Author: Allan Cooper (Page 1 of 6)

How routine and structure help in maintaining a positive life when you have bipolar disorder

July 7, 2024 / Allan Cooper

A healthy routine and structure has helped me be more resilient, reduce fluctuations in mood and has contributed to a sense of happiness and fulfillment in my life.

During acute depressive episodes, many people end up spending most of their time in bed. There are logical reasons for this. The most obvious being that during depressive episodes one of the symptoms is an incredibly high level of fatigue. Plus, the warmth of being under the covers helps ease the physical pain that one also experiences during these episodes. Once your symptoms become more manageable, finding a routine and a structured life can help create a more consistent feeling of wellness when you have bipolar disorder.

The first thing I do every day is take my medication. I make sure to put them in the same spot every night before I go to bed. During my last severe depressive episode my concentration was poor. Often, I wouldn’t be sure if I took my medication or not. The idea of filling up my own pill organizer when I was unwell seemed impossible. I had my pharmacy put my meds in blister packs until I was able to fill pill organizers on my own. I have an alarm on my phone that tells me when to take my meds in the evening. I have had occasions when a change in residence or life events disrupted my routine and I got into a pattern of saying to myself it’s just one dose multiple times. This has led to manic and depressive episodes. It’s a priority for me that I am consistent with taking my medication.

After my last episode, volunteer work helped provide the structure I needed to get back into a life where I could do more in a day. Even though, it was just for three hours twice a week it gave me a reason to shower, interact with people and it made me feel like I had a weekend. Even on the days I didn’t volunteer, I started to get up and structure my days as if I would be volunteering. It also helped me get my sleep routine on track because I was staying up late and waking up at random times because there was no reason to get up early.

Finding a peer support group that I could attend once a week was the next addition to my schedule that was helpful. It kept me accountable for lifestyle choices that promoted wellness and it provided connection and a commitment that was within my capacity to keep. Organizations like the DBSA have online peer support groups for people who have bipolar disorder.

Walking to my volunteer job was a nice way to add a little bit of exercise to my day. I don’t walk as much as I used to but I play tennis or badminton once a week. I usually walk when I notice a depressive episode starting which prevents them from getting worse and lasting as long. I imagine if I made walking a more consistent part of my routine I would probably have less episodes but nobody is perfect.

When you have bipolar disorder it is crucial that you get enough sleep. For most of the people that I have met who have bipolar disorder a lack of sleep can be a red flag that their mood may be going high. Finding a sleep routine that suits your individual needs is important. I go to bed around 10:30 pm. For some, complete silence is necessary. I can’t sleep in complete silence because it becomes an opportunity for my brain to be filled with stimulating racing thoughts. I use headphones to listen to the same Netflix show every night. It interrupts the verbal chatter that goes on in my head and since I have been listening to it for very many years, it has become boring for me so it helps me sleep. I don’t watch the show, I just listen to it. I used to listen to old radio shows like Our Miss Brooks, but for some reason that stopped working so I had to try something else. If the amount of sleep I am getting becomes worrisome to me, I contact my psychiatrist.

Family and friends can support people who are developing a routine by inviting them to join you when you are doing a regular activity, such as walking. It’s important that it is an invitation rather than an appointment when people are severely unwell. For example, if someone said, “I am going for a walk tomorrow. If you’re up to it, would you like to join me?” This takes some pressure off, and it makes it easier for someone who has bipolar disorder to participate. If the person is unable to go on the day, it’s important you go on the walk anyway.

Adding structure and routine into your life when you have bipolar disorder can relieve stress, make you more consistent with taking your medication and help you build a support network. This can empower you to create a life that includes long term consistency and resilience.

8 Steps to Rebuild Your Life after an Acute Depressive or Manic Episode.

June 9, 2024 / Allan Cooper

After my first manic episode, I lost my job, my dream of becoming a Japanese interpreter, all of my money, all of my friendships and relationships with the people I had in Japan and my marriage ended in a divorce. Since then, I have had two manic episodes and a depressive episode that destroyed my life in a similar fashion.

I haven’t had an acute manic or depressive episode since 2010. Now, I can reflect on what I did to rebuild my life. I am only sharing what worked for me. I am not suggesting that this is a foolproof simple way of rebuilding your life.

1. Rest
This one is hard for people to understand. Acute manic and depressive episodes take a physical toll on the body. Just like any other illness, one requires rest to recuperate from this. How much rest do you need? Everyone who has bipolar disorder is different but I, and many people I have met, have taken a year while for others it may be months. When I ignored my bodies need for rest, it made me feel worse because I would beat myself up for not being more active. It’s not uncommon for people to need to spend many hours in bed during this time.

