# Kitt O’Malley

> Bipolar Writer and Mental Health Advocate


## Posts

- [I Don’t Allow My Façade to Slip](https://kittomalley.com/i-dont-allow-my-facade-to-slip/): I don’t allow my façade to slip I don’t allow myself to cry I fear what I hide behind My façade of functionality I hide my heart I hide my pain I wear armor To protect myself I fear what will happen If I allow myself to cry What will happen If I allow myself to feel pain I fear the unending abyss The pain that overwhelms The pain I’ve felt before The pain that was so great That the only way out I believed Was to end it To end my life I cannot feel that pain I cannot […]
- [Will I Start Blogging Again?](https://kittomalley.com/will-i-start-blogging-again/): I haven’t really blogged since I published my book, “Balancing Act: Writing Through a Bipolar Life.” Will I start writing again? For some time I did a bunch of podcast interviews, which you can find on my Media page. But the interviews started to bore me. I was telling the same story over and over again and simply got tired of sharing my story. Instead, I’ve been focusing my attention on volunteering for my local NAMI affiliate, NAMI Central Oregon. I redesigned and maintain their website, sit on their board, and coordinate volunteers. I’ve presented NAMI Ending the Silence to […]
- [September 30th is International Podcast Day!](https://kittomalley.com/september-30th-is-international-podcast-day/): What’s #InternationalPodcastDay? International Podcast Day™ is September 30th and is an international celebration of the power of podcasts. The official International Podcast Day event streaming schedule is below. On September 30, join our live broadcast on this IPD LIVE page or via our YouTube Channel, Twitter account, Facebook page, or Twitch stream.  https://internationalpodcastday.com/ What’s Kitt been up to? I’ve been doing the podcast circuit, keeping myself busy getting interviews on podcasts. Check out my MEDIA page, which is a work in progress. My MEDIA page is where I’ll keep this information up to date. I’ll share them on social media, too, of course. Here are the […]
- [September is Suicide Prevention Month](https://kittomalley.com/september-is-suicide-prevention-month/): If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. NAMI HelpLine: 800-950-NAMI (6264) Facebook.com/NAMI Twitter.com/NAMICommunicate Instagram.com/NAMICommunicate www.nami.org
- [Self-Care and Acceptance of Bipolar on WebMD](https://kittomalley.com/self-care-and-acceptance-of-bipolar-on-webmd/): Thank you, Alan Smith, of Creative Cabin Studios, for filming me about self-care and acceptance of living with bipolar for WebMD. Alan’s videography is stunning. Check out the video on WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/video/video-bipolar-acceptance
- [In My Own Voice](https://kittomalley.com/in-my-own-voice-2/): Back in 2016, after my local NAMI Orange County office hosted an In Our Own Voice (IOOV) training, I recorded these videos on my YouTube channel. In Our Own Voice (IOOV) Hi, I’m Kitt O’Malley The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, is the nation’s largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has become the nation’s voice on mental illness. With organizations and affiliates in every state, NAMI effectively provides advocacy, research, support, and education about serious mental illness. Members of NAMI include those living […]
- [There Is Hope - Call or Text 988](https://kittomalley.com/there-is-hope-call-or-text-988/): If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, 988 provides 24/7 connection to confidential support. There is Hope. Just call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org What Have I Been Up To? Writing? No, not writing. Volunteering? Yes! I’m volunteering for my local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter, NAMI Central Oregon. Last April, I had the honor to share my In Your Own Voice presentation at the Redmond, Oregon police department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). Next week, I’m sharing my story at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s […]
- [The ALPIM Spectrum](https://kittomalley.com/alpim-anxiety-laxity-pain-immune-mood-2/): Many of us living with mental illness have other chronic illnesses. Often, we are not treated for our “physical” illnesses, as many doctors dismiss them as psychosomatic. “Mental” illnesses ARE “physical” illnesses, and “physical” illnesses affect our “mental” illnesses. We are not just our brains, just our bodies, just our minds, just our feelings, or just our souls. The more we learn, the more we understand interconnectedness and comorbidities. The ALPIM Spectrum In the Spring 2015 issue of the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, researchers proposed The ALPIM Spectrum: A = Anxiety disorder (mostly panic disorder); L = Ligamentous laxity […]
- [May is Mental Health Month and I'm Hypomanic](https://kittomalley.com/may-is-mental-health-month-and-im-hypomanic/): You may wonder: “How’s Kitt?” Well, a bit high on hypomania, but sleeping well with the help of meds, and titrating off my SSRI (at least during these longer-day seasons which trigger my hypomanic symptoms). What have I been doing with my hypomanic energy and dog-with-a-bone focus? I’ve been active on social media, updating NAMI Central Oregon‘s website, and creating marketing collateral. Luckily, my husband and I will relax next week while celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. That’s a wedding pic of us at Lake Tahoe. Once I return from our romantic getaway, I’ll be joining NAMIWalks Northwest on Sunday, […]
- [NAMIWalks Support Free Mental Health Programs](https://kittomalley.com/namiwalks-support-free-mental-health-programs/):   As you may already know, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has played an essential part in my mental health recovery. Thanks to their programs, I live a full meaningful life with bipolar disorder. Now that I’ve moved to Central Oregon, I find community and purpose in volunteering for NAMI Central Oregon. It’s a new day for mental health, and I’m going to seize it — by participating in NAMIWalks Your Way 2022. This event raises funds for NAMI’s free, top-rated programs at a time when we need it most. It gives awareness of our cause a real boost, […]
- [Listen More Podcast with Paige Krystal Wilcox: Kitt O'Malley](https://kittomalley.com/listen-more-podcast-with-paige-krystal-wilcox-kitt-omalley/): Paige Krystal Wilcox honored me by having me as a guest on her podcast, Listen More. I had a fabulous time talking with her about how to represent characters who, like me, live with bipolar disorder. Paige is a gifted storyteller. Check out her work on Amazon. While you’re there, take a look at my book, “Balancing Act – Writing Through a Bipolar Life.” People around the world tell Paige about what they would like to see less and more of in stories with characters like them. In this episode, Kitt O’Malley speaks about the vital aspect missing from the […]
- [Self-Love and Self-Care Tips](https://kittomalley.com/self-love-and-self-care-tips/): Thank you, author Bash Sarmiento, for contributing this guest post of self-love and self-care tips. Posting Bash’s article in no way promotes the products he linked. Self-Love and Self-Care Tips Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels How come we always tend to find time for other things but quite rarely do we make time for ourselves? We keep deferring me-time because of work, school, and other commitments but when we get so tangled up in these various activities that mainly exhaust our productivity and motivation, who do we run to? Only ourselves. Self-love and self-care are essential. They provide us with self-confidence, self-worth, […]
- [It's A Wrap Podcast with Ron Rapaport](https://kittomalley.com/its-a-wrap-podcast/): Many thanks to Ron Rapaport for featuring me on his podcast, It’s a Wrap with Rap. Ron is a male breast cancer survivor and an advocate for the Male Breast Cancer Coalition. Ron’s podcast features those who’ve overcome adversity, inspire, motivate and educate. Listen to “Kitt O’Malley-Her Lifelong Journey With Bipolar” on Spreaker. Kitt O’Malley has been one of the leading mental health advocates for several years through her widely known social media presence and her groundbreaking blog. Ron talks with Kitt about her goals to affect change, break down barriers to care, and educate people about mental illness.
