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| From the International Bipolar Foundation, click to visit our website |
Greetings! May was an exciting month with lots of excellent work done to educate the public about mental illness and break down the walls of stigma. Please take a few moments to celebrate with us and recognize some of these amazing people.
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If you are in a crisis,
please call: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
or
1-800-273-TALK (8255) |
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THANK YOU to our sponsors and all
who supported our annual gala;
Behind the Mask; Proud as a Peacock
     Lisa & Steve Altman
Lynn & Fred Muto
Debby & Hal Jacobs
Robin & Hank Nordhoff
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International Bipolar Foundation Announces
IMAGINE AWARD WINNERS
The IMAGINE Award is given to a person who has bipolar disorder who sees beyond the illness and can imagine a future free of barriers, stigma, and discrimination. The recipient empowers others by sharing their story instilling hope and inspiration.
Can Truong
Can Truong is a psychiatric survivor who experienced coerced treatment, who through participating in the consumer mental health movement, is able to be in recovery and become whole again as a person. First diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder at the University of Chicago, he was forced to leave college in 1994. Over a seven year period, Can was hospitalized six times, tried more then 20 different medications, entered several clinical drug trials, and underwent 15 electroconvulsive shock treatments.
By connecting to his cultural roots and spiritual healing, Can is able to use cultural healing modalities to maintain his wellness and became a national Asian American mental health advocate who speaks about recovery at high school, colleges, and conferences locally, statewide, and internationally including the World Federation for Mental Health Congress in Cairo, Egypt.
Currently, he does training in mental health wellness, psychosocial rehabilitation, and spiritual/energy healing. He does consulting and collaborative work for various organizations such as the NAMI Star Center, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the founder and director of the Center for Education Empowerment where he does advocacy and training to individuals and organizations on recovery: to live, to learn, and to work. He is also a photographer, energy healer, and traveler.
Shelby Tweten
Shelby Tweten was a bright, cheerful and outgoing little girl, but starting in 3 grade, started showing signs of a mental illness. Shelby experienced manic episodes while in Junior High. It got worse in high school and ultimately created problems with her family and friends. In 2011, Shelby was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Although Medicine helped, music was always Shelby's calming agent. When she was depressed or anxious, she sang with her mom to calm down.
At the age of 17, Shelby auditioned for American Idol and made it to the top 40 American Idol in Season 11. With her smooth, yet raspy voice and heartfelt lyrics, she captivated audiences, inspiring thousands and educating millions, by her truthful admission that she suffers from bipolar disorder.
Shelby continues to use her voice to inspire others. She has become a spokesperson for mental illness awareness and now uses this recognition to not only speak to kids about overcoming their struggles and following their dreams, but also to adults and family members dealing with the emotional demands of having mental illness in their family. She was the youngest recipient of the 2012 Erasing the Stigma Award, an award given to her for being a positive role model for mental health in the media.
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OUR Bill SCR28 PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!
California Mental Health No Stigma Week.
 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES Nancy Skinner, Chair
SCR 28 (Block) - As Introduced: April 1, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 33-0
SUBJECT : California Mental Health No Stigma Week.
SUMMARY : Declares May 6, 2013, to May 12, 2013, inclusive, and
the first full week of May of every year thereafter, commencing
with a Monday, as California Mental Health No Stigma Week.
Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1)The most formidable obstacle to future progress in the area of
mental health is stigma; and, it is in the best interest of
the state to increase awareness regarding the negative stigma
associated with mental illness.
2)While one in five Americans live with a mental disorder,
estimates indicate that nearly two-thirds of all people with a
diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment, especially
people from diverse communities.
3)Some of the harmful effects of stigma include trying to
pretend nothing is wrong, refusal to seek treatment, and
rejection by family and friends; and, despite civil right
laws, such as the American with Disabilities Act of 1990,
people with mental illnesses often experience discrimination
in education, housing, health care, and the workplace.
4)Every person needs and deserves to feel a sense of belonging,
and not be excluded or ostracized; and, according to the
California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability
Commission's report of 2007, a public education campaign can
improve the public's awareness of unmet needs and reduce the
harmful effects of stigma and discrimination.