2. Work with your psychiatrist to the best of your ability
There is no x-ray or blood test a psychiatrist can use to diagnose how symptomatic you are. I’m not a psychiatrist and I do not know what goes into the decisions they make for treating their patients but I do know that the more information I can provide my psychiatrist the better. This may include completing mood charts, notes on side-effects, and descriptions of how much you are able to do in a day. If possible, try to get your medication in blister packs otherwise you might be frustrated with trying to remember if you took them or not.

3. Keep Moving
After my first manic episode the fatigue was so bad that every step felt like I had heavy weights shackled to my ankles. I had to brush my teeth with both hands and showering was like climbing a mountain. When you are this unwell exercising may not be possible but any movement helps. If at first, you just try to walk from your bed to the TV as much as possible that’s a win. Everyday, try to move a bit more than the previous day and eventually you will gain momentum and your activity level should grow exponentially.

Step 4 Get on the other side of the door

During an acute depressive episode, my anxiety is extremely high. The idea of leaving my home becomes horrifying. However, the longer I isolate the worse my symptoms get. My goal became just to get on the other side of the door and exit my place. I had no destination in my mind, or how long I would be gone. I just put on my runners and left.

5. Peer Support
Finding a peer support group for people who have bipolar disorder can be extremely helpful. For me, it helped give me hope to know that other people who have bipolar disorder were able to recover and the tips I learned from them were helpful. Plus, talking to people who understood what I was going through helped a lot. Many people who have bipolar disorder are kind, compassionate, fascinating, intelligent, and just cool people to spend a couple of hours with. Organizations like the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) have online peer support groups for people who have bipolar disorder.

6. Grieve the Losses
A manic or depressive episode can lead to huge losses in life such as job loss, financial instability, divorce, loss of relationships with colleagues, and friends. It isn’t our fault that the episodes happen, but many people and organizations cannot separate who we are as people from the behaviour they see when we are not well. Acknowledging, the pain of these losses and addressing them through journaling, counseling and/or peer support was helpful for me.

7. Volunteer Work
When you are well enough, volunteer work can be a great way to transition back into a more active life. There is a full range of time commitments from a couple of hours a month to several hours a week. Volunteering can provide more structure into your life, create connection with people who are appreciative of your help and it can give your a sense of fulfillment.

8. Identifying Your Capacity
The last step may be the hardest. At some point, we have to reflect on patterns that have emerged after multiple episodes. Bipolar disorder can be highly reactive to stress. For some, full-time work, a busy social life, an intense workout routine and a family may be possible. For others, this level of activity could result in recurring episodes. A person who can do more than other people who are limited in the scope and how much they do are not more successful. They simply have a greater capacity to do more.

Dealing with the devastation that comes as a result of acute manic and depressive episodes is awful. It takes time, patience and support but it is possible to find a life you enjoy again.

Allan’s Mania Season

May 26, 2024 / Allan Cooper

People seem to be aware of depression occurring during the darker months in Canada but there is a different season that those of us who have bipolar disorder have to pay attention to and for different reasons. It’s springtime. I like to refer to the spring as, “mania season,” because this is the time of year when I, and many people I have met who have bipolar disorder, are more likely to experience hypomania which can build to full-blown manic episodes. This phenomena is officially called Spring Mania (Psychiatric Times) .

I live in Calgary, Canada and during the winter we have approximately 8 hours of daylight per day. In the springtime, that changes to 15 hours a day. My bipolar disorder can react to the increased number of daylight hours in a dramatic fashion. Most of my hypomanic and manic episodes have occurred in the spring. For me, the consequences of this happening are extreme because I have the more severe type of the illness, Bipolar 1, which means I have full blown manic episodes that can include psychosis. This has happened 3 times in my life and all of them caused irreparable harm to relationships with colleagues, some friends and family members, job loss and a struggle with maintaining enough money to meet basic needs. Since the consequences are so severe, I am hyper vigilant in keeping an eye on my mood in the spring and if something starts to go wrong, I act immediately to ensure that I don’t become acutely ill.

I have learned that the first symptom I experience when my mood is becoming elevated is irritability. I notice that when I talk to people my words have a tiny bit more of a bite to them than usual. Nobody else notices the change but I can because it’s not like my usual demeanor and the way I communicate. I also notice that I have thoughts that describe my irritation with the world. Thoughts like: Why do people in Costco always get in my way? How come everyone is driving like idiots? Why is person x taking so long to complete x?