- [In My Own Voice](https://kittomalley.com/in-my-own-voice-2021-repost/): [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text] Back in 2016, after my local NAMI Orange County office hosted an In Our Own Voice (IOOV) training, I recorded these videos on my YouTube channel. In Our Own Voice (IOOV)   Hi, I’m Kitt O’Malley Mother of a teen son […]
- [Overwhelmed by Grief and COVID19](https://kittomalley.com/overwhelmed-by-grief-and-covid19/): Why Have I Been Quiet? Shortly after my mother died last year, COVID19 hit. My energy is sapped. Staying home during this horrific pandemic, I’ve cocooned with those I love most: my husband and our son. I cannot predict when or what I’ll be writing next. I cannot predict when I’ll return to mental health advocacy or actively communicate with others on social media. But, I’m Still Here I’m still here, alive and well, just quietly so. Reducing my online activities has helped me cope. I’m exercising self-care. I believe that I’ll be back before the end of 2021. I […]
- [Guest Post: Aliona Kuznetsova > Recovering from Bipolar Psychotic Episodes](https://kittomalley.com/guest-post-aliona-kuznetsova-bipolar-psychotic-episodes/): [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text] “I went mad twice, and twice I came back.” –Aliona Kuznetsova “You really shouldn’t be afraid to go to them. They won’t do anything without your consent at this stage.” I told my childhood friend, who came to me for […]
- [#Grief, #COVID19 & Fever](https://kittomalley.com/grief-covid19-fever/): Grief Reading this post, I fear that I come off as self-centered, concerned more with my physical health than grieving my mother’s death. Perhaps that’s denial. It’s hard to properly grieve when dealing with health issues amid a pandemic. As I mentioned in my February 24th post, my mother died last January. Since our mother died, both my sister and I have been busy dealing with the business of death. When my father died, I was consumed with the business of death before I could grieve. That’s my way of coping. I focus on taking care of business during crises […]
- [Bipolar Basics](https://kittomalley.com/bipolar-basics/):  
- [Best Bipolar Disorder Blogs of 2020](https://kittomalley.com/best-bipolar-disorder-blogs-of-2020/): [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””] Thank you, Healthline.com, for naming my blog as one of your best bipolar disorder blogs of 2020! I’m honored. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
- [Grieving, Not Writing](https://kittomalley.com/grieving-not-writing/): My mother died last month. My sister hosted a lovely family memorial for her this past weekend. I put together a slideshow, for which my uncle, my mother’s brother, related stories of their childhood. Now, my mind is mush. Grief mind. I do easy crosswords. My mother was an excellent crossword puzzler, unlike me, she could use a pen when filling in words. Now she rests in peace and love with our father. They loved each other deeply.
- [Balancing Act Self-Published to Amazon Kindle for Now](https://kittomalley.com/balancing-act-self-published-to-amazon-kindle-for-now/): [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””] To simplify my life, I decided to self-publish Balancing Act – Writing Through a Bipolar Life to Amazon only for now. My mother’s health is touch and […]
- [Back to the Drawing Board - Self-Publishing Balancing Act](https://kittomalley.com/back-to-the-drawing-board-self-publishing-balancing-act/): Unfortunately, my publisher is going out of business. Now I plan to self-publish Balancing Act. Wish me luck. Thanks!
- [Holiday Shopping?](https://kittomalley.com/holiday-shopping/): Looking for Mental Health Gift Ideas? Give the gift of Balancing Act: Writing Through a Bipolar Life by Kitt O’Malley. Praise for Balancing Act I highly respect these mental health authors. Add their books to your gift or wish lists! *** Kitt describes her struggle to manage bipolar disorder in Balancing Act.  Her profound knowledge of herself enhances her coping abilities as she learns to avoid triggers that will likely exacerbate her symptoms. She reminds readers that medication can only go so far and that a wide array of tools are needed to keep the illness under control. This book will bring […]
- [My Mental Health Journey](https://kittomalley.com/my-mental-health-journey/): [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_image_id=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” hover_type=”none” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” border_radius=”” box_shadow=”no” dimension_box_shadow=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”no”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””] MY JOURNEY [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_5″ layout=”1_4″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” […]
- [Balancing Act -- Writing Through a Bipolar Life is for Sale!](https://kittomalley.com/balancing-act-writing-through-a-bipolar-life-is-for-sale/): Balancing Act — Writing Through a Bipolar Life is for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble! Amazon Kindle ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y3Y1SXB Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1949351823 Barnes and Noble Nook ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/balancing-act-kitt-omalley/1133662748 Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/balancing-act-kitt-omalley/1133729222?ean=9781949351828 Books2Read Universal Ebook Link https://books2read.com/u/b5QBYk
- [What I've Been Up To Lately](https://kittomalley.com/what-ive-been-up-to-lately/): Guest Posts The Better Because Project — I’m Still Learning by Kitt O’Malley NewLifeOutlookBipolar — Living a Purposeful Life with Bipolar Disorder The Minds Journal — Living with Bipolar Disorder as a Mother The Good Men Project I Am More Than Bipolar I Will Not Cry Now Planet Neurodivergent profile — Kitt O’Malley – Bipolar Writer and Mental Health Advocate To-Do — write an article with the theme, “The Bright Side” (humor and positive outlook), due September 15th for October 15th publication Wish me the best in getting this piece done by the 15th. I’m worried that I have a […]
- [Ending Bipolar Disorder Stigma with Facts](https://kittomalley.com/ending-bipolar-disorder-stigma-with-facts/): Guest Post by NewLifeOutlook about Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that has gained notoriety over recent years. Many people recognize the name and may even know someone living with the illness. Typically, increased awareness of a mental disorder adds more clarity and understanding about the condition and reduces the stigma surrounding it. Unfortunately, with bipolar disorder, that is not always the case. There are still many misconceptions and misunderstandings about what bipolar disorder is and how people with bipolar disorder behave. To gain an understanding of the issue, it’s time to look past the myths to […]
- [Happy Birthday to Me!](https://kittomalley.com/happy-birthday/): Today I’m 56 years old! That means I’m well past the halfway mark of my life. Yikes! I hope to live at least three more decades, so I better start taking better care of my physical health by eating less high cholesterol foods and exercising regularly. Both my mother and maternal grandmother had strokes. Scary! To celebrate my birthday, I’ve rolled out my new website design thanks to the creative genius of graphic designer and mental health advocate Michelle Hammer of HammerTimeDesign.com and Schizophrenia.NYC. Soon, Eliezer Tristan Publishing releases my memoir, Balancing Act – Writing Through a Bipolar Life. To […]
- [Balancing Act Book Cover Reveal](https://kittomalley.com/balancing-act-book-cover-reveal/): Thank you, Michelle Hammer of HammerTimeDesign.com and Schizophrenic.NYC, for an absolutely awesome book cover design! Soon my memoir, Balancing Act: Writing Through a Bipolar Life, will be on the market! Thanks to everyone who has joined the Balancing Act Street Team Facebook group. I greatly appreciate your support in making my memoir a success.