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JUNE LECTURE
June 13, 2013
"Treating Severe Mood Dysregulation with Dialectical Behavior Therapy."Kristen Dahlin
 Kristen Dahlin, M.A. graduated with Honors (B.A.) from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned a Master's degree in Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Alliant. Ms. Dahlin has extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavior therapy interventions for mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. She has previously held positions at Community Research Foundation's Vista Balboa Crisis House and Rady Children's Hospital, where she has worked with adults, children, adolescents, and families. She is currently a Psychological Assistant (# PSB36427) at the DBT Center of San Diego, where she conducts individual DBT therapy and DBT skills groups under the supervision of Dr. Milton Brown (PSY 20785). Social: 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Lecture: 6:00 pm- 7:00 pmLocation: Sanford Children's Research Center, Building 12 10905 Road to the Cure San Diego, CA 92121 Event and parking are free! R.S.V.P. to areitzin@internationalbipolarfoundation.org
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JUNE WEBINARS
Dr. Nadja Freund
Modeling Bipolar Disorder through Pharmacological Manipulation
June 6, 2013 at 9:00 am PST.  Dr. Nadja Freund is a research fellow at the Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology at the McLean Hospital and a research fellow in psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. She holds a MSc in Biochemistry and PhD in Psychology. Dr. Freund was recently awarded with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Science and a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant. This funding allows her to explore the link between biochemical processes in the brain and behavior. The focus of her work lies on developmental influences and mood disorders. Using operant procedures she investigates the role of dopamine in bipolar disorder and is currently establishing a model that could pave the way understanding the biochemical processes underlying the devastating mood-swings in this disorder. Space is limited, reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/245746934After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. *******
Dr. Lloyd Sederer
A Tale of Two Families - Helping a loved one with a mental illness
June 12, 2013 at 9:00 am PST.
LLOYD I. SEDERER, M.D., is Medical Director of the New York State Office  of Mental Health (OMH), the nation's largest state mental health system. As New York's "chief psychiatrist", he provides medical leadership for a $3.7 billion per year mental health system which annually serves over 700,000 people and includes 24 hospitals, 90 clinics, two research institutes, and community services throughout a state of ~ 19 million people. Dr. Sederer is an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia/Mailman School of Public Health. Previously, Dr. Sederer served as the Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene Services in NYC, the City's "chief psychiatrist". He also has been Medical Director and Executive Vice President of McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, a Harvard teaching hospital, and Director of the Division of Clinical Services for the American Psychiatric Association. In 2013 Dr. Sederer was given the Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents by the American Psychiatric Association, which in 2009 recognized him as the Psychiatric Administrator of the Year. He also has been awarded a Scholar-in-Residence grant by the Rockefeller Foundation and an Exemplary Psychiatrist award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He has published eight books and over 350 articles and reports in professional and lay publications including TheAtlantic.com, The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Commonweal Magazine and The Boston Business Journal. He is Medical Editor for Mental Health for the Huffington Post/AOL, where over 150 of his posts and videos have appeared in recent years. His new book, The Family Guide to Mental Health Care (Foreword by Glenn Close), is for families of people with mental illness. His next book, co-authored with Jay Neugeboren and Michael Friedman, The Diagnostic Manual of Mishegas (The DMOM), a parody, will be released on the same day as the DSM 5. Dr. Sederer's website is www.askdrlloyd.com. Space is limited, reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/561927662**** Dr. Descartes Li
Electroconvulsive Therapy
June 20, 2013 at 9:00 am PST.
Dr. Descartes Li is a Professor of Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco. He is the co-Director of the UCSF Electroconvulsive Therapy Service as well as the  Director of the UCSF Bipolar Program. His work involves teaching both UCSF Psychiatry residents as well as UCSF medical students. He has been in clinical practice since 1997 and also speaks Mandarin Chinese. Dr. Li gives numerous talks and presentations in both academic and community settings. His areas of interest include bipolar disorder, electroconvulsive therapy, cultural psychiatry, and suicide. Descartes Li has a Master Educator certificate from the Association for Academic Psychiatry and completed a two-year Faculty Fellowship in Educational Scholarship (UCSF Department of Psychiatry). In 2008, he received the Award for Excellence in Teaching from the UCSF Academy of Medical Educators (UCSF). He is a dedicated teacher and public speaker. Space is limited, reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/223154414
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High School Essay Winners
Changing the Future of Stigma; Bipolar Disorder in 2020
FIRST PLACE WINNER!!!!