The other symptom I notice is that it is very difficult to calm down and rest. It feels like my blood is almost vibrating at a different frequency than the rest of my body. Regardless of how tired I feel, if I lie down, take deep breaths or close my eyes, my body will not calm down. I feel like I must keep moving but that makes the feeling worse.

When this happens, I go into my bathroom, put a towel at the bottom of the door so that it is completely dark and wait and see if anything changes. If I start to feel better, it confirms for me that my mood is becoming elevated. I sit in the dark for as long as possible and that stops my symptoms from getting worse. After I feel more settled, I close all the blinds in my house and wear sunglasses. I don’t do anything stimulating. I don’t go on my phone, watch TV or go outside. I just sit in as dark a room as possible and try to stay bored. I cancel all of my commitments including work, socializing and sports activities. If my symptoms get worse, I will call my psychiatrist and she will decide if any adjustments need to be made to my medication. Generally, when I do this my symptoms only last a few days. I have not had a manic episode since 2010 and I believe this self-awareness and my medication has made this possible.

This strategy will not work for everyone. Bipolar disorder presents differently in every single person. Unfortunately, the only way to figure out a method for yourself is to reflect on what was going on before your last and previous episodes to see if you can identify any patterns that can give you a clue that you may be becoming unwell and then working with your psychiatrist to develop interventions that will work for you specifically. For me, this process took many years and I think it is important to have some space after an episode to grieve the losses you may have experienced, heal from the shame and physically recover from the depression that follows before you start thinking about how to identify when you may be experiencing an uptick in your mood.

For family and friends who have loved ones in their lives who have bipolar disorder there is very little you can do to help in this learning process other than be supportive and compassionate just like you would for any other physical illness. It is difficult for people who don’t have bipolar disorder to understand the subtleties of the start of mania. I have heard many stories of well-meaning family members expressing concern over someone who has bipolar disorder’s mood when often the person is simply having a normal valid emotional response to a certain circumstance. Peer support provided by people who have bipolar disorder are better able to have these conversations that people can learn from. Organizations such as the DBSA, The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance have online peer support groups for people who have bipolar disorder.

I have heard many mental health professionals say that bipolar disorder is an illness that can be managed. I think that is unfair to us. I think we can thrive and have exceptional fulfilling lives with meaningful volunteer or paid work, and healthy relationships with colleagues, friends, family, and romantic partners. We may not be able to engage in specific activities and everyone who has bipolar disorder differs in their capacity for how much activity they can do in one day. I believe with the right medication and strategies based on self-awareness it is possible for all of us to have a positive life.

Loving Someone Who Has Bipolar Disorder

March 30, 2024 / Allan Cooper

Award winning author Jessica Waite describes herself as someone who has lived with and loved people who have bipolar disorder. In this episode on my podcast, The Bipolar Disorder Moment, she discusses her relationship with her late husband and shares some of the details of her soon to be released memoir. You can hear my podcast on most platforms or by clicking on one of the icons below.

Why I Take My Meds

September 3, 2023 / Allan Cooper

I have experienced some frustration when discussing the role of my medication in the treatment of bipolar disorder to people who do not have the illness. Bipolar disorder is a physical illness which has physical and psychological symptoms. Bipolar disorder is not a psychological problem. Sometimes, I hear the sentiment that I am using medication as an easy crutch rather than face my life problems or sometimes people question if I even need medication. I have had people say, “Well, if it works for you that’s great,” with the emphasis on the “you.” Sometimes, people suggest yoga, exercise or meditation as a preferential solution to the issues bipolar causes in my life.

If I did not take medication I would be acutely ill frequently and I would likely require extensive psychiatric care on a daily basis. For me, the distinction between the symptoms of bipolar disorder and the regular ups and downs that everyone has is very clear. There was a time that I did not have bipolar disorder. The onset of my illness occurred in 1995. I was living in Japan and under a tremendous amount of stress which triggered my first manic episode. I had never had any symptoms of bipolar disorder before this happened.

At that time, I was experiencing psychosis. I was having delusions that made me believe I had reached enlightenment, could heal people with my mind, gain enormous wealth in a short period of time and that all my friends and family would quit their jobs and join me to live a life of endless joy and prosperity. Of course, none of that was true but bipolar disorder made it seem 100% real. I barely slept or ate any food. I am sure I was talking fast and a lot and I couldn’t sit still.

