Lauren Utley shares her story of living with Bipolar 1, the ups, the downs, and the gratitude she feels each day.   Here are some useful links she recommends that you check out:   NAMI Support Groups: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Support-Groups   DBSA Support Groups: https://www.dbsalliance.org/   The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

Self-sabotage is a common theme and practice in my life.  This is a negative but all-too-common practice in our society whether one has mental illness or not.  This episode discusses a few elements of this practice.

Abilify has been a long-time staple of my medication regimen.  However, to help solve my incessant drowsiness, I have begun tapering it with the approval and supervision of my psychiatrist.  Here is a brief explanation of my experience with Abilify.

This is a NEW trailer for the podcast!  I hope this helps explain what this podcast is about, and the topics covered.  Thank you for listening, and keep on surviving. To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.

Today I talk about a topic that is near and dear to me: meditation.  It is a practice I really enjoy, and that has great side effects in my life. To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.

I discuss how I really, truly have Bipolar I, PTSD, and likely have sleep apnea.  And how I feel accomplished getting out of bed each day despite those.  To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.

There is nothing wrong with you.  Here is how I know this.  This episode is a discussion on guilt and shame, particularly the two types of guilt, and shame.  I encourage you to check out the work of Brene Brown for incredibly insightful research and clear, impactful presentations regarding shame.  To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.

Here are 3 things that you can do to improve the world, society, and most importantly, yourself.  These aren't the three most important things, or the only three things, but these are three of the multitude of important things you can do that will make a change in the world, society, and yourself. To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.

It is important to be honest with yourself, and also to maintain a journal.  This episode dives into honesty, journaling, parenting, and the insights that I have arrived at based on these practices and topics.  The website is also refreshed!  More content to come there.  www.bipolarandsurviving.com To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.

Sometimes I wonder if I am even bipolar.  It is natural to have these self-doubts, but even more so, I oftentimes doubt whether my thinking is the "up" or anxious me, or the "down" or depressed me speaking.  So, the doubt is two-fold: Am I even bipolar? and Can I even trust my thoughts when I am thinking this way? To help keep the podcast ad-free, please consider supporting the podcast for just $1 per month via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bipolarandsurviving.