It is Always a War
by Parag Kapoor
Toronto, Ontario CANADA
Bipolar disorder is a challenge faced by people around the world. The stigma has
already ruined too many lives. A great passage from the novel Ender's Game, perfectly describes the situation:
There is no teacher but the enemy. No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do... Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong... From now on the enemy is more clever than you. From now on the enemy is stronger than you. (Card, 206 - 207)
In any campaign of struggle; the words price, popularity, and perception are always lingering. These truths represent the battles that need to be won by 2020 in order to overcome our relentless foe. Read the rest here
SECOND PLACE WINNER!!!!
Changing the Future of Stigma; Bipolar Disorder in 2020
by Deirdre Zoe Subran-Ganesh Chaguanas
TRINIDAD
Bipolar disorder is a brain illness that causes unusual fluctuations in a person's mood (Weinreb, 2013). However, as Weinreb notes the mood fluctuations that bipolar sufferers experience are sometimes so severe that it can impact their work performance, school activities or day to day living. But the good news is that while the illness is chronic, bipolar disorder can be treated so that persons with the disorder can lead healthy, happy lives and be the best that they can.
The problem is that persons diagnosed with mental illness including bipolar disorder are usually fearful of exposing their illness because they feel they might be rejected. This is a form of stigmatization. According the Mayo Clinic's website, stigma is when someone is judged based on a personal trait such as having bipolar disorder. The fear of stigma can actually prevent persons suffering with the illness from receiving treatment which can worsen their situation. Therefore, it is extremely critical that everyone works together to eliminate all forms of stigma towards persons with bipolar disorder. Read the rest here.
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Did you know we have a PATCH for the Girl Scouts?
 
Here's what one troop leader in NY shared with us: I wanted to tell you that my Girl Scouts have spent nearly the whole year working on your patch! We earned the patch at our 11/9 camping trip, but we spent a lot of time working on the final project. We decided to do service with/for Stepping Stones Learning Center, a school for students with mental and physical disabilities in our neighborhood. We did 2 things: 1. we collected school supplies for their families because we learned that many of the families spend so much $$ on medical bills that they can't afford school supplies at home. 2. We collected books and created a school library for them. We applied for a grant from our county for this project, and received $1000! We decided that $1000 would be better spent holding a community event - that we'd get more books and supplies that way. So we held an event on 2/23/13 and we collected 1372 new books for the school. We also collected 3 mini-vans full of school supplies! We delivered the items to the school on 3/26.
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Dear Friend,
Have you ever written an online review of a product or restaurant?  GreatNonprofits.org - a review site like Yelp or TripAdvisor - is honoring highly-reviewed nonprofits with thier 2013 Top-Rated List. We could earn the chance to meet with leaders in philanthropy and technology at the annual Technology for Social Good event in California, or online promotion worth $20,000. Won't you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a review of your experience with us? All reviews will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It's easy and only takes a minute! Go to http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/international-bipolar-foundation to get started! |
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International Bipolar Foundation is honored to announce the appointment of Patrick Kennedy to the Honorary Board of Directors. The former  Congressman will join other esteemed members including actress Carrie Fisher, Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, authors John Hemingway (grandson of Ernest), Terri Cheney, Andy Behrman & Pete Earley, as well as community leaders and philanthropists.
"I am extremely pleased to join the ranks of this organization", says Kennedy. "International Bipolar Foundation is cutting-edge in their efforts to educate the public and improve the lives of those affected with and by bipolar disorder. I look forward to working closely with them to bring this to fruition."
Congressman Patrick Kennedy served 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and is predominantly known as the author and lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act of 2008. This dramatic piece of legislation provides tens of millions of Americans who were previously denied care with access to mental health treatment.
Kennedy, who participated in IBPF Scientific Think Tank, is the co-founder of One Mind for Research, a newly formed national coalition that is seeking new treatments and cures for neurologic and psychiatric diseases of the brain that afflict one in every three Americans. One Mind for Research is dedicated to dramatic enhancements in funding and collaboration in research across all brain disorders in the next decade. This historic grassroots endeavor unites efforts of scientists, research universities, government agencies, industry, and advocacy organizations across the country. Congressman Kennedy is bringing everyone together to map out a blueprint for the first plan of basic neuroscience that will become the roadmap leading to the off-ramps to cures for of all neurological disorders that affect 1 in 3 Americans.
Congressman Kennedy is a winner of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Distinguished Service Award, the Society for Neuroscience Public Service Award, the Autism Society of America Congressional Leadership Award, the International Bipolar Foundation Imagine Award, the Depression and Bipolar Support Paul Wellstone Mental Health Award, and the Epilepsy Foundation Public Service Award. He is also founder of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus and the 21st Century Healthcare Caucus.
