Today is an unexpected, full-circle, episode and I am thrilled. We didn't plan on this, but when Sarah learned her sister Ava had shared her journey as Sarah's caregiver, Sarah, decided to share her side  of the experience as a recipient of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). Sarah, now advocate of ECT, came on this week's podcast to let us know first-hand about ECT being a lifesaving treatment, how it is performed and why it's time to speak up against its formerly "barbaric" reputation. Sarah shares her story as a dedicated physician, during which her hypomania served her life and impressive career well, until age 46 when she hit her first depressive episode.

In Part 1: Sisters Embark on ECT, Ava so bravely shares her story about caring for a loved one when Sarah was in the midst of her mid-life mental health crisis and treatment resistant episodes. At that time, Ava became Sarah's best advocate, working tirelessly with doctors to find a solution to Sarah's worsening symptoms and ultimately being courageous enough to support Sarah through the often stigmatized (ECT), which  healed Sarah's mind. 

In two episodes, both sisters now share their story of hope, empathy, and resilience with mental illness. Enjoy Part 1 and Part 2.

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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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