bipolar disorder

Jun 2014 21

A Good Night’s Sleep: Especially Important For Those With Bipolar Disorder

2014 Articles, Mental Health, Muffy Walker

by Muffy Walker

Did you know most people spend one third of their lives sleeping? Healthy sleep patterns are an important part of our life, especially for those who have bipolar disorder or other mood disorder. According to the American Psychiatric Association, sleep disturbance is a core symptom of bipolar disorder. The diagnostic criteria indicate that during manic episodes there may be a reduced need for sleep and during episodes of depression, insomnia or hypersomnia can be experienced nearly every day. Therefore, good sleep hygiene, a pillar of the treatment plan, is very important.

May 2014 17

Alicia’s Bipolar Story

2014 Articles, Mental Health

by Alicia Smith

For 34 years I was self-employed; working for a lunatic. I worked long, hard and successfully but used work as a way to “escape” my mental illness. Many years later I realized that work was my coping mechanism. Many people engage in drugs, sex, gambling, alcohol, cigarettes and other vices; my escape was work and sugar, my “drugs” of choice.

May 2014 10

The Black Box: TV Review

2014 Articles, Chris Lovato, Mental Health, TV

by Chris Lovato

Humans have explored the depths of the oceans and the vast reaches of outer space, but one of the toughest puzzles we’ve been faced for centuries is one very close to home: the human brain and mind. Although neuroscience and psychology have come a long way in the last century, doctors still deal with stymieing neural cases every day and sometimes, even have to deal with it themselves. ABC gives us a peek into the world of one such doctor in its midseason venture, Black Box.

May 2014 3

Mental Health Month: National Alliance on Mental Illness

2014 Articles, Lorie Lewis Ham, Mental Health

by Lorie Lewis Ham

May is Mental Health Month so KRL will be posting a few mental health related articles this month. We are starting with an interview with the current board president of the Fresno affiliate of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illiness), Mary Lou Brauti-Minkler.

Apr 2014 12

Surviving Summertime Fun With Bipolar Disorder

2014 Articles, Mental Health, Muffy Walker

by Muffy Walker

Summer vacation will soon arrive. Parents and children alike often see this as a time to relax. Household rules may become more lax, bedtimes later, chores not upheld, play dates increase and thoughtful meal planning takes a back seat. For most children, this lack of structure, although initially welcomed, becomes a burden to all concerned. For those with bipolar disorder (and other behavioral and emotional issues), the lack of structure only complicates the course of the illness, often times upsetting the stability that was present during the school year.

Mar 2014 29

Bipolar Disorder Helped Me Discover My Talent

2014 Articles, Mental Health

by Jennifer Marshall

March 30 is the first ever World Bipolar Day. We thought it would be perfect to have a guest post by Jennifer Marshall of Bipolar Mom Life to help us celebrate! Details on how to win a copy of Jennifer's book Find Your Brave at the end of this post.

Feb 2014 8

Winter Blues Got You Down? 6 tips to combat the doldrums

2014 Articles, Mental Health, Muffy Walker

by Muffy Walker

For those who live in the northern hemisphere, days are short, sunshine is minimal and temperatures are low. All of these factors, alone or combined, can bring with them the winter blues. For those already coping with a mood disorder, winter may trigger more serious symptoms including those related to Season Affective Disorder (SAD) or bipolar disorder. In fact, according to researcher Jess Fiedorowicz, (Bipolar Disorder 2013), depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder peak in the winter.

Jan 2014 18

This Is My Brave – My Life with Bipolar Disorder

2014 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Mental Health

by Jennifer Marshall

There is nothing glamorous about being placed in handcuffs under an emergency custody order, led away from your house, from your family, from everything you worked to create in your life up until that moment, to a waiting cop car. Your father on speaker phone over a thousand miles away, listening in on the chaos as it unfolded–helpless and concerned to the