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The NEW DSM-V
Psychiatry's Guide Is Out of Touch With Science, Experts Say
By PAM BELLUCK and BENEDICT CAREY Published: May 6, 2013
Just weeks before the long-awaited publication of a new edition of the so-called bible of mental disorders, the federal government's most prominent psychiatric expert has said the book suffers from a scientific "lack of validity."
The expert, Dr. Thomas R. Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said in an interview Monday that his goal was to reshape the direction of psychiatric research to focus on biology, genetics and neuroscience so that scientists can define disorders by their causes, rather than their symptoms.
Read the rest here
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& this spoof on the forthcoming diagnostic manual of mental disorders (The DSM5) - considered the "Bible of Psychiatry" - published by the American Psychiatric Association.
THE DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL OF MISHEGAS
Potchkied together by Jay Neugeboren, Michael B. Friedman, and Lloyd I. Sederer, M. D.
THE DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL OF MISHEGAS
DMOM) is a delightful parody of the American Psychiatric Association's "Bible of psychiatry," the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Both will be released on May 18th and in time for the annual APA Convention that will take place this year in San Francisco. In this playful send-up of the DSM, the authors-all of whom are distinguished writers with deep roots in the field of mental health-cut through the hundreds of categories in the 1000-page D.S.M. by dividing all mental disorders into two realms: mishegas major and mishegas minor.
And for each of the sub-categories it analyzes-
spilkes major (and
spilkes minor),
yenta, kvetch, alter kocker,
shnorrer,
dementia-with-benefits, etc.- it provides light-hearted anecdotes that not only illustrate the diagnostic category, but also make you
plotz with laughter.
THE DMOM will enable readers to transform ordinary
tsuris and
mishegas-the glooms, blues,
angsts, and general
chazzerie of their lives-into transcendent and easy-to-understand categories.
It will turn
kvetching into
kvelling and guilt into
gelt, so that readers will learn to live at peace with their inner
mishegas
and to treasure its precious and life-giving absurdities.
A perfect gift for Mental Health Month (May), Father's Day, or for your favorite
mishugenah friend or relative any time of the year,
THE DMOM
is sure to keep readers laughing long after the last page is read.
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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About The Diagnostic Manual of Mishegas (DMOM): An Interview With the Authors
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When the Tantrums Won't Stop
Diagnosing and Treating Bipolar Kids
Lisa Stiffler, MSN Causes
Preschoolers and tantrums go together like Bert and Ernie. Young kids get spastically silly. They flip out when a friend snatches their toy, or become Mr. Hyde when they're tired or hungry. They imagine themselves unstoppable superheroes and elegant princesses.
But when does normal childish behavior veer into something different, something more extreme and unsettling?
"There are a lot of children with 'terrible twos' and tantrums," says Muffy Walker. But her youngest son's fits of kicking and throwing things were not like the outbursts she'd seen in his two brothers. They were scarier.
"He had a lot of rages, a lot of threatening behavior - threatening to hurt himself," she says. "He was very angry all the time, unprovoked."
By age 4, Walker's son was seeing a psychiatrist and taking anti-depressants. But something was still wrong.
After checking into a hotel while on a family ski vacation, the boy - about 5 at the time - began leaping between two beds. When told to stop, he raced to the bathroom, locked the door, filled the bathtub with water and told his parents he would drop a hairdryer into it. They broke down the door to stop him.
By 7, after the boy showed clear signs of manic behavior, a pediatric mental-health expert confirmed what Walker and her husband suspected: Their son was bipolar.
Bipolar disorder is an incurable disease defined by episodes of extreme moods and behavior, swinging between dark depressions and mania. Over recent decades, doctors have grown to accept the idea that younger teens and prepubescent children could have the disorder, but whether preschoolers - kids as young as Walker's son - could be bipolar remains controversial.
While bipolar adults and children can experience many of the same manic traits - sleeplessness, scattered and restless behavior, irritability, feeling overly joyful, a sense of grandiosity - these symptoms can be harder to recognize in kids.
"Being happy and silly is part of being a kid. The question is where you draw the line," says Dr. Boris Birmaher, director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Program and co-director of Child and Adolescent Bipolar Services, both at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Medical experts distinguish between normal highs and lows and more serious manic episodes by observing the severity of the symptoms, the presence of multiple traits associated with bipolar disorder, how long the episodes last and if they keep coming back. In the more severe cases of bipolar disorder, episodes of depression, mania or a mix of both will last most of a day for a week or more. Some bipolar kids cycle very quickly between extremes, and sometimes the episodes are milder.
