Join me as we chat with Shannon Vought, a 31 year old IT Project Manager living in Charlotte, NC trying to figure how to live her best life with Bipolar II.

We will learn what coping skills have worked for Shannon along with what her experience was like in the psych ward and how she manages thought spirals.

Connect with Shannon here on her Tik Tok account called "shewearsgrippysocks." Shannon shares why this is the only form of social media she is active on and how her vulnerability with living with bipolar II helps others.

Diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder 12 years ago is never something my guest this week thought would ever be her reality. 

Not only was the diagnosis a surprise, but something Amelia Zachry thought she already understood. 

Amelia is the author of "Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood." She is a wife and mother of two girls who shares her story of why she is speaking up.

Tune in to hear what has helped Amelia balance a stable marriage, motherhood, seeking professional treatment for her diagnosis and how you can overcome your greatest obstacle. 

For more Amelia, follow her here.... and check out her work and story here. 

Lauren Contey is a Licensed Associate Counselor, wife and mother of 2 who never experienced a day of depression in her life....

Lauren is 32 now and in the middle of trying to figure out her diagnosis while being a sign of hope for others online here.

Make sure to connect with Lauren again.... here and here. 

Do you ever feel like you put your needs on the back burner? Like you have tried to open up before about your diagnosis or mental health with no success?

This is the episode for you to learn from my guest, Charise Jewell, all about how she learned to navigate the many challenges thrown her way by bipolar disorder. 

Charise is the author of, "Crazy: Memoir of a Mom Gone Mad," her story about her bipolar 1 diagnosis and recovery and "Normal," a soon-to-be released novel about mental illness for tweens. 

Tune in to uncover ways that Charise has been able to improve stability, advocate for herself and overcome the pattern of thinking that used to plague all of her days. 

For more Charise check her out here and follow her here!

Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the episode and want to share your thoughts! Also connect with me here and join the community here!

After listening to this Model Mentality Episode, I wanted to share this episode with you guys. In this interview, Rachel Hilbert, shares her experience of stigma living with bipolar as a fashion model for Victoria's Secret. 

She shares how speaking about bipolar felt more stigmatizing than sharing her struggles with anxiety. After she got into the details surrounding her diagnosis, I felt the same. 

Tune in to hear why speaking about bipolar can feel like a more difficult conversation than speaking about other struggles related to mental health. Why is this? Why do so many who live with bipolar also have a story to share related to stigma?

This  episode will walk  you through:

1. Where the stigma comes from

2. How to release yourself from it 

3. Why it matters to share your story living with bipolar

Don't forget to connect with me here after the episode:

Instagram

My Story

For the past 11 years, I have been on various medications and want to share my experience and thoughts on meds with you guys! 

Whether you are newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder or not...  medication is always a big topic and something so many struggle with. 

We struggle to find one that works, feeling dependent on them, shame of having to take them or the fear of judgement from others tied to bipolar. 

Tune in to hear my journey with meds, my story of going off a certain medication and how I overcame the stigma with meds and where I am at today vs. where I was years ago with meds. 

Thank you for being here and listening and feel free to connect with me down below!

Connect with me here:

Instagram

My Story

Jean is a musician, small jewelry business owner, and daily mental health advocate with 11 years experience living with bipolar II disorder. Tune in to hear how Jean has leveraged more than CBT, therapy practices, reprogramming negative thoughts and gratitude to shatter stigma. 

Jean describes the tools she began to leverage (boundary setting, quitting drinking and getting into music) to overcome the daily obstacles she faced with bipolar. 

Listen to discover a powerful solution for reprogramming negative thoughts that you can try out to get on track or stay on track with living well bipolar!  

More of Jean:

instagram: @dj.jeank

music: https://soundcloud.com/jjeankaye

music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCgDdfV9zlx4V6fxuh8qZg

What you keep track of... you can work to improve on!

When it comes down to living well bipolar, it is so important to keep track of the areas you are wanting to improve or just certain areas to track progress.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with bipolar for a number of years..... it is key to understand where you are now, celebrate your progress and recognize areas for growth.

Areas we can measure:

Sleep, screen time, exercise, medications, journaling, our feelings and progress at therapy or in coaching

I am currently looking to get better at being more present by lowering my screen time and get back into reading and working out more again!

What are  you looking to improve on that will help you out more when it comes down to prioritizing your mental health to live well bipoolar?

Welcome to the third (and hopefully last) name change of the podcast! If you are an OG who has been here from the start of this podcast then you remember how it was the Crooked Illness podcast focused on everything mental health. 

But.... around August of 2021, I changed the name to "Master Your Mental" since Crooked Illness stemmed from the name of my memoir and personal story living with bipolar. I decided to change the name to Master Your Mental and continue sharing conversations from others who have overcome challenges related to mental health. I wanted a name that more clearly defined what the show was about but since the podcast is all about bipolar disorder..... it doesn't fit.

In June of 2022, I decided to make the focus of the podcast all about what I needed the most when I was at my lowest... solutions for living well with bipolar. I wish I had access to a show or information 8 years ago when I was newly diagnosed with bipolar..... so I decided to create it!

Live Well Bipolar is all about stories from myself and my guests about the reality of living with bipolar and what has been the most helpful. We will be getting into the things we have come across that have had the most positive impact on our lives and the things that had the opposite effect. 

Tune in every Monday to learn more of what is working to incorporate into your life and all the ways that you can 100% live well with bipolar! 

Follow me on Instagram (my new one since my old one is still hacked): @livewellbipolar

Sad to share but both my Facebook & Instagram have been hacked and disabled last Tuesday.

I wanted to come on and explain how this happened and share some news..... 

The podcast will be getting a new name, cover, website, email and social accounts  (since I was hacked and have no access anymore).

Still here and love and miss you guys! I will be sharing more on the updates coming with the same focus on solutions for managing bipolar.