Bluntly Bipolar

"Joy is an act of resistance." Toi Derricotte

This phrase is largely used in social justice circles when it comes to dealing with oppressive forces, because an oppressive force wants you to be scared and broken down. Joy is a middle finger in the face of the oppressor. I identify with this, because my bipolar disorder has been trying to kill me for over 30 years now. My mental illness has oppressed my ability to live the kind of life I wanted, to feel healthy emotions, to have things that I would not have lost if not for depression and bipolar disorder. In this episode, I want to share with you part of how I went from suicidally depressed and nihilistic to hopeful and optimistic, if not joyful from time-to-time.

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• Box Breathing: How to, Benefits, and Tips
• from “The Telly Cycle” by Toi Derricotte - Rattle: Poetry
• 7 Ways Gratitude Rewires Your Brain

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I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

The Lindsay Clancy trial currently has social media in a grip. What's interesting about all of the discussion surrounding Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis is one understated detail.

Lindsay Clancy had an undiagnosed bipolar disorder as far as back as 2020, three years before she killed her three children. In this episode, I discuss the medical malpractice lawsuit that Clancy filed against six mental health professionals and three facilities who put Lindsay on thirteen different meds in the span of about three months, and what that means for people with bipolar disorder.

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• Lindsay Clancy's Lawsuit Document

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Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

Do you remember Elisa Lam? Elisa went missing and was discovered in a cistern on top of a hotel back in 2013. Her disappearance made the rounds through mystery and true crime circles because of how strange it was. There was a video from an elevator that showed her acting strangely, fearfully, as though she were being followed by someone. Many people took that to mean that she was being stalked by someone.

But did you know that Elisa Lam was also in treatment for Bipolar Disorder? Elisa Lam's death was ruled as an accidental drowning, likely as a result of a psychiatric emergency. In looking at her actions leading up to her death, they are a perfect storm of things you should not do when you have Bipolar Disorder. In this episode, I lay these things out clearly, so hopefully others can learn from it.

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• Who Killed Elisa Lam?
• Elisa Lam's Personal Blog

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

Did you hear about Voice Memo Guy? Essentially, he went on one date with a woman and expressed that early physical intimacy was important to him. She said she wasn't sure if that's what she wanted. Then, she invited him to her house for a second date. His response was to send a voice memo expressing that he didn't want to do that or continue on if it wasn't going to lead to sex. That woman's friend leaked it to the internet, and it went viral.

I've found much of the discourse surrounding this event to be lacking. So, I've decided to use this event in this episode as an excellent learning device about consent, communication, and boundaries.

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

We mentally ill people are told a lot of comforting lies. I don't think it's out of maliciousness. I think that a lot of people just don't know anything better to say. I used to be a cynical and bitter person until I had ran my old mental health blog years ago. I would get message after message from the loved ones of the mentally ill, trying to figure out how to balance compassion with boundaries, and be helpful and understanding. In this episode are five things they tell us that aren't as helpful as you may think. In fact, they can be downright harmful.

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

Suicide and the loss surrounding it is a far too common subject in the world of mental health. In this episode, I share the things I've learned about navigating suicide loss from my time in bereavement groups and my own acceptance of my family members, friends, and associates who have completed suicide.

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

• Complicated Grief | Fact Sheet - ABCT - Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

In the previous episode, I discussed the simple process I used to take myself apart and better understand why I am who I am. In this episode, I describe how I took those bricks and put them back together with intention. The power of deconstruction is that you now have raw material to rebuild with.

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

America is not in a great place this 4th of July. It's hard to feel positive about this country with the current administration and environment that created it. In this bonus episode, I would like to share with you five reasons I am relentlessly optimistic about America's future. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

• Letter from Birmingham Jail (King, Jr)

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

Deconstruction is a process of taking yourself apart to understand the "why" behind who you are. In this episode, I walk you through the simple process I used and still use to dismantle my perceptions, understand where my emotions are coming from, and separate mental illness from rational thinking. It's simple, but it's not easy. The main benefit is that it can help you identify unwellness before it gets going, among other things.

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.

Deconstruction became an important part of defusing anger that fueled my depression and Bipolar Disorder, complicated by the autism. I had to identify the biases and perspectives I had picked up from society and the people around me to find a way to let them go. In this episode, I deconstruct the "man" in the label of "straight white man" as a working class guy from a blue collar background.

Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.bluntlybipolar.com/listen

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluntlybipolar

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluntlybipolar.bsky.social

Email: [email protected]

I am not a mental health professional. I do not have any qualifications or certifications of any kind. I hope that by sharing my experiences, more mentally ill people will be empowered to step into the offices of clinicians to do the hard work that leads to mental wellness, peace, and happiness. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, as all I am is a mental patient with a microphone.