To muddy things further, bipolar disorder can look similar to other mental-health problems such as depression, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and autism. And recently, mental-health experts have added a new category of disease: temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria, which includes a syndrome that makes kids chronically irritable.
It's a complicated field of ailments, and a correct diagnosis is critical because the treatments can be radically different. If a child is misdiagnosed, a doctor could prescribe a medication that actually makes his bipolar symptoms worse. Approximately 2 percent of American children have symptoms of the disease.
"Parents really should be looking for someone who has expertise and experience assessing children, particularly children with severe mood disorders and who will take time with them. This is not the sort of thing you sit down very briefly with the child and come out with a diagnosis," says Dr. Ellen Leibenluft, chief of the Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Section at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland.
It takes 10 years on average to travel from the first symptoms of bipolar disorder to diagnosis of the disease and effective treatment, Birmaher says.
Walker says she is certain that her son, now 19, was correctly identified as bipolar as a young child. After his diagnosis, it took another seven years to find the right cocktail of drugs to treat his disease.
Walker, who lives in San Diego, went on to co-found and lead the International Bipolar Foundation, which provides education, resources and support for people living with the disorder.
It's critical, experts say, that bipolar kids get help as quickly as possible. Without treatment, they are more likely to have problems in school, find it difficult to make and keep friends, abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in risky behavior and become suicidal. The right medication can stabilize their volatile brain chemistry.
"There is help," Birmaher says. "These kids can have a completely normal life."
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 BRAIN SCIENCE
HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS
$160 for 7 hours Inclusion Criteria:
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30 to 79 years old
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Free of current mental disorder
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No immediate family members who have: bipolar
disorder, depression, or schizophrenia
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No uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure
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Right-handed
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Native English speaker
Study Includes:
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Clinical questionnaires
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Testing: memory, reading and learning tasks
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MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
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One blood draw (less than 1 tbsp.)
(858)552-8585 ext. 2774
*Daytime, Evening, Weekend Appointments
Available*
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KEVIN HINES IS A REMINDER THAT EVERY LIFE IS A GIFT....
Time to Move Forward
by: Kevin Hines
The world can certainly be a frightening place. This rings even more true to those of us who have a mental illness...or a brain disease of any kind. Millions of people without the understanding or the empathy for such ailments need to be constantly reminded that the human brain is the single most important and powerful organ in the body. When the brain (for lack of a better term) malfunctions, the rest of the body falters as well. If you have a brain disease, you suffer mentally perhaps with some form of depression, psychosis, or both.
Those in the armed services are not immune to mental illnesses. In fact, during 2012 the Marine Corps rates of suicide and military rates were the highest they had ever been. Commanding officers are working day and night to help reduce the number of suicides amongst the corps! At one point marines were dying from suicides more often than war-related deaths.
Even the Secretary of Defense has moved toward reduction of suicides as a huge platform to make positive change.
If it is so clear that depression and psychosis stems from the brain and is not some made up false condition, then why do generations of individuals and families living in the 2013 era ignore, debate, and deny these absolute truths? Read the rest here
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THE BOOK & MOVIE CORNER
Healthy Living with Bipolar Disorder, now available on Kindle
here 
Thank you again for the free book! I have been starting to read in spurts, life is busy! And I am so thankful I found this website! Keep up the AWESOME work!! Wendy B.
Did you know our book is currently being translated into Tagalog?
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Clean; by David Sheff
 A Disease, Not a Crime
If that book, "Beautiful Boy," was a cry of despair, "Clean" is intended as an objective, if still impassioned, examination of the research on prevention and treatment - a guide for those affected by addiction but also a manifesto aimed at clinical professionals and policy makers. Sheff's premise is that "addiction isn't a criminal problem, but a health problem," and that the rigor of medicine is the antidote to the irrational responses, familial and social, that addiction tends to set off.
Book signing in La Jolla, CA, USA on June 17 at Warwick's
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My Bipolar Adventure, by Hanli Terblanche:
 My Bipolar Adventure: Mental illness in a psychiatric clinic.
Traumatic experiences came to light under hypnosis.
Raped and keeping it hidden. People suffering from Anxiety/Panic attacks, PTSD and depression. Substance abuse and self medication - why it happens. Is rape or molestation the cause of mental illness. Difficulties with Medication. Relapses. Include self-help and coping tools.
