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/

Bipolar and Surviving

#40 - Interview with Lauren Utley

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.

#39 - Self-sabotage

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.

#38 - Abilify (Aripiprazole)

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.

Trailer - Bipolar and Surviving

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.

#37 - Meditation

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.

#36 - Yeah, I'm truly bipolar.

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.

#35 - There is nothing wrong with you

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.

#34 - 3 things you can do to improve

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

#33 - Being honest with yourself, journaling

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?

#32 - Self-Doubt - Am I even bipolar?

I haven't recorded an episode in 1.5 months because of fatigue.  Today I talk about my experience with fatigue caused primarily by a dosage of Abilify that was too strong.  Other topics include self care, basic needs, and routine.

#31 - Fatigue

Depakote is a mood stabilizer that is helping me beat my mania and hypomania which I haven't been able to get rid of for many months.  Depakote is saving my life.  This episode details my experience with it.

#30 - Depakote is saving my life

This episode tells the story of me leaving one psychiatrist, and finding a new one.  This involves topics related to medication, psychiatry, therapy, support networks, growth, and hard work.  Primary medications touched on are Depakote, with references to Lamictal and Lithium.

#29 - Saying Goodbye to a Psychiatrist

The podcast is alive and well!  In this episode I discuss the tool I have discovered when reading Tara Brach's book Radical Acceptance.  By pausing, I have been able to more skillfully address my mania.

#28 - The Pause - my new tool against mania

I share my thoughts on the findings from the study "Road Runners" via Treatment Advocacy Center.  Key findings can be found on:https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/road-runnersAn average of 10% of law enforcement agencies’ total budgets was spent responding to and transporting persons with mental illness in 2017.The average distance to transport an individual in mental illness crisis to a medical facility was 5 times farther than the distance to transport them to jail. Nationwide, an estimated $918 million was spent by law enforcement on transporting people with severe mental illness in 2017.The amount of time spent transporting people with mental illness by law enforcement agency survey respondents in 2017 sums to 165,295 hours, or more than 18 years.21% of total law enforcement staff time was used to respond to and transport individuals with mental illness in 2017.Law enforcement officers waited significantly longer — almost 2.5 hours longer — when dropping a person off at a medical facility than if transporting to a jail.Some officers reported having to wait with the individual for 72 hours or more until a bed becomes available.Survey respondents drove a total of 5,424,212 miles transporting individuals with serious mental illness in 2017 — the equivalent of driving around the Earth’s equator more than 217 times.The report was released in partnership with the National Sheriffs' Association and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police and funded by the Achelis and Bodman Foundation.

#27 - Law enforcement and mental illness

A blog of stories about living with bipolar disorder and surviving. Whether you suffer from mental illness, know someone with it, or are otherwise affected by it, this podcast offers real stories of hope and survival.

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Bipolar and Surviving

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