- [Bipolar Kicks My Ass](https://kittomalley.com/bipolar-kicks-my-ass/): When I met with my psychiatrist yesterday, we discussed my diagnosis. I learned that since I’ve been hospitalized for bipolar symptoms, my diagnosis is type 1, not type 2. Since I’ve been ramping since July third, we agreed it was time to add low dose quetiapine (Seroquel), a sedating and mood-stabilizing antipsychotic, to my medication mix. The medication enabled me to get a good night’s sleep last night, but it wiped me out today. Though I managed to take my son to two doctors’ appointments, I had to nap between the two. Internalized Stigma Desperately wanting to think of myself […]
- [Balancing Act Book Launch Street Team](https://kittomalley.com/balancing-act-book-launch-street-team/): ARC, book launch, street team, Advanced Reader Copy, book review
- [Which Website Design Do You Prefer?](https://kittomalley.com/which-website-design-do-you-prefer/):  
- [Yes, I've Been Violent](https://kittomalley.com/yes-ive-been-violent/): My Mental Illness and Violence Hi, I’m Kitt. I’m bipolar, and I’ve been violent. Mildly so, for the most part. Flipped over a table once. Been known to slap in response to being called a f*cking b*tch. Don’t do that anymore, but fair warning: don’t call me a f*cking b*tch. My slap is powerful, as I played tennis in my younger years. Never killed anyone, but when in my mid-20s, I fantasized doing so when dealing with childhood issues in therapy (alcoholism & emotional abuse). Pretty disturbing intrusive thoughts and impulses post-partum, too. But I didn’t act on those either. […]
- [I Spoke in Public!](https://kittomalley.com/i-spoke-in-public/): Thank you, Lianne Sauvage, for inviting me to share my mental health journey at Belmont High School’s Mental Health Assembly! For my speech, I adapted content from My Bipolar Thoughts, my memoir work-in-progress. The speech was scheduled for 25 minutes! I plan to refine these speaking notes and use them again for future speaking engagements: My Mental Health Journey Expectations When my parents introduced me as a child, they always said, “Kitt is going to go to Harvard medical school and become a doctor when she grows up.” High school, I aspired to become a brain surgeon. Total overachiever. Medical […]
- [Writing My Book and Speaking Out Loud](https://kittomalley.com/writing-my-book-and-speaking-out-loud/): This morning
- [Love, Marriage & Mental Illness](https://kittomalley.com/love-marriage-mental-illness/): Been married 22 years today. Started dating 25 years ago. Some of us living with mental illness can and do have stable relationships. Some of us need someone else in our lives. My husband and I support each other, help each other, complement each other. Plus, we made a kid, now a young adult. Not easy. Not by any means. Stressful to love someone with mental illness or another chronic illness. Caretaking is not easy. But, it’s worth it. At least for us it has been. Important that you express gratitude. I’m thankful for all my husband does for me […]
- [My Eulogy to Grandma](https://kittomalley.com/my-eulogy-to-grandma/): This afternoon I came across the memorial announcement for my grandmother’s death (which brought tears to my eyes) and the eulogy I wrote for her memorial (which I share with you, for I still believe that God calls us to carry on). My Eulogy to Grandma February 1993 I brought this quilt here today because, for me, it symbolizes what I believe God calls us to do when an ancestor, when someone we love, dies. I made this quilt the past two weeks out of scraps from a quilt Grandma and my mother made eight years ago, as they mourned […]
- [Small Steps](https://kittomalley.com/small-steps/): Progress sometimes comes in small steps. This weekend I walked the dog with my husband, which meant I stepped away from my computer and actually went outside. Beautiful outside. Weather warm. Sky clear. Saddleback Mountain gorgeous, every nook and cranny visible as if I could reach out and touch it. Honestly, I find it hard to overcome inertia, to get up and get out. But when I do so, when I go outside, I benefit. My mood improves. My spirit lightens. Both my physical and mental health reap gains. Sunday I even ran a car-load of stuff to Goodwill, including […]
- [Who, Me, Dating?](https://kittomalley.com/who-me-dating/): At age 30, Kitt O’Malley moved in with her parents after treatment for debilitating depression resulted in psychotic mania which left her unable to do her work as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She left her career aspirations behind, and she started seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist who treated her for what was still thought to be chronic depression. So when the guy she was dating said “You’re the most independent woman I’ve ever met,” Kitt couldn’t help but laugh. She had never been more dependent in her life, but he didn’t see those circumstances or her mental illness. He […]
- [Best Bipolar Disorder Blogs of 2019](https://kittomalley.com/best-bipolar-disorder-blogs-of-2019/): Thank you, Healthline, for selecting me as a best bipolar disorder blog of 2019! Article is shared here.
- [Martin Short Quote on Death](https://kittomalley.com/martin-short-quote-on-death/): Martin Short’s wife Nancy died of cancer after almost 30 years of marriage. I love what he said about death in his AARP interview. I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them. This idea that it just ends, and don’t speak of them — that’s wrong. That’s based on denial that we’re all going to die. So to me, she’s still here. At the same time, her death emboldened me to take risks. With real tragedy, you become a little more daring. It’s the yin to the yang: the positive part of life’s dark side. […]
- [I Will Not Cry Now](https://kittomalley.com/i-will-not-cry-now/): To avoid feeling overwhelmed and hold back the tears due to loss, stress and worry, I’ve started delving into my ancestry online. My therapist reframed what I was doing as focusing, rather than avoidance. She thought it was healthy. Now that my father has passed away and my mother’s health has faltered, I’m really, really sad. I miss them both. My father is gone. My mother is still with us, but I miss speaking with her, playing word games with her, walking with her, taking her out for lunch. The pain at times overwhelms me. I don’t want to fall […]
- [Exhausted While Bipolar](https://kittomalley.com/exhausted-while-bipolar/): Recently I’ve been totally overwhelmed and exhausted. A virus almost took my mother’s life. Thank God she survived. Loving someone who is struggling for their life is hard. Really hard. I, too, was sick and avoided seeing my mother until she got so sick that cross-contamination was no longer an issue. Now, I’m still recovering, physically and emotionally. Exhausted. Totally exhausted.
