with the aftermath of my psychosis The shame that accompanied the psychoses I went through was complex, biting, and multilayered. It went beyond the things I did, extending to the fact that I entered psychosis in the first place and then lost all agency. The stigma of psychosis looms large. Assumptions of violence and unpredictability are typical. Full-blown psychosis thrust me into a frightening state beyond my control. No control. The upheaval was humiliating. I ran down the street naked; had sex with strangers; yelled at people I cared about; pushed a friend ..read more

“Let’s stop believing that our differences          make us superior or inferior to one another.” – Miguel Angel Ruiz  Before returning to Canada and re-entering the work force at the age of forty-two, I worked for a few years in England as a part-time child protection social worker. As things turned out, my working life was completely extinguished a brief eleven years later. My once promising career, began to limp along like an old jalopy, then sputtered, and died. “Get an education”, my father had said, “and you will always find employment and ..read more

Over 2,400 years ago, Greek physician Hippocrates first detailed symptoms of “opposite” mood states – what we now understand as mania and depression. Throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era, vivid descriptions of melancholy and euphoria continued to surface, drawing focus to a set of distinct symptoms that appeared to occur in cycles. In this special talkBD episode, psychiatrist Dr. Manuel Sánchez de Carmona dives through centuries of evidence to uncover the fascinating story of manic-depression – and how we’ve come to know the condition today as “bipolar disorder”. Hosted by ..read more

  Psychiatrist Dr. Joanna Jarecki shares a powerful story of living with bipolar disorder – from spiralling into depression to being taken to hospital in handcuffs during mania. Dr. Jarecki reveals how her experience with bipolar I disorder turned her to psychiatry to help others in their recovery journey, and delivers a heartfelt message of hope that living well with bipolar disorder is possible. Hosted by Dr. Erin Michalak. Chapters & Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:52 Growing Up & Early Signs 03:01 First Depressive Episode: “My World Was Ending ..read more

Sara’s Research Journey I joined the Digital Divide study, in Dr. Shelly Ben-David’s lab, as a research assistant to gain research skills related to mental health topics. Shelly and I quickly bonded over our appreciation of nature, community-based participatory research, and experiences working with youth in mental health settings. Years prior, I worked in youth mental health and substance use settings in greater Vancouver’s and in the downtown east side. During my street outreach days, I accompanied youth to hospitals, clinics, and harm reduction services. I witnessed their voices not represe ..read more

Psychiatrist Dr. Joanna Jarecki shares a powerful story of living with bipolar disorder – from spiralling into depression to being taken to hospital in handcuffs during mania. Dr. Jarecki reveals how her experience with bipolar I disorder turned her to psychiatry to help others in their recovery journey, and delivers a heartfelt message of hope that living well with bipolar disorder is possible. Hosted by Dr. Erin Michalak. The post Bipolar Psychiatrist: Your Diagnosis Is NOT Your Prognosis | Dr. Joanna Jarecki | #talkBD EP 38 ? appeared first on CREST.BD ..read more