I returned to Canada and spent three months on the psych ward in Calgary and I saw multiple specialized medical doctors called psychiatrists. They were able to find the right medication to bring me down from my manic episode.

The depressive episode that followed was the worst level of anguish I have ever experienced in my life. The fatigue was so extreme that I had to use two hands to brush my teeth. I could only spend a few minutes away from my bed before being completely drained of energy and forced to return to the covers. I could intellectually recognize flavours, smells, colours and sounds but there was no human element of that perception. My body could recognize all of these but it was incapable of deriving pleasure or any meaning from any of it. My thoughts were stuck on negativity and suicidal ideation.

After I left the hospital, my psychiatrist worked on getting me the right medication and my depressive episode ran its course. I felt better and went back to work. After a few months, I started to wonder if I had bipolar disorder. After all, I had never experienced symptoms of the illness until my first episode. I thought that maybe it was just a one time thing so I decided to stop taking my medication. A few months later, I had another full blown manic episode that decimated my life. I have never stopped taking my medication since then.

There is no cure for bipolar disorder. My medication gives me a chance to live a positive life but it does not free me from my symptoms completely nor does it guarantee that I will never have an acute episode again. My last full blown, psychotic manic episode was in 2010 and I was taking my medication at the time.

I still have depressive episodes but they are milder than if I wasn’t taking medication. I occasionally have mild hypomania, a less severe form of mania, but I have a routine that prevents them from getting worse. I have learned that if I get too excited about my own ideas and I am experiencing a lot of stress I will likely have a manic episode even if I am taking medication. A high level of stress will trigger a depressive episode for me.

In addition to taking my medication, I have to make lifestyle choices to maintain a level of wellness that allows me to enjoy my life. I limit my activity level to what is within my capacity. I rarely consume alcohol. I have firm boundaries in my relationships. I try to stay active. I monitor my thoughts and I attend a peer support group. I see my psychiatrist regularly and we make adjustments to my medication if necessary. If I did not maintain this routine I am sure I would have another manic or severe depressive episode.

For me, the key to finding the right medication has been playing an active role in decisions when working with my psychiatrist. There is no imaging or blood test that a psychiatrist can use to assess your symptoms. They rely on us to give them the information they need to treat our bipolar disorder. Any information about your symptoms, side effects and current stressors in your life is helpful. Taking a notebook with this information and any questions you have to your appointments can be helpful.

For friends and family, the most supportive thing you can do is show compassion by understanding we suffer from a real illness with real physical symptoms. They are not made up in our head. When you imply otherwise it makes people blame themselves for their symptoms which is demoralizing and produces unnecessary feelings of shame. This in turn drastically reduces the chances of people regaining a positive life.

I am extremely grateful that I have medication that I respond to in a positive way. This is not the case for everyone. The side effects have been difficult and have contributed to other health problems I have and the day may come when my medication will not be effective in treating my bipolar disorder. But for right now, I am fairly content with my life and psychiatric medication has made that possible.

Thank You Bella

January 2, 2023 / Allan Cooper

Bella, August 17, 2004 – December 23, 2022

On December 23, 2022, my Bella left this world. The agonizing sadness I felt that day is a pain I don’t recall feeling in quite some time. It felt like some emotional bandage had been ripped from my body. I have lost pets before, but Bella’s passing is different. In the past few days, I have marveled at how a creature that was small enough for me to scoop up in one hand and bounce around like a baby in my arms would have such an emotional tie to my heart.

In Bella’s final moments I kept repeating the words, “Thank you,” to her. She helped me in so many ways that are beyond the capacity of any human being. In 2010, I had a full-blown psychotic manic episode. I lost my job and all the connections I had with colleagues, friends and family members were severed or significantly harmed. Bella’s reaction to my episode was to eat her food, drink her water, use her litter box and ignore me. When she felt like it, she would hop up on my lap and purr while she curled into a ball and fell asleep. It didn’t matter to her that I believed the CIA was chasing me and that I had a number in my head that had to be delivered to someone to save the world. She just treated me with love and affection.

When I crashed from that episode, I hit a horrible depression. I had very little money and I had moved to a small town impulsively in the middle of my manic episode. I met some wonderful people there but for the most part I felt disconnected from humanity and completely hopeless. The depressive episode symptoms seeped into my body. I ached all over and I could barely move. On most days I would only eat a sausage roll and drink a bit of orange juice. Often, I didn’t eat anything. Every day, I had an intense internal battle with suicidal ideation, and I rarely left my home or opened my drapes.