- [Lynn Nanos Guest Post: Revolving Door of the Mental Health System](https://kittomalley.com/lynn-nanos-guest-post-revolving-door-of-the-mental-health-system/): Thank you, Lynn Nanos, LICSW, author of Breakdown: A Clinician’s Experience in a Broken System of Emergency Psychiatry, for this guest post. As a mobile emergency psychiatric social worker in Massachusetts, I evaluate many patients who have learned that getting psychiatrically hospitalized is more likely when they don’t take their medication and attend psychotherapy sessions. Too many patients are repeatedly readmitted to emergency services before inpatient is secured, despite that they needed this level of care months ago. Among those whose treatment implementation was delayed because they were not transferred from emergency services to inpatient care when this was needed, […]
- [](https://kittomalley.com/10187/): St. Patrick's Day. Miss my father today, my parents' first wedding anniversary since my father's death.
- [Funneling Exercise: Admired and Called](https://kittomalley.com/funneling-exercise-admired-and-called/): Characteristics I admire: Compassion, Creativity, Bravery, Love, Intelligence
- [Memory: A Poem](https://kittomalley.com/memory-a-poem/): Not too good with time Past, Present, Future My mind erases what is not in front of me. Too many other thoughts and concerns competing for my attention. -Kitt O'Malley
- [Recovering from Hypomania](https://kittomalley.com/recovering-from-hypomania/): Recovering from hypomania and fatigue. Need to relax, slow down, and heal.
- [Hypomanic: Something Had to Break](https://kittomalley.com/hypomanic-something-had-to-break/): Struggling with symptoms of hypomania
- [Creative Writing Prompt: Rainstorm](https://kittomalley.com/creative-writing-prompt-rainstorm/): I Prompt for first creative writing class: RAINSTORM Rainstorm The torrential rain kept her awake. She couldn’t sleep. Wasn’t rain supposed to be relaxing? What was it that disturbed her? Why could she not sleep? The rain didn’t lull her, it irritated her. Reminded her that all was not well. The hills may slide. The mud carrying all away. But she was safe. Wasn’t she? Was it anxiety? Was it caffeine? Was it simply the din amplified by hypomania? Yes, when in this state any noise irritated her. What the hell did she think she was doing this week? Starting […]
- [2019 Goals](https://kittomalley.com/2019-goals/): Christmas 2018 Christmas was both beautiful and bittersweet. We spent the holiday among snow covered ponderosa pines with close family, dearly missing our recently departed father. 2019 Goals Time for me to get up out of bed, take better care of myself, and accomplish some goals. Revising My Book As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, Eliezer Tristan Publishing is publishing my previously self-published collection of blog posts. When I self-published the content in book form, I simply cut and paste my posts in chronological order. Now, I’ve hired book coach Aaron J. Smith to help me organize the content into themes. Wish […]
- [I've Been Quiet Lately](https://kittomalley.com/ive-been-quiet-lately/): I’ve been quiet lately. Out of commission. Taking it easy. This holiday season brings tough firsts. First Thanksgiving since my father died in April. First Christmas coming up. My sister and I plan to remember him and observe our family Christmas traditions. We need each other. We miss our dad. Seasonal affective disorder hit hard, too. As the days got shorter, I cocooned, became seasonally and situationally depressed. Seasonal depression, bipolar disorder and now my grief overwhelm me at times. Taking care of myself….mostly. Seeing my psychiatrist and psychologist. Going to a grief support group at Jewish Federation & Family […]
- [Pulled My Book from the Shelf](https://kittomalley.com/pulled-my-book-from-the-shelf/): Kitt O'Malley pulled Blogging for Bipolar Mental Health from Self-Publication. Eliezer Tristan Publishing to the Rescue.
- [Grieving](https://kittomalley.com/grieving/): Grieving, not depressed. No bipolar depression. No depressive thought process. Just grief. Just a deep overwhelming feeling of loss.  I miss my father. Miss him deeply and dearly. Going to individual therapy and taking my medications for bipolar disorder, but now may be time for additional support, time for a grief support group, preferrably one led by an excellent licensed mental health professional. As a licensed clinician, I have a bias. I need a group leader with advanced clinical knowledge of serious mental illness like bipolar disorder, as well as grief. As someone with bipolar disorder and a history of depression, I’m at risk […]
- [Michael Pipich Guest Post: Are You Just Depressed or Is It the Onset of Bipolar Disorder?](https://kittomalley.com/michael-pipich-guest-post-are-you-just-depressed-or-is-it-the-onset-of-bipolar-disorder/): This guest post hits close to home. For twenty-one years, from ages eighteen to thirty-nine, I was diagnosed with chronic depression (dysthymia). I’d tell doctors that I was at least cyclothymic, for I my over-productive workaholism led to cyclical depressive crashes. Finally, at thirty-nine years old, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. — Kitt Are You Just Depressed or Is It the Onset of Bipolar Disorder? Michael G. Pipich, MS, LMFT About two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed with other mental health problems before bipolar is discovered.[1] Among those individuals, a significant majority are given a diagnosis of […]
- [Our Beloved Dog Thumper Passed Away](https://kittomalley.com/our-beloved-dog-thumper-passed-away/): Our grief deepens with another loss. This time of our beloved labradoodle Thumper.
- [Grief -- Moving Forward](https://kittomalley.com/grief-moving-forward/): Wednesday my mother gave me artwork and books to remove from her room, the room she formerly shared with my father. My sister and I grew up with this prayer prominently displayed. I will give the original to my sister to remember our father. The Arabian horses graced the wall above my father’s desk. I plan to reframe and put them in a place of honor in my home. Yesterday my mother had me take my father’s clothes home with me. She is moving forward. Dry-eyed, I hugged my mother, articulating what she could no longer say due to aphasia […]
- [What I’ve Done Recently](https://kittomalley.com/what-ive-done-recently/): Frustrated, Defeated and Hypomanic The weekend before last, I was frustrated, overwhelmed, feeling defeated, and mildly hypomanic. I felt like a failure as a mother, for I hadn’t been able to get my son to take his high school equivalency exams. Told that I make it too easy for him to stay in his bedroom compounded my feeling of guilt. How could I balance compassion for my son’s severe migraine pain and social anxiety with consequences that forced him to take more responsibility? Repeated what I’ve told him before (without a hard date): He had to move forward – with […]
- [Irritable. Hypomanic. Parenting Fail.](https://kittomalley.com/irritable-hypomanic-parenting-fail/): Trying to keep hypomania at bay. NAMI training this weekend. IBPF panel next Tuesday. Frustrated with parenting newly adult son with social anxiety and migraines.
