In this episode of 'Conversations With", mental illness advocates Shaley Hoogendoorn and Sarah Jickling talk about all things bipolar. Sarah is open and honest about how she wrestled with and rejected her bipolar diagnosis for many years. She shares about what life looked like before and the the rollercoaster ride that led to her mood disorder diagnosis.

Sarah also has great insight into how the "wellness" industry can cause harm and delay diagnosis. Shaley and Sarah talk about how vulnerable they both were to the harm in believing that alternative medicine could cure their bipolar. This conversation gives an inside glimpse into the hard parts of living with mental illness AND also hope that there are treatable ways to manage and engage in creative and meaning fun work.  

We are so grateful for Sarah's voice, as an advocate and also as a singer/songwriter. Go follow her, download all her music and podcast episodes. Her music is beautiful and makes us feel seen and understood. Our greatest hope is that this conversation gives courage to us all to seek help whenever we need are not ok.

This is bipolar... 

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Meet Sarah: 

Sarah Jickling is a Canadian songstress and mental health advocate known for her candid look into uncomfortable subjects, served with an indie pop smile. In 2017, Sarah released her first solo album, “When I Get Better,” which documents her journey through bipolar recovery. Jickling’s idiosyncratic songs have been featured on radio stations across the country and in independent films, and she has opened up about her experiences with mental illness on radio, local television, podcasts, blogs and at live speaking events. Music editor of the Georgia Straight Mike Usinger writes, "Over the past couple of years the Lotsusland-raised singer-songwriter has proven herself one of the most interesting fixtures on the city’s music scene. Musically, Jickling traffics in a brand of pop that’s beautifully inspirational."

Sarah’s music has earned her top spots in competitions such as Citr's Shindig!, Seattle’s EMP Soundoff,102.7, the PEAK Performance Project, SFU’s Launch Fest, Anxiety BC’s Multimedia Contest, and Canada's Walk Of Fame Music Mentorship Program. She has been featured on CBC four times since the release of her solo album to discuss mental health and music, and her interview on Interesting Vancouver Presents was re-broadcast nationally on CBC One’s Podcast Playlist. She now tours to high school across British Columbia destigmatizing mental illness and singing her heart out with Reach Out Psychosis, a educational concert created by the BC Schizophrenia Society. Paul McLellan (The Indie Mixtape, Go! Vancouver) calls Jickling an “epic rock star and brilliant conversation starter for mental health.”

In 2019, Sarah is growing as a musician and tackling some of her most personal and difficult themes yet. Her upcoming album, The Family Curse, deals with intergenerational trauma and mental illness in families, and she is currently working with Harley Small (Peach Pit) and Carol Lynn Quinn (High Love) to push her boundaries both lyrically and sonically. When she is not singing in the recording studio or a high school gymnasium, Sarah can be found in hospital waiting rooms and pole dancing studios around Vancouver, BC.