Category: diagnoses
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How Do I Know If I Have A Mental Illness?
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I’ve been asked before how someone might know if they have a mental illness or not. I am not a psychiatrist and cannot give you official medical advice, but the practical advice I would give you is the following: 1. Examine yourself Ask yourself if you’re observing symptoms of bipolar…
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Missing The Mark: When Finding The Right Diagnosis and Medication Isn’t The Answer
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True Healing Is Wholistic Ultimately, our brains are just another organ and cannot be transformed simply by adding a certain medication. No, we’re much more complex beings than that. We are made up of mind, body, heart and soul. The mind is chemically-based and cognitively-functioning, processing information and the physical…
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What Most People Misunderstand About Mental Illness
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“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…
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What Bipolar Disorder Is NOT
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Bipolar disorder manifests itself differently among those whom it inhabits. There are common denominators amongst those with the diagnosis, but because each person is unique in their genetic makeup, personality, and how they react to life, there are factors that vary the manifestation of the disorder. Bipolar disorder is a…
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So You Just Found Out You’re Bipolar
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There are probably a variety of emotions one can experience when they first learn of their diagnosis of bipolar. They can range from confusion to anger, frustration to relief. It’s likely you’re going to experience those and in multiples. I wouldn’t say my revelation that I had bipolar was a…
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10 Healthy Ways to Manage Bipolar Disorder
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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…
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16 Real-life Confessions About My Bipolar Disorder
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I never heard of bipolar disorder until I was 15. I discovered symptoms of the illness in myself at 16. My bipolar disorder diagnosis is not a job disability. I have no immediate family members with bipolar. My bipolar doesn’t affect me day-to-day (though I often think about it). But it…
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What Is Bipolar Disorder?
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Bipolar Disorder is an emotional and mental condition due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Bipolar Disorder is “characterized by the occurrence of at least one manic or mixed-manic episode during the patient’s lifetime. Most patients also, at other times, have…