What happens when you receive a life-changing mental health diagnosis at 50 years old? For Matty Staudt--broadcast veteran, podcast pioneer, and current co-host of Alice Radio’s Sarah & Vinnie Show--it explained a lifetime of highs and lows.
 
 Matty was an anxious kid, but he assumed everyone experienced anxiety to the same extent. As an adult, he was treated for ADHD and also for depression by primary care doctors. To manage, Matty self-medicated with alcohol until a major crash and relapse at age 50 forced him to see a psychiatrist who finally stepped in and said, this is clearly bipolar 2 disorder.

Matty had been able to live the entrepreneurial lifestyle--which is very common among those with bipolar 2 (where your manic highs never flip into psychosis). He was ultra productive, getting weeks’ worth of work done in a day. Before he considered his rapid cycling between depressed and manic states as just how he operated and a personality flaw as his outbursts made him difficult to deal with at times, in both work and his personal life. 

This moment began a transformation and with therapy and medication and support from the bipolar community, Matty has found some calm—even contentment. But he works hard to keep his life balanced, especially when mania still feels alluring. And it’s tough. Stigma is real. For those 50 and up, mental illness was not talked about in our culture and sometimes they are the group needing the most help to push past stigma and shame.

It's never too late to see a mental health professional. It’s never too late to support and encourage a friend or loved one to see a psychiatrist. If you’re seeking a community, please visit BipolarSocialClub.org.

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Help Bipolar She Today! Buy Me A Coffee is a platform for podcasters to receive support, even if just a micro-donation. It's finally time to grow! Let's amplify voices of mental illness in all their raw details.

Bipolar She is dedicated to real conversations for women living with mental illness. Hosted by Janine Noel, the majority of episodes give voice to a woman who has lived-life experience with mental illness--or who has experienced the illness of someone close to them. Along the way, I interview experts in the field that address additional mental health concerns.

Frankly, coping with a mental health condition can be exhausting. Here's a place where you can land and find an episode that resonates with you. Some topics we've covered: being a bipolar mom or having a bipolar mom. Anxiety, agoraphobia, chronic depression, ECT, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, a psychiatrist that breaks your trust. A therapist who goes above and beyond to help you. The impact of trauma on your brain. 

Bipolar She couldn't have thrived without guitarist, JD Cullum's original music.

Editor Brandon Moran makes everyone's voice sound both crisper and smarter.

Sponsored by Amy Vincze's Emotional Freedom Technique App: Soar With Tapping.

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