The only positive thing in my life at that time was Bella. When I was stuck lying in bed, she would hop up on top of me and fall asleep. When I came out to the living room, she would paw at the drapes, and I would open them so that she could lay down in the sunshine. At a time of desperate loneliness and despair she gave me little tidbits of joy and lots of affection.

Bella’s behaviour was often a reflection of how well I was doing. Sometimes, when I was watching TV, she would sit in front of me on the floor and stare at me. In time, my psychiatrist and I would call this her, “Get your sh*t together,” look. When it happened the first time it was unnerving. I would give her food and fresh water, clean her litter and try to play with her but she would continue to stare at me. At some point, I realized that this behaviour only happened when my mental health was off. It was a sign that I needed to make choices to improve how I was doing. I don’t remember the last time she stared at me like that. I guess she did a good job of teaching me the importance of self-care.

One of the chronic symptoms of bipolar disorder that is a challenge for me is that I have a poor appetite when my mood is low. When this happens, I don’t eat enough and then my depression gets worse which in turn reduces my appetite even further. One day, I wasn’t eating, and Bella was following me around and meowing at me. I gave her everything that would normally stop this behaviour, but she wouldn’t leave me alone. I got so frustrated that I sat at the table and started to eat. She stopped meowing and went to her bowl to eat. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but she kept acting like this when I wasn’t eating and the only way to get her to stop was to sit down and eat.

Bella was a beautiful and elegant cat. When you offered her treats, she would pop up and dance around like a ballerina while she looked up at you in anticipation. If you happened to be standing by the drawer that contained the treats, she would give you the most disabling puppy dog eyes that you would be forced to give her one. She had a wonderful nature. She never hissed at me, and she was always cuddly and warm. My heart aches without my Bella but I know that this pain will eventually subside. I am tremendously grateful for the time we had together. I will never forget how she was able to put my world at ease by simply hopping up into my lap, rolling into a ball and falling asleep.

Addressing Self-Isolating When You Have Bipolar Disorder

October 9, 2022 / Allan Cooper

When you have bipolar disorder it is easy to feel like you are alone and disconnected from the rest of the world. Our symptoms are difficult for people to understand because they only see behaviour that they might find frustrating, confusing and maybe even scary. This can lead to ruptured friendships, job loss and distancing by family members. Plus, some of our symptoms include negative thoughts and anxiety which may lead to an illogical fear of leaving our homes.

During my last manic episode, I was experiencing a lack of inhibitions which led to an impulsive decision to move to a small town. I was still high and experiencing psychosis when I moved there and I only have vague memories of what happened when I arrived. When the manic episode ended the tremendous darkness of a severe depressive episode seeped into my body.

I had never lived in a small town, and I did not know anyone who lived in the community. My mania had caused me to lose my job and I lost any connection I had to my former colleagues. My behavior when I was high caused ruptured friendships and distance between me and my family members. My appetite tanked. The most I would eat during the day was one sausage roll and maybe some orange juice. Some days, I didn’t eat anything at all. I didn’t have enough money to even get the internet or cable TV so I watched the same three DVDs everyday and I listened to the radio. I was so exhausted and achy that I spent most of my time in bed.

When my mood is low my anxiety is high. This means when I was awake, I was in a constant state of fear even though I was not in any danger. Plus, I was afraid that people would recognize me from when I had my manic episode if I went out in public and I feared how they would react to me. I would only leave my home to get necessities and then I would hurry back to lie in bed with body aches, fear and awful negative thoughts bombarding my brain.

I am fortunate because I have family members who care about me and were determined to support me regardless of the fact that there were no signs that I would be getting better anytime soon. They called me everyday imploring me to keep eating and encouraging me to keep trying to get better. In retrospect, all of those phone calls were crucial in helping me through that period in my life.

At some point, my energy improved, and I spent less time in bed, but I was still fearful of leaving my home. I made a goal to just get on the other side of the door to my house. It didn’t matter what I did or where I went after that. I just needed to get on the other side of the door. Once I was able to leave my home I found support and connection to people at a local church and gradually I started to feel more comfortable outside my place.

The piece that really made a huge difference for me is when I reconnected with my friends who have bipolar disorder. They understood what I was going through and reminded me of the tools I needed to implement to rebuild my life. Their support helped me tremendously in getting my life back on track.

Getting stuck in self-isolation is scary. You become imprisoned in your own home. The longer the isolation lasts the larger the gap between yourself and the rest of society feels. For me, the only solution was to just get on the other side of the door to my home. I had to take that one step that opened me up to the possibility of returning to the support and potential for joy that comes from being connected to people. This one step eventually grew into a life that I enjoy that includes a sense of fulfilment and stability.