- [Next Tuesday: International #Bipolar Foundation Panel](https://kittomalley.com/next-tuesday-international-bipolar-foundation-panel/): International Bipolar Foundation Women’s Mental Health Panel July 31, 2018 at 6PM Mission Valley Library 2123 Fenton Parkway San Diego, CA 92108 Ask about my and other women’s experiences living with bipolar disorder. To attend, register HERE.
- [Favorite #MentalHealth Email Lists](https://kittomalley.com/favorite-mentalhealth-email-lists/): My favorite mental health resources via email (and websites)
- [Should I Change My Book?](https://kittomalley.com/should-i-change-my-book/): As I’ve grieved my father’s recent death, I’ve thought about updating my book. Not right away. Maybe I’m just trying to get my mind off his passing. Still, please help me decide. Here’s the thing: my blog subtitle reads “Love, Learn & Live with Bipolar Disorder,” and my book title is Blogging for Bipolar Mental Health. Though I consider myself a mental health advocate, I write about what is happening in my life. I don’t just write about living with bipolar disorder. I have it, but it’s not the focus of my daily life. My blog began when my father-in-law was in sepsis […]
- [Grief is a Blessing](https://kittomalley.com/grief-is-a-blessing/): There is something both beautiful and sorrowful when someone or something dies. Something spiritual lives on. Love persists and is a blessing. --Kitt O'Malley
- [Happy Father's Day to My Departed Father and to My Husband](https://kittomalley.com/happy-fathers-day-to-my-departed-father-and-to-my-husband/): Blessed with fond memories of my father, a loving father and grandfather. Grateful to have my husband, a loving and devoted father, by my side. That baby boy is now 6' tall!
- [Sarah Fader Guest Post: ADHD & Career](https://kittomalley.com/sarah-fader-guest-post-adhd-career/): For many years I could not hold a job. I did not know why because at the time I didn’t realize that I had ADHD. It is only one of my mental illnesses, and it is the condition that gets me fired from countless jobs. I have trouble with time management and finishing work and things that require me to focus. It’s exhausting having ADHD for a multitude of reasons. One is that nobody believes that it’s isn’t true, but enough people do to make it difficult to function in the world. What if you had cancer and when you […]
- [If the National Suicide Hotline puts you on hold, where else can you call?](https://kittomalley.com/if-the-national-suicide-hotline-puts-you-on-hold-where-else-can-you-call/): Just updated my Mental Health Resources page, incorporating these crisis lines. Thank you, Hufsa Ahmad, for this excellent list of crisis hotlines. Crisis Lines National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Press 1, Veterans Crisis Line USA Press 2, Se Habla Español Chat with LifeLine Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Hotline (Southern California): 1-877-727-4747 International Suicide Prevention wiki Suicide.org Suicide Hotlines Crisis Text Line: Text 741741 Facebook.com/CrisisTextLine IMAlive.org Crisis Chat Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454 Suicida Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDA (784-2432) Asian American Suicide Prevention and Education: 1-877-990-8585 (Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Fujianese) Boys Town Suicide and Crisis Line (for teens/parents/families): 1-800-448-3000 Postpartum Depression Hotline USA: 1-800-PPD-MOMS […]
- [Stigma of Invisible Disability](https://kittomalley.com/stigma-of-invisible-disability/): Recently read Work Ethic, a post by bpnurse, in which she discusses her life since she stopped working and went on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). People judge those of us with invisible disabilities. We even judge ourselves. Someone once asked me if I questioned the ethics of receiving disability. I explained that my disability wasn’t visible. I ran down my history of hypomanic workaholism and subsequent crashing into depression, rapid cycling and mixed states which lead to my hospitalization. Although I appear fine, traditional work and I do not mix well. My bipolar type II is well-controlled with medication […]
- [How I've Been Grieving Lately](https://kittomalley.com/how-ive-been-grieving-lately/): Before my father passed away, I planned to attend the Sunriver Writers’ Summit. Unfortunately, the summit followed only a month after his death, and I felt too raw to attend. Social gatherings overwhelm and exhaust me and can trigger mood cycling, first hypomania as I get overstimulated and later a need to recover which looks like depression. Now’s not the time. Now’s the time to spend with family. Visiting my mother and taking her out to lunch, which she enjoys. Seeing my sister, for we both deeply miss our father. So, instead of attending the writers’ summit, I visited Oregon […]
- [Should I Lower the Price of My Book?](https://kittomalley.com/should-i-lower-the-price-of-my-book/): Considering lowering my book prices. Average paperback price is $13.95 to $17.95.  $3.99 is the most popular ebook price.
- [Tears Quietly Roll](https://kittomalley.com/tears-quietly-roll/): Now that I’ve taken care of the business of death, I no longer need to numb myself from the pain of loss. Now I cry. Softly. Quietly. The tears roll down my cheeks. I miss my dad. I really miss him.
- [Jazz and Grief](https://kittomalley.com/jazz-and-grief/): Listening to jazz as I grieve my father’s death. 
- [Do Less, Grieve More](https://kittomalley.com/do-less-grieve-more/)
- [Now Grief Feels Like Nothing](https://kittomalley.com/now-grief-feels-like-nothing/): Unlike grief theories that propose defined stages, grief is not linear, nor is it universal. We grieve differently. Now I feel nothing. I’m numb. My psychologist describes it as “taking care of business,” reframing what I’m going through, my coping mechanism, in a positive way. Quoting MedlinePlus, NIH, U.S. National Library of Medicine at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001530.htm Grief People’s responses to grief will be different, depending on the circumstances of the death. For example, if the person who died had a chronic illness, the death may have been expected. The end of the person’s suffering might even have come as a relief. If the […]
- [Grieving — My Father Passed](https://kittomalley.com/grieving-my-father-passed/): My father passed away. His illness and death took us by surprise. We had no idea that he had lung cancer, nor that his infection was severe, until last week. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.
- [Hospice -- Prayers for Peace and Comfort](https://kittomalley.com/hospice-prayers-for-peace-and-comfort/): When I was a little girl, at bedtime I sent my prayers to the dead. One at a time, I sent them my love, hugs, and kisses. Eventually, I tired, sent a big hug to everyone else, and fell asleep. Some people count sheep. I prayed to and for everyone who had ever lived. Now, I pray for peace. I pray for freedom from pain. I pray for my father. Tuesday night I brought my father to the emergency room due to shortness of breath. When I helped him out of my car, I touched his leg and was shocked […]
- [Prayers for My Father, Please](https://kittomalley.com/prayers-for-my-father-please/): My father was hospitalized last night for complications from a skin infection. Your prayers and best wishes are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thank you.
- [Recovering](https://kittomalley.com/recovering/)
- [Amazon Women Fight with Words](https://kittomalley.com/amazon-women-fight-with-words/): Intuitive book coaching session. Overcome writer's block. Fight with words.