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Depression: The Human Condition
This project discusses depression and mental illness, helps bring perspective and understanding to those in the community who may not understand it, and gives hope and self-worth to those who are suffering:
 | | Depression: The Human Condition |
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Welcome Our Newest Bloggers
Laura SQ; Miss Bipolarity & Scott Walker
 Laura SQ is Mrs Bipolarity. Outing herself as having bipolar disorder this year with determination to fight the stigma that comes with mental illness. Laura, herself was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2002 at the age of nineteen. She now proudly lives a stable life in Houston, with her husband and their three kids.
"My hope is to share my story and the things I wish some one had told me from the day I was diagnosed. Although, I know that we sometimes have to learn life's lessons the hard way, it's also nice to be get practical and usable advice. I know first hand how hard bipolar disorder is, but I also want to share the joys of life and encourage people will the same illness that there is hope. We all want to know we are understood, and not alone in this crazy messed-up disorder." -Laura
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 My blog is called Scott Inside Out. It will highlight my bipolar experiences and strategies I use to have consistent natural mental wellness.
My name is Scott Walker. I'm 39 and live in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder on January 1, 2000 in Auckland, New Zealand. A rather interesting way to bring in the new millenium! I had three hospital stays between 2000 and 2007 for manic episodes. As with most persons with bipolar, I've been on many different medications and met with a multitude of medical professionals during my journey to wellness. I am at a point now where I'm the healthiest I've ever been mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Personal holistic wellness is what I give the most energy to in my life. I'm a huge believer in natural mental wellness and have been medication free for over two years. Read more about me (hyperlink: http://www.scottinsideout.com/about/scottsbio/)
Last year I had some big shifts in being comfortable in sharing my bipolar experience with others. The more people I talked to about this the more I realized that there are MANY people diagnosed with bipolar disorder who are simply surviving...or worse. I truly want to give these people hope that life can be great. And normal! What is "normal" anyways? A lot of work has to be done to get well, in addition to consistent daily actions to stay well. The more proactive I've been with my health the better my overall health has become. For those of you looking for "the magic pill" it will not be in my blog.
I truly feel that my life purpose is to serve and support persons labelled with bipolar in going from surviving to thriving. It took me thirteen years to get to where I am, and it is my intention to assist others in rapidly collapsing that time frame. At the current time I am writing out the story of my bipolar journey, supporting others recently labelled as bipolar, and setting up a business to fulfill my life purpose. I appreciate you taking the time to read this!
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SAVE THE DATE
Warwick's & International Bipolar Foundation Present #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
David Sheff
Discussing & Signing
Clean
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Monday, June 17; 7:30 pm
for more event info visit our website
www.warwicks.com
7812 Girard Ave | La Jolla , Ca | 92037 | 858.454.0347
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The first ever London-based Art and Mental Health Festival. June 2014
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DBSA 2013 National Conference
June 15-17, 2013, Miami, FL
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ICBD Annual Conference
June 15-18, 2013, Miami, FL
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World Psychiatric Association International Congress
June 18-23, 2013
Istanbul, Turkey
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NAMI National Conference
June 27-30, 2013
San Antonio, TX USA
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DGBS Annual Meeting
26 to 28 September
Greifswald, Germany
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2013 ASBDD Conference
3 - 5 October 2013
Melbourne, Australia
Website: www.bipolardisorders.com.au
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World Psychiatric Association International Congress
27 - 30 October 2013
Barcelona, Spain
Website: www.wpaic2013.org
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International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (August 2014)
The 21st World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry will be held in Durban next year. Visit http://www.iacapap2014.co.za/ for more information and to book your place now.
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27th Annual Children's Mental Health Research & Policy Conference will be held March 2 - 5, 2014.
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About the International Bipolar Foundation
International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization based in San Diego whose mission is to eliminate Bipolar Disorder through the advancement of research; to promote care and support services; and to erase associated stigma through public education.
Visit us online for more information: www.internationalbipolarfoundation.org
OFFICE:
11622 El Camino Real, Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92130
p: (858) 764-2496 f: (858) 764-2491 m: (858) 990-1862
MAILING ADDRESS:
8895 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 105-360 San Diego, CA 92122
We have a new Community Page on FaceBook.
Please join us on Facebook and "Like" us and help us spread the word.
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A Word About Funding
Please note that International Bipolar Foundation does not represent any pharmaceutical company or give any speeches for a pharmaceutical company nor does our site receive advertising dollars from any company.
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