The Upside of Bipolar: Conversations on the Road to Wellness

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Such an powerfully enlightening conversation with psychotherapist Anna Khandrueva:

• Her story of her diagnosis and how it lead to a career change to becoming a psychotherapist;
• How living with bipolar has helped her to become a more effective therapist;
• How to understand trauma healing and “post-traumatic growth”
• Why she started her Instagram and podcast to help spread awareness and tips on living well with bipolar.

Instagram: @couragetohealtherapy

Podcast: Courage to Heal

Website: www.couragetohealtherapy.com

The Bipolar Helper Guide: click here to get the guide

Bio:
Anna Khandrueva is a psychotherapist with a private practice called Courage to Heal Therapy located in Colorado. Anna lives with bipolar disorder type 1 and specializes in working with and advocating for people who also have bipolar. She immigrated from Russia to the United States in 2001 for college and is proud to have her master's in social work. Anna has a mental health podcast called Courage to Heal, where she is currently in the middle of a season on bipolar disorder.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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In this SPECIAL episode I share how I developed the Mood Cycle Survival Guide and learned to successfully navigate my bipolar mood swings beginning my path to wellness–and you can too!

BONUS: Details about the March Mad-less challenge running from March 20-March 31st in the Facebook group.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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This is a very inspiring conversation with Kate Simonet, author of “Out of the Darkness”. Kate shares:

• Her story that includes a psychotic break in a foreign country, subsequent hospitalizations, suicide attempt and the journey to stability,
• Her advocacy work in suicide prevention,
• The importance of being honest in seeking help to heal,
• The importance of giving yourself grace and living mindfully,
• How to utilize exercise and journaling effectively for self-care

Instagram: @choosing_happiness_llc
Facebook: Choosing Happiness

Buy “Out of the Darkness”:

IndieBound
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Bio

As a senior in high school, Kate Simonet had what many would call an “All-American Life.” Nothing had prepared her for the downward spiral that led her to two, two-weeklong psychiatric hospitalizations and a suicide attempt before those seven months were up. She would later be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and, with time, learn to overcome stigma, and eventually find peace and learn to live a successful and meaningful life.

Kate resides in Minnesota with her boyfriend, Ricky, and their two labradoodles, Teddy and Winnie. When she is not writing or journaling, she can be found traveling or at her family’s cabin. She is an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention awareness. Out of the Darkness is her first book.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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You’ll love this conversation with my wonderful guest Scott Ninneman of Speaking Bipolar! Scott shares:

• His experience with diagnosis and struggle to find an effective treatment.
• The self-care tools and routines that have helped him thrive with bipolar.
• How the tragic loss of a friend gave him the courage to start his blog to encourage others on their journey with bipolar.
• Why he started his free 30-days of Positivity newsletter and the benefits of focusing on positivity for your mental health.

Blog: www.speakingbipolar.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/speakingbipolar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/speakingbipolar

FREE: 30-days of Positivity

FREE: Newsletter

Bio:
Scott Ninneman is a quiet country boy living in the mountains of southeast Tennessee. During the day, he works as a tax preparer, but in his free time, Scott is the man behind the Speaking Bipolar Blog and company. He enjoys volunteering, caring for his aging parents, and creating online content about mental health. Besides his blog, you can find his works on Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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Wow! What an enlightening and powerful conversation with holistic psychiatrist Jennifer Giordano, DO. She shares:

• Her experience transitioning from the traditional psychiatric treatment model to holistic treatment model.
• The dependence created by psychiatric medications and the challenges of withdrawals.
• The holistic psychiatric approach to healing.

Instagram:
@drjennifergiordano
@freerangepsychiatry

Website:
www.freerange.org

Bio:

Dr. Giordano is a holistic psychiatrist with a passion for exploring what it means to be a human being and people being free. She is known for her free spirit, nature-loving lifestyle and wedding flash mob dancing. She has been practicing psychiatry for more than 17 years now and over the last 3 years has shifted to practicing holistic psychiatry. She has extensive experience in tapering psychiatric medications and also in suggesting various other holistic ways to incorporate wellness into one's daily life. In the past she has lived in India and has been a yoga teacher and has taught meditation and yoga programs across North America and India. As a holistic psychiatrist she is helping to bring back simple aspects of wellness in people's lives along with balancing the appropriate treatment model to one's needs. She is a huge and integral part of Free Range Psychiatry.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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This episode is so uplifting. Megan shares:

• Her experience with diagnosis
• Her favorite tools that help her manage her disorder
• How she uses her art and writing to share hope and encouragement with others who are struggling with mental health challenges.