- [Published Author at Last!](https://kittomalley.com/published-author-at-last/): Published Blogging for Bipolar Mental Health today! Visit Amazon.com/author/kittomalley. So excited!
- [Formatting My First Book](https://kittomalley.com/formatting-my-first-book/): Been busy formatting my first book for publication. Problem is that while formatting it for Kindle ebook publication, I made changes. I can’t resist editing… So, my Scrivener project is different than my Word manuscript which is now different than what I formatted using Kindle Create. Oh, well. Guess that’s why each published version gets it’s own ISBN (actually, Kindle ebook doesn’t require ISBN, but I did buy a bunch of ISBNs). The versions will be different in small ways. Or, not so small. We’ll see if or when I get around to formatting the Amazon print version, and later […]
- [Hypomania aka Fried Brain](https://kittomalley.com/hypomania-aka-fried-brain/): Those who know me well would hardly be surprised to hear (or read) that my mind is fried. Focused? Who me, focused? Nope. Instead, one project or comment gets me going in one direction, another in another direction. I end up juggling multiple projects, with my mind racing and jumping all over the place. So here’s what’s going on. I’ve intended for a few years now to publish a collection of my blog posts as a book. Not able to import my posts into Scrivener, I labored to cut and paste them back in 2014 and later in 2017. Recently, I […]
- [How Many Books Am I Writing?](https://kittomalley.com/how-many-books-am-i-writing/): So, up to last September, I copied and pasted blog posts into Scrivener with the intention of publishing them as a book. My old posts get lost in my archives. As I’ve mentioned before, Scrivener is a challenging writing software program, even for this lover of technology. The brief introductory overview of my mental health journey is growing into a full blown memoir. Those old posts just can’t wait for me to write a full blown memoir. They want to get printed in ebook and paperback form now. They insist that I can work on the memoir once my mind […]
- [Playing with MailChimp. Not Writing.](https://kittomalley.com/playing-with-mailchimp-not-writing/): What have I been doing all day? Working hard on my memoir? Fleshing out memories I’ve jotted down on a yellow legal pad and in emails to myself? Editing Chapter One with feedback I’ve been given? Starting my rough draft of Chapter Two? No. Not even close. Instead, I’ve created a popup to annoy you. I mean, to let you sign up for my spanking new email list. Honestly, I have no idea how I’ll use the list. Steep learning curve today. Signing up for MailChimp, I realized that I have to provide a public mailing address. Not wanting to […]
- [Quick Update](https://kittomalley.com/quick-update/): Working with a book coach, I’ve created character sketches, an outline, and drafted the first chapter of my book. All this while feeling sick and parenting a teenage migraineur.
- [Guest Post: Living with Someone with a Personality Disorder](https://kittomalley.com/guest-post-living-with-someone-with-a-personality-disorder/): Thank you, Millie Jane, for this guest post. Millie shows compassion for her boyfriend who lives with a personality disorder. Too often those with personality disorders are vilified by family, friends, and even mental health professionals. Millie is UK-based. I’m curious as to how the UK and the US differ in treating personality disorders. National Health Service (UK): Personality Disorder National Institute of Mental Health (US): Personality Disorders A comparison of UK and US guidelines for drug treatment in borderline personality disorder. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2011 Aug. Under US law, insurers don’t have to offer those with personality disorders parity (equal […]
- [Video Conference](https://kittomalley.com/video-conference/): Saturday my niece, Teresa Nichols, interviewed me about my online vision. She has an MBA and her own Cincinnatti based marketing business. http://reveal.marketing/ LinkedIn.com/in/teresalnichols Facebook.com/webmarketingtrainer Twitter.com/bizfunctional Sorry to my deaf and hard of hearing readers. I tried editing the automatic closed captioning, but found it overwhelming. The interview is over an hour long. As a writer, I found myself editing what we actually said, and decided to leave it alone.
- [Intent to Write](https://kittomalley.com/intent-to-write/): I intend to write, to complete a draft of memoir.
- [Sarah Fader: Parenting a Special Needs Child](https://kittomalley.com/sarah-fader-parenting-a-special-needs-child/): Sarah Fader on parenting a special needs child with mental health challenges.
- [Low Carb Low Fat Diet](https://kittomalley.com/low-carb-low-fat-diet/): Saw my internist today. Here’s my new diet regimen to lower my triglycerides: 100 gram carbohydrates per day, 60 grams fat day, no more than 5 nuts (preferrably walnuts), no olive oil (save 1 tablespoon to pan fry), no coconut oil, no cheese, no red meat, no pasta, no rice, and no bread. Wish me luck! I’ve already been using the LoseIt! app to track what I eat for weight loss along with fellow mental health blogger Dyane Harwood and my husband. There’s a good reason doctors want to meet with you to discuss lab results. See, when you download them yourself, […]
- [Liver Panel Lab Results](https://kittomalley.com/liver-panel-lab-results/): So, back in November both my internist and my psychiatrist wrote out lab requests for me to fill. Put it off until January because I was nervous as to what the results might be. Metabolic panel showed high triglycerides. I fasted, but forgot not to take my fish oil that morning. I currently take atorvastatin (LIPITOR®) for high cholesterol and high triglycerides which I had been unsuccessful at controlling using diet and exercise alone. Unfortunately, atorvastatin is hard on the liver… Liver panel showed high potassium and high albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio which may indicate liver or kidney problems. I take two medications which […]
- [Health Care System Fails Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED)](https://kittomalley.com/health-care-system-fails-serious-mental-illness-smi-and-severe-emotional-disturbance-sed/): The Way Forward: Federal Action for a System That Works for All People Living With SMI and SED and Their Families and Caregivers The Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) has released a report detailing a plan for helping adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and children and youth with serious emotional disturbances (SED). The report includes current needs of individuals with these issues, advances in clinical care, as well as extensive recommendations for improving the way we address these challenges. (Quoting NAMI California email dated January 18, 2018) Press Conference [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua7tm-TupGs] Members of the ISMICC discussed the recommendations […]
- [New Year's Resolutions](https://kittomalley.com/new-years-resolutions/): Love more Worry less Exercise more Eat better Laugh more Stay stable Finish my memoir
- [2017 Year-End Wrap-Up](https://kittomalley.com/2017-year-end-wrap-up/): 2017 stats, most viewed, and favorites.
