• What Most People Misunderstand About Mental Illness

    What Most People Misunderstand About Mental Illness

    “Popular” to Have Mental Illness? When I tell someone upon initially meeting them that I’m bipolar, and they jump to identify themselves as bipolar as well, I take it with a grain of salt. This is not to say they aren’t bipolar, they very well could be. But most people…

  • 10 Reasons Why You Should Invest In Your Mental Health

    10 Reasons Why You Should Invest In Your Mental Health

    The benefits of taking care of our minds may seem inherent to taking care of your overall health, but there is still a resistance to taking the steps to improved mental care. Allow me to review ten sound reasons why you should invest the time, energy and resources into your…

  • Brandon Appelhans Guest Posts: “Identity & Mental Health”

    Brandon Appelhans Guest Posts: “Identity & Mental Health”

    Brandon reached out to me recently and is a mutual friend of Pastor Brad Hoefs. After researching his website, MyQuietCave.org, I invited Brandon to guest post for us here at BipolarBrave.com. I hope his story is encouraging to you and reminds you where your true identity comes from.  Yesterday I…

  • Deep Calls To Deep: A Poem

    Deep Calls To Deep: A Poem

    Context As I was praying over our nation’s epidemic of suicide rates growing and pandemic of abortions, I remembered the words of Psalm 42:7, “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” I penned this poem so to encourage fellow brothers and…

  • Psychotherapy vs. Christianity: The Case for True Transformation (Part II)

    Psychotherapy vs. Christianity: The Case for True Transformation (Part II)

    A Matter of The Heart In the former half of my argument, I explored the definition of moral relativity and how the admission and recognition of Truth is necessary for authentic and good life-giving change and transformation. In this post, I explore the case for the heart being untrustworthy and…

  • Advocate Angela McDonald Guest Posts: “Being Faithful To Someone With Mental Illness”

    Advocate Angela McDonald Guest Posts: “Being Faithful To Someone With Mental Illness”

    Ignorance Isn’t Bliss Those in the church who know of my bipolar disorder have never sat down and asked me how I am…and I am angry about it. Am I handling my mood swings okay? Am I managing my symptoms? How is my family handling all of it?… No one…

  • Symptom of Psychosis #1: Paranoia

    Symptom of Psychosis #1: Paranoia

    Paranoia is one of a few psychotic symptoms that accompanied my bipolar disorder type I in the worst of my episodes. It always pushed me over the edge of reason, while at times I tried to deny it. It’s hard to hide something you feel so strongly. Not Crazy…Just Creative…

  • If I Return To La La Land

    If I Return To La La Land

    When I entered my manic state of bipolar, my family coined the term “La La Land,” due to my delusional attributes. Since being in my right mind, I’ve held the positive outlook that I would never return, so long as I remain on my medicine. I speculate in this poetic…

  • Don’t Let Your Feelings Drive You: How To Handle Emotions

    Don’t Let Your Feelings Drive You: How To Handle Emotions

    I’m very hard on myself. Needless to say, I take it personally when I am told I take things too personally. And I still do. Just the other day I was in some extreme denial when my husband told me I could be more assertive because I’m a very compliant person (and I…

  • The Church’s Best Response To Mental Illness

    The Church’s Best Response To Mental Illness

    Mental illness can be so gray. Thinking about it, there’s a mental disorder diagnosis for almost everything and anything. Of course, not everyone has a clinical, diagnosable condition. With mental illness being so rampant and the church’s response being so silent, here are a few pointers I want to bring…