Maintaining Friendships When You Have Bipolar Disorder

September 18, 2022 / Allan Cooper

When you have an illness that includes symptoms that make you believe you are a god, causes hyper sexuality, extreme irritability and crippling fatigue, people may not want to be around you. These symptoms of bipolar disorder can make it a challenge to keep friendships.

I have had three full blown manic episodes where I was psychotic and I have had several acute depressive episodes. Every time they happen, I lose most of my friendships. The most devastating symptoms I have when I have manic episodes are irritability and psychosis. Once the episodes are over, some people avoid you and act extremely uncomfortable around you. Both reactions are not conducive to positive relationships. During depressive episodes, it is hard to socialize because of the fatigue which has also led to a loss of friendships.

For me, the foundation of creating friendships despite the chaos that my illness causes is support from my friends who have bipolar disorder. They are compassionate, non-judgmental, creative and intelligent. I am comfortable being around them regardless of how well I am because they understand what I am going through. They have empowered me to create a consistent positive life despite the chronic nature of the illness.

In addition, I take my medication, see my psychiatrist regularly, and I have an activity level that is within my capacity. I am aware of changes in my body that may mean an acute episode may be coming and make adjustments to my routine accordingly. I have done everything in my power to decrease the chances of a full-blown episode from occurring and I have a routine that makes my chronic symptoms more manageable. This has led to consistent stability which has helped me with my relationships.

Now, I have several friends. In addition to my friends who have bipolar disorder, I value my friends who do not have the illness and have stuck with me despite some of the challenges I face. Plus, I have new friends who have no idea that I have an illness that has made me believe I am a god on one occasion. I am grateful for all of them. They make me laugh, bring me joy and ground me in a sense of connection. They support me through difficult times, and I have the honour of supporting them when they go through challenges.

Human beings need to feel that they belong to our massive herd. In my opinion, for people who have bipolar disorder, this connection can be cultivated by building a positive routine that minimizes the probability of having an acute episode. If one can achieve this level of functioning, you can attract the people you need into your life and create greater resilience as well as long term happiness and fulfillment.

World Bipolar Day

March 30, 2022 / Allan Cooper

World Bipolar Day takes places today, March 30^th, on the birthday of Vincent Van Gogh who was posthumously diagnosed as probably having bipolar disorder. An initiative of the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF), the Asian Network of Bipolar Disorder (ANBD) and the International Society for Bipolar Disorder (ISBD) World Bipolar Day is dedicated to raising awareness, creating solidarity of support amongst people who have bipolar disorder and advocating for resources and funding for international initiatives that support research and services for people who have bipolar disorder. For more information on World Bipolar Day consult the official website.

In addition, Crest.Bd will be hosting their AMA (Ask Me Anything) event on Reddit. This online question and answer event will start at 11 am (MST) on Wednesday, March 30^th, 2022 and it will continue for forty-eight hours.

To get involved in World Bipolar Day via social media click here. You can also consult the World Bipolar Day Facebook Page.

Making a donation to one of the following organizations that help people who suffer from bipolar disorder is another way to participate in the cause on World Bipolar Day.

The International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF)

The International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD)

If you have a blog or other social media presence, consider posting information and links regarding bipolar disorder and World Bipolar Day.

When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1995, I was embarrassed and ashamed that I had the illness and lived in fear that people would find out I had it. In the last few years, stigma has improved substantially which has allowed me to speak and write about my experience with having bipolar disorder publicly however stigma is still very real. People continue to have issues with unfair treatment by employers, family and friends simply because they have a chronic illness that is often misunderstood. World Bipolar Day is dedicated to an international explosion of awareness, advocacy and fund raising that makes me feel hopeful that people with bipolar disorder will have a better life in the future.

The Mystic Cave – Brain Betrayal: Mental Health Advocate Allan Cooper on Finding a New Life With Bipolar Disorder

March 20, 2022 / Allan Cooper

This podcast is the audio from an interview I did on my good friend Brian Pearson’s podcast, The Mystic Cave. Brian and I discuss resiliency in the face of adversity and my yet to be published book, Brain Betrayal: The Allan They Never Met.

Brian is a talented blogger, musician, author and speaker and you can learn more about him, read his blog and get access to his other podcasts on his site, The Mystic Cave. Click on any of the buttons below to listen to my podcast, The Bipolar Disorder Moment.