Inside Bipolar

From swiping fatigue to getting ghosted, dating is a beast on its own. Throw in a bipolar disorder diagnosis and it gets really complicated, really fast. The first step might be telling someone you live with bipolar, but do you tell them before you meet, on the first date, or wait until you know them a bit better?  How do you navigate the stigma surrounding mental health conditions and manage reje...

Pessimism can feel like it’s part and parcel of having bipolar disorder. But differentiating how much of your pessimism comes from bipolar disorder and how much of it is just your personality can be difficult. Host Gabe Howard talks to co-host Nicole Washington about his experience with pessimism and bipolar, how (and when) to get help if you’re a Negative Nelly, and where to draw the line between...

What’s it like to have PTSD and bipolar disorder? Many people know that mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, frequently co-occur. Having bipolar disorder doesn’t preclude you from other mental health conditions like PTSD. Seeking treatment for bipolar disorder alone can feel daunting enough. Compound it with PTSD and it may feel ever more complicated and maybe even scary. In this...

Do you ever get stuck on a particular thought, worry, or fear? It just goes around and around and around in your brain: You can’t stop thinking about it, and you can’t focus on anything else until whatever it is is resolved? That is a rumination and anecdotal evidence suggests they are common in bipolar disorder. But why is that? Are ruminations a symptom of bipolar disorder? Are ruminations liste...

People expect you to take time off work for things like surgery and recovery, as well as pregnancy. But if you have bipolar disorder and a period of acute sickness led you to take time off work, the process of returning to the workplace may feel daunting. What do you even say to your colleagues?  The added pressure of making yourself attractive to employers doesn’t help — regardless of whether you...

How do you disclose bipolar disorder at work? Should you disclose it at all? If you are going to disclose, how do you tell your boss, colleagues, and human resources that you have bipolar disorder? What are the pros and cons? Would you be surprised to hear that it is mostly cons or would you be surprised there are any pros? Listen now to find out more! To learn more -- or read the transcript -- pl...

We all like to think that our psychiatrists are perfect paragons of virtue and that we are their only patients. But, deep down, we all know that isn’t really true. Psychiatrists see multiple patients, have many responsibilities, and are human — just like the rest of us.  Join us as Dr. Nicole, a board certified psychiatrist, shares what behaviors get under her skin. We discuss how doctors don’t kn...

Everyone wants to have relationships with people – even if it is to just say hi and bye to our neighbors or get along with our colleagues at work. But when you have bipolar disorder, making new friends can be complicated. For example, when do you tell them about your diagnosis? Do you even need to tell them at all? How can you manage your feelings if they react poorly to the information?  Sometime...

Whenever medication is discussed as it relates to bipolar disorder, someone will bring up medication compliance. Generally, it’s posed as a question, “Why aren’t people with bipolar disorder med compliant?” In this episode we discuss the phrase “med compliant,” what it means, and why it’s not as straightforward as “just take your meds.”  To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the...

Do you have bipolar I or bipolar II? What are the differences and does it matter? Does debating which one is worse actually distract all of us from getting better? In this episode, Dr. Nicole Washington and Gabe Howard, who lives with bipolar I disorder, discuss. Inside Bipolar Hosts Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular...

Both bipolar disorder and pregnancy have unique medical challenges. How do those challenges converge? Is it safe to take medication while pregnant? What about while breastfeeding? Is the postpartum period more or less dangerous for someone with bipolar disorder? Is it important that your mental health doctors and pregnancy doctors are on the same page and, if so, how does the person who's pregnant...

Bipolar or not bipolar? That is the question. Why do doctors change their minds about a diagnosis, and does altering a diagnosis mean they aren’t good at their profession?  Does a change mean you are getting substandard care, and do you ever wonder why your diagnosis isn’t consistent from medical professional to medical professional, or even from facility to facility? Listen in to answer these que...

Are you having trouble with your sex life, but you don't think your doctor will understand? You decide that it's too awkward to explain, so you'd rather just stop taking the medication and tell no one – including the medical professionals treating you?  That is a bad idea and a person who lives with bipolar and a licensed psychiatrist share why. Listen Now! To learn more -- or read the transcript...

Can a psychiatrist just point to someone with bipolar disorder and commit them? What factors into that decision – are their guidelines, laws, or rules? And what about the reaction of families and friends? Are they normal for lecturing people about their bipolar disorder?  In today’s episode we discuss how inpatient hospitalization is sometimes necessary, but always traumatizing. Listen Now! Inside...

What is hypersexuality? Is it just about having a lot of sex, or is there more to it? And why don’t we hear more about this common symptom of bipolar disorder? What could be the downside to having a lot of sex? Join us as Gabe and Dr. Nicole Washington explain the truth about hypersexuality. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the show's official episode page here. Inside Bipol...

Bipolar advocate Gabe Howard and Dr. Nicole Washington discuss the pitfalls of getting information from our friends and from medical professionals. They also cover why the side effects of psychiatric medications may sound scary. The hosts offer tips on how bipolar patients can better advocate for themselves, including what not to say and when it’s better to stay quiet and listen. They share a nuan...