- [Happy Holidays!](https://kittomalley.com/happy-holidays/): I have not been up to writing recently. Just been binge watching TV and doing jigsaw puzzles on my iPad. This season is emotionally fraught for me, starting with my mother’s birthday in October, Thanksgiving, my father’s birthday in December, then my husband’s birthday, then Christmas, finally New Year’s (which we sleep through). Never much liked the holidays, for they usually involved my parents getting drunk. Arguments often ensued. But they were better behaved at our homes, as we created new rituals with our own families. My parents didn’t want to risk not seeing their grandchildren. Thanks to my sister […]
- [Thank you, David Susman PhD](https://kittomalley.com/thank-you-david-susman-phd/): Thank you, clinical psychologist and mental health advocate David Susman PhD, for steadfastly supporting fellow mental health advocates and sharing science-based information and resources at DavidSusman.com. Congratulations on three years as a mental health blogger. Dr. Susman recently shared how I found purpose living with bipolar disorder, Your Life Has Purpose, in his Stories of Hope, a series of interviews with people living with mental health challenges, highlighting what they’ve learned. You can find Dr. Susman on Facebook at DavidSusmanPhD and Twitter at @DavidSusman.
- [Veterans Day and Mental Health](https://kittomalley.com/veterans-day-and-mental-health/): Read Mark C. Russell’s November 9th editorial published in The Seattle Times entitled, On this Veterans Day, where is the outrage over mental-health crisis? Russell concludes with this call to action: Honor our veterans this holiday by demanding the president and congressional representatives to urgently do the following: Conduct independent investigations into the cause of the military mental-health-care crisis. Establish a unified “Behavioral Health Corps” within the Department of Defense. End hiring restrictions of licensed marriage/family therapists, mental-health counselors and clinical psychologists to address chronic staffing shortages. Establish a “Joint Services Behavioral Health Lessons Learned Center.” Compel the VA/military to ensure every […]
- [Hypnotherapy](https://kittomalley.com/hypnotherapy/): Last Friday, I drove my son down to La Jolla (across the street from UC San Diego!) to see pediatric hypnotherapist and pulmonologist, Dr. Ran D. Anbar, MD, FAAP of Center Point Medicine. My son struggles with migraines (greatly improved with recent medication regime), depression, anxiety, eczema, and frequent school absences due to illnesses. According to Dr. Anbar’s brochure: Children who use hypnosis: Become empowered to help themselves when they feel poorly, and are proud of themselves for being able to do so. Feel better about themselves and their medical condition because they can help take control of how they feel. Become […]
- [Happy 80th Birthday, Mom!](https://kittomalley.com/happy-80th-birthday-mom/): Just about to hop in the shower and pick up my sister from the airport to celebrate our mother’s 80th birthday! It’s a miracle she’s with us. She’s a survivor of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, stroke and vascular dementia. She’s a fighter. Proud of her.
- [California Burns. I Copy and Paste.](https://kittomalley.com/california-burns-i-copy-and-paste/): As California burns, I pause, having finished copying and pasting my blog posts into Scrivener. Next step is to rewrite multiple overview posts about my mental health journey from age eighteen to now. See book outline as my mental health history, chronological posts worth sharing organized by year and month, with appendix of US mental health resources. Will eventually need to ask permission to publish pieces I originally wrote for other websites or publications. I always gave credit where it was due.
- [Coping with Illness](https://kittomalley.com/coping-with-illness/): For the past few weeks (three?), my son and I (and my husband, but he’s taking care of us) have been sick with gastroenteritis. I haven’t been able to keep up with my usual writing, or with sharing mental health resources on social media. To cope with the many emails piling up, I’m deleting most of them. Yes, I could schedule sharing them, but I simply don’t feel up to it. When I checked my email this morning, I saw that I had incurred a late fee and interest for a missed credit card payment, which I thought I had already […]

## Pages

- [MEDIA](https://kittomalley.com/media/): Mental Health Advocate. Author. Public Speaker. Kitt O’Malley is an author, mental health advocate, public speaker, and former psychotherapist who lives with bipolar disorder. Her personal experience and clinical background inform her advocacy and enable her to help herself and guide others toward mental health recovery. Kitt has a bachelor’s in legal studies from UC Berkeley, a master’s in psychology from New College of California, and has attended Fuller Theological Seminary. Balancing Act – Writing Through a Bipolar Life offers hope to those living with mental health conditions and their loved ones. As a therapist who left her career due […]
- [BLOG](https://kittomalley.com/blog/)
- [HOME](https://kittomalley.com/): Balancing Act: Writing Through a Bipolar Life Gritty, inspiring, brave memoir of living with bipolar disorder. Balancing Act – Writing Through a Bipolar Life is a passionate tale of perseverance and courage. If you like gritty autobiographies, learning to heal, and finding strength by putting pen to paper, then you’ll adore Kitt O’Malley’s powerful memoir. In this deeply personal and inspiring story, Kitt O’Malley shares her journey of healing and rebuilding while coping with a challenging disorder. And for anyone facing fear and negativity, or fighting to cope with parenting and relationships, this well-respected mental health advocate provides a beacon […]
- [Privacy Policy](https://kittomalley.com/kitt-omalley/privacy-policy/): Who we are Our website address is: https://kittomalley.com. Comments When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment. Media If you upload images to […]
- [RESOURCES](https://kittomalley.com/mental-health-resources/): Crisis Lines Find Treatment Support & Information Research
- [MY JOURNEY](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/): Links to my mental health journey with depression and bipolar disorder  by stage of life.
- [Successes, Hopes, & Dreams](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/successes-hopes-dreams/): Writing my story. Public speaker. Mental health advocate. Mother & wife. Purposeful life.
- [How I Cope](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/how-i-cope/): Living well with bipolar means I must attend psychotherapy, use my hard-earned insight and arsenal of coping skills, and exercise self-care.
- [Acceptance](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/acceptance/): Accepting that I have a mental illness has involved accepting myself as broken, as imperfect, as fallible, as human.
- [As a Mother](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/as-a-mother/): Diagnosed bipolar when 39-year-old mother of toddler.
- [As a Working Adult](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/as-a-working-adult/): Became psychotherapist. Worked with disturbed youth. Depressive episode treated with antidepressant medications led to psychotic mania. 
- [As a College Student](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/as-a-college-student/): Struggles with depression and suicidality in college.
- [As a Child](https://kittomalley.com/my-journey/as-a-child/): High expectations throughout my childhood and high school led to a rude awakening.
- [Mental Health Conditions](https://kittomalley.com/bipolar-disorder-nimh/mental-health-conditions/): Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental Health Conditions. Retrieved on June 12, 2025, from https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-conditions/. Mental Disorders and Related Topics Treatments, Therapies, and Support for Mental Health Special Populations Source: The National Institute for Mental Health. Health Topics. Retrieved on June 12, 2025, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/.