Instagram:  @thisismegan_r

Megan was diagnosed with bipolar 1 in 2020. She also has diagnoses of PTSD and anxiety. The tools she finds most effective in helping her manage her mental health are therapy and writing. She has a passion for words and hopes to inspire and encourage others through her writing.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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I had an awesome conversation with Wendy Bowers of BWW Branding who has helped me identify how to effectively share what I’ve learned about how to live well with bipolar. 

In this episode Wendy and I discuss how the Map to Wellness was developed. We talk about:

• The challenge of figuring out how to live well with bipolar on your own.
• The importance of choosing a life-style change for your mind.
• What the Map to Wellness looks like and how you use it to live well with bipolar.
• The difference between “band-aid” solutions and a long-term solution that will help you heal.
• Why I felt compelled to share what I have learned about living well with bipolar.

Map to Wellness:

• Mood Cycle Survival Guide
• Learn More: Blog and Podcast
• Join Free Facebook Group Bipolar Moms Learning to Live Well
• Join the  Upsiders’ Tribe

Find Wendy Bowers on:
website: www.bwwbranding.com
Instagram @bwwbranding

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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In this episode I share the three major mindset shifts that will help you live well with your disorder:

• It's normal to grieve when you are diagnosed with bipolar. Allow yourself to grieve without getting stuck in grief.
• Stop comparing yourself to other people--or to who you thought you were or should be--with tips on how to love and value yourself as you are.
• The recovery cycle with bipolar mirrors the recovery cycle of addiction. Understanding this cycle helps you successfully manage your bipolar.
• Utilize a Mood Cycle Survival Guide to successfully manage your mood swings.

For more information on these topics check out the related blog posts:

Bipolar Disorder: The Stages of Grief 

Bipolar Disorder: You are not broken!

Bipolar Disorder: The Recovery Cycle

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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My guest Desiree Argentina, licensed Clinical Social Worker and Host of The Wellness Project with Des podcast, shares:

• Some of the reasons people resist therapy.
• Some different modalities that therapists utilize to help their clients.
• Resources and tips to help you find a therapist.
• How to stay connected with your therapist to be proactive in your treatment long term.
• What to do when you don’t know what to talk about in therapy.
• Self-care tips for managing bipolar.

Website: accordingtodes.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.wellness.project.with.des/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/accordingtodes

Podcast: anchor.fm/thewellnessprojectwithdes

Tiktok: tiktok.com/@des_arg.lcsw

30-day Self-Love Challenge: https://www.subscribepage.com/c7s4a7

Weekly Wellness Checklist: https://www.subscribepage.com/f5t5q2

Bio: Desiree Argentina is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker that is passionate about spreading mental health awareness and wants everyone to know how important it is to take care of their mental health. She is the podcast host of The Wellness Project with Des where she interviews experts in the fields of mental health and wellness as well as those that have struggled with their own mental health. The topics discussed on the podcast include anxiety, addiction, relationships, trauma, mental illness, wellness, self-care, depression, and so much more. Desiree hopes to help those that are struggling with their mental health by helping them feel less alone and empowered by providing them with resources, tips, and advice on how to overcome their struggles with their mental health.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

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My guest Temple Leffingwell shares:

• Her story of marrying someone who was later diagnosed with bipolar.
• How she began coaching partners and loved ones of people with bipolar on how to help their bipolar loved one and how to practice self-care for themselves.
• How she learned about the importance of nutrition for mental health.
• How to help loved ones learn how to set healthy boundaries with their bipolar loved one.

Website: www.templesworld.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/imarriedbipolar/

**DM Temple on Instagram for $100 off the Healing Foundation Package

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063752372483

Bio: Temple Leffingwell lives in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver, WA. She is an author of a book called "Whoops I Married Bipolar" and a peer support coach who has been living with a man with Schizoaffective Bipolar for 13 years.

She has been leading group training for teens and women in recovery from abuse or in need of relationship recovery for over 20 years.That group was called The Conscious Woman.  She currently holds a support and lecture group every Wednesday on Clubhouse called @IMarried Bipolar

She has a specialized degree in addiction education in Vancouver, WA.

She has been educated in many kinds of therapy modalities. CBT, Family Systems, Cultural studies, many terms of sociology, but she is most interested in how people interact with each other systemically.

Long before college, since her early 20’s, she has been studying metaphysics and has learned how to use my intuition to tap into the emotion of a situation and to use many tools to help you move the energy that might be holding you back from getting what you want.

She has studied Yuen Energetics, EFT, NLP, Reiki, and been a member of The Portland Center for Spiritual Living for 20 years.

FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/

 The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree

website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/

TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/