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Former Olympian Amy Gamble is my Coach on living with bipolar disorder as she sheds light on mental illness. She concludes: “I try to dream and set goals. I have accomplished a few along the way. But the really big ones elude me. I have had to learn how to be satisfied with the small…

I do not whisper. I ROAR.

Jan 11, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Parenting, Depression, Hypomania, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Motherhood, Parenting, Recovery, Stigma, Writing

Originally posted January 11, 2015 on STIGMAMA.COM I do not whisper. I ROAR. Kitt O’Malley | Stigmama Motherhood has been transformational for me. I am NOW building a new foundation. My identity changed. Now it changes again. I have constantly reinvented myself over and over during my lifetime. Going from majoring in biochemistry as a…

NAMI Ending the Silence

Jan 1, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Mental Health Advocacy, Migraine, NAMI, Psychosocial Education, Recovery, Stigma, Volunteering

Today is the first day of 2015. I’m bundled under covers in my bed typing on my laptop. My husband brought me cornflakes and coffee, so he could watch The Omen downstairs in Spanish. I am a scaredy cat and cannot watch movies with ominous (get it? the Omen, ominous) music tracks, even if I…

Journaling and Saying No

Jan 1, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Mental Health, Recovery, Writing

My journal entry last night: New Year’s Eve. Been awhile since I’ve journaled hard copy with pen in hand. Not sure how long this will last. So, what is it that I need write down here? I have no idea. I have no idea what brings me here – pen to paper. I write in…

NIMH Outreach Connection: December 2014

Dec 24, 2014

in Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, MHA, NAMI, NIMH, Recovery

Read the Latest Outreach Connection from NIMH National Institute of Mental Health sent this bulletin at 12/23/2014 02:41 PM EST Having trouble viewing this post? View it as a Web page. GREETINGS NIMH Director Thomas Insel, MD It’s that time of year when I like to reflect on what progress has been made in our…

IBPF Consumer Track Meeting

Nov 10, 2014

in Acceptance, Alcoholism, Bipolar Disorder, Dual Diagnosis, Health, Medication, Mental Health, Psychosocial Education, Public Speaking, Recovery, Substance Abuse

Yesterday I attended the IBPF (International Bipolar Foundation) Annual West Coast Meeting – Consumer Track. The one-day consumer track meeting covered quite a bit which I outline here, providing links to more information. David J. Miklowitz, PhD Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at…

IBPF West Coast Meeting

Nov 6, 2014

in Bipolar Disorder, IBPF, Mental Health, Recovery

This Sunday, November 9, I will be attending the Consumer Track of the First Annual West Coast Meeting of the International Bipolar Foundation in Anaheim, CA. To register, go here and choose: Consumer Rate – IBPF Meeting ONLY: $25.00 (Consumer Track Agenda) Regular Rate – 1-Day IBPF Meeting ONLY: $99.00 (Clinician Agenda) Regular Rate – Early Bird…

Excited or Overstimulated?

Oct 14, 2014

in Bipolar Disorder, Hearing Advocate, Hypomania, Involuntary Hospitalization, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, MHA, Mood Cycling, Psychotherapy, Recovery, Triggers to Mood Cycling, Volunteering

Volunteer training shadowing a Hearing Advocate last Friday either excited or overstimulated me. There can be a fine line between the two. Since then I’ve had trouble slowing down and turning off, and found myself glued to laptop, tablet, or iPhone until past my bedtime. I’ve resorted to taking clonazepam to turn off my brain and fall asleep.…

NAMI Week Ten

Sep 25, 2014

in Mental Health, NAMI, Psychosocial Education, Recovery

This was the last week of NAMI Peer-to-Peer Recovery Education Program ©. Last class agenda: Revisit BRIDGES Consumer Stages of Recovery. BRIDGES, Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education and Support, is a NAMI Tennessee copyrighted program that provides education and support to persons diagnosed with a mental illness. Here are the BRIDGES Consumer Stages of Recovery…

NAMI Week Eight

Sep 12, 2014