- [Bipolar Disorder](https://kittomalley.com/bipolar-disorder-nimh/): What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that can be chronic (persistent or constantly recurring) or episodic (occurring occasionally and at irregular intervals). People sometimes refer to bipolar disorder with the older terms manic-depressive disorder or manic depression. Everyone experiences ups and downs, but with bipolar disorder, the range of mood changes can be extreme. People with the disorder have manic episodes or unusually elevated moods in which the person might feel excessively happy, irritable, or “up,” with a marked increase in activity level compared to their usual self. They might also have depressive episodes, in which […]
- [Mystic Psychosis](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/mystic-psychosis/): At the age of thirty, I had a psychotic breakdown with racing mystic and religious thoughts. Flying through my mind at a speed making it impossible to understand or process the content, I had simultaneous streaming thoughts in binary*, about chaos theory**, and about Christian mystic saints***. At the time, I could observe the thoughts and wonder as to their meaning. I remember thinking, “Wow, if only I could record these thoughts and try to decipher their meaning later when I’m able to think clearly. I’m no computer, so I have no idea what, if anything, the zeroes and ones mean.” It felt like I […]
- [Mystic or Mentally Ill?](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/mysticism/): My grandfather died when I was twenty-one. Upon returning home from his memorial mass where I gave his eulogy, I experienced an altered state of consciousness when crossing the Bay Bridge. My skin tingled, I felt an energy push out of my skin, and I felt a new cleansing energy fill me to replace the old energy. At first the experience concerned me, for I was driving after all, but I signaled a lane change, safely changed lanes, found that I was still aware of my surroundings, and decided it was safer to continue driving that to stop in the […]
- [Cost of Discipleship](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/cost-of-discipleship/): Jesus’ disciples left their families to follow Jesus.  This fact has always troubled me.  I have wondered what is the cost of discipleship?  For each of us, it differs.  What cost must our families bear?  The demands of ministry – long hours, pastoral demands, and administrative duties – certainly burden our families. In Luke 14:25-33 Jesus tells us the price of discipleship.  26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my […]
- [Loving God](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/loving-god/): First written Spring 2006 while attending Fuller Theological Seminary. My beliefs are open-minded, embracing all faiths. How can I not love God? My God loves me unconditionally. He has created me. He sent His Son to die for my sins. Yet, I do not want my love for God to depend on His love for me. I believe that I owe Him my love whether or not He loves me. Regardless, as a Christian, I believe in God’s unconditional love. I do not believe that God’s love is covenanted by the Old Testament laws. Believing that God loves me fills my […]
- [Minister's Profile](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/ministers-profile/): Strengths/gifts:  I am intelligent, creative, hardworking, loving, and honest.  I am willing to take risks, put myself on the line when doing so is right, and give voice to what others believe but are afraid to say. Weaknesses:  Sometimes I go too deep, for example in my work or studies, that I forget to come up for air.  My emotional and psychiatric vulnerability is a weakness, but also a source of compassion, understanding, and first hand knowledge.  I speak before I think, often revealing too much or saying something inappropriate or hurtful without intending to do so. Needs brought out […]
- [God's Call](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/gods-call/): God calls us each where we are. I have been a seeker, struggling with the call of God since I was in my early twenties. Over the last two decades, I have carried a heavy burden, believing that I was not responding to God’s call, that I was disobeying God’s will. Yet, in spiritual direction when I was thirty, I was advised that my call at that time was to take care of my health, my mental health, and that my deep desire for a husband and children was also a calling. I have taken significant progress in obtaining the proper […]
- [Mystic Revelation](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/mystic-revelation/): When I was thirty, I went on a one-week contemplative retreat, the topic of which was the Christian mystics. I had no idea that going on a contemplative retreat meant spending a week in near total silence. I went on the retreat because of my interest in Christian mysticism, and left with a new discipline – contemplative prayer. This discipline, practiced by the mystics, gave me a new way to pray, to open myself to God’s love, and to experience God’s presence in my life. In the busyness of life, I often forget the lessons I learned on that retreat, […]
- [Freud and the Church](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/freud-and-the-church/): Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories have influenced, not destroyed, American Christianity bringing to the church a deeper understanding of psychology and relationships. Since his one and only trip to the United States in 1909, many of Freud’s theories have been disputed, refined, and replaced with medical models. Yet his approach to psychiatry and development of psychoanalytic theory and method continue to inform medical and faith communities today. These innovations have overshadowed his somewhat negative and condescending analyses of the origin and purpose of religion. In his written works, Freud stated up front that he was an atheist. When he wrote The […]
- [Redeeming the Routines](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/on-redeeming-the-routines/): Reflections on Redeeming the Routines by Robert Banks Banks focuses on Reformation, overturning dominance of clerical or monastic over lay or worldly vocations, reclaiming the priesthood of believers and secular calling.  He bases his theology on the biblical vision that all Christians are laity and all Christians are ministers.  I agree that “all” laity are called to serve God.  Everyday theology is a cooperative effort between ordinary Christians and professional theologians, ordinary Christians can best identify their everyday concerns, and ordinary Christians already have some elements of an everyday theology. While agreeing with this premise, I still value the monastic […]
- [The New Reformation](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/the-new-reformation/): Reflections on The New Reformation by Greg Ogden The portion of Ogden’s book that impacted me greatest was his discussion of call.  I found myself in tears when reading about the awareness of “inner oughtness” or burden of “I must do.”  I identify with this sense of “oughtness”, with the “burden” of God’s call.  I have been carrying a huge burden by not fulfilling my call, feeling that I’ve disobeyed God’s will.  Yet, in spiritual direction when I was 30, I was advised that my call at that time was to take care of my health, my mental health, and […]
- [Mental Health Ministry](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/mental-health-ministry/): Please feel free to use and adapt this material for faith communities developing a mental health ministry. I originally wrote this as a class assignment at Fuller Theological Seminary – a multi-denominational Christian seminary. Early 2015, I edited the language to make it more inclusive. Honestly, NAMI FaithNet has spent years developing programs, so I would recommend starting with them. I just wrote a training manual as a class assignment. That said, you may find something of interest here. NAMI FaithNet NAMI FaithNet is a network composed of members and friends of NAMI. It was established for the purposes of: Facilitating the […]
- [Thank You Mentors](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/thank-you-mentors/): When I was an eighteen year old freshman at UCLA, I became severely depressed and suicidal. Although I actively ministered to others – volunteering in the emergency room at UCLA Medical Center, for example – I irrationally believed that my family, and in fact the entire world, would be better off without me. During this period, my maternal grandfather, with whom I had much in common, told my mother that I needed God in my life. Although I did not fully understand his wisdom at the time, years later when I ministered to others as a psychotherapist, I did so […]
- [WHAT ABOUT GOD?](https://kittomalley.com/what-about-god/): Although I attended Fuller Theological Seminary, a multi-denominational Christian seminary, I do not consider myself exclusively Christian.  Aside from a brief flirtation with Sufism (mystical Islam), reading Zen Buddhists Alan Watts and D. T. Suzuki in my early twenties, and occasionally doing some yoga (namaste), Christianity has been my primary path to God so far. Mystic or Mentally Ill? Mystic Psychosis Mental Health Ministry God’s Call Loving God Cost of Discipleship Thank You Mentors Freud and the Church


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