Category: advice

  • Advocacy In Action: An Interview with Karl Shallowhorn

    Advocacy In Action: An Interview with Karl Shallowhorn

    BipolarBrave:  Karl, tell me a little about yourself and how you discovered you had bipolar. Karl:  I’m a  Western New York Native and I work for the Mental Health Association of Erie County and Compeer Buffalo. I’m a New York State Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor. I’m also a…

  • Anger? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!

    Anger? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!

    (At least, in most cases) Yes, there is a time and a place for getting angry, but I doubt it’s justified in most cases. Recently, Gabe Howard, fellow bipolar blogger and mental health advocate, asked me why I don’t get mad. Here’s why I think getting mad is just a…

  • 23 Tips For When You’re Ready To Admit Yourself Into The Psych Unit

    23 Tips For When You’re Ready To Admit Yourself Into The Psych Unit

    Are You Ready for the Psych Unit? Lots of stress comes upon the prospective patient when they are on the cusp of committing themselves to the psychiatric ward. Here are some things I wish I knew ahead of time, to keep in mind when beginning the admissions process: Bring your best…

  • 10 Healthy Ways to Manage Bipolar Disorder

    10 Healthy Ways to Manage Bipolar Disorder

    Get in touch with your doctor. Find a good psychiatrist (by referral if possible). If you are comfortable with them, be honest with them. Tell them how you feel and when you feel low or what triggers you to climb upward. There is nothing wrong with being transparent about your…

  • The Science (& Very Fragile Art) of Friendship

    The Science (& Very Fragile Art) of Friendship

    I roll my eyes trying to shape this blog post. With the virtual reality of Facebook and the superficialities of social media, there are modes of friendship and then there is the art of friendship. I don’t speak to this subject as an expert, for there is so much I…

  • What I Wish I Knew In My Last Episode

    What I Wish I Knew In My Last Episode

    I just looked over some admission documents from the last hospitalization I underwent almost five years ago. Wow, what I was missing!  I thought I was right the whole time. Ha! On August 31, 2012, I voluntarily admitted myself to a behavioral hospital. It was an experience unlike my first hospitalization…

  • Guest Post: "How to Advocate for Improvements in Mental Health Care – A Call to Action" By John F Baggett

    Guest Post: "How to Advocate for Improvements in Mental Health Care – A Call to Action" By John F Baggett

    Part III: How to Advocate for Improvements in Mental Health Care – A Call to Action By John F. Baggett Ph.D.   “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  -Margaret Mead   In 1980 the thirteen-year-old daughter…

  • Guest Post: “How to Advocate for Improvements in Mental Health Care – A Call to Action” By John F Baggett

    Guest Post: “How to Advocate for Improvements in Mental Health Care – A Call to Action” By John F Baggett

    Part III: How to Advocate for Improvements in Mental Health Care – A Call to Action By John F. Baggett Ph.D.   “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  -Margaret Mead   In 1980 the thirteen-year-old daughter…

  • Mental Health And The Church: An Interview With My Pastor

    Mental Health And The Church: An Interview With My Pastor

    Where does mental health fit in the gospel mission? Amazingly enough, there were characters in the Bible that had bouts of depression. Moses, Naomi, Hagar, David, Saul, Elijah, Hannah, Nehemiah, Solomon, Job, Judas, Paul, Jeremiah and John the Baptist. Being a believer and follower of Christ doesn’t exempt a person from…

  • Guest Post: “How The Crisis In Mental Health Care Came To Be” by John F Baggett

    Guest Post: “How The Crisis In Mental Health Care Came To Be” by John F Baggett

    Part II: Lessons From History – How the Crisis in Mental Health Care Came to Be By John F. Baggett Ph.D   In Part I of this three part series I described the current sad state of affairs in Mental Health Care. In this post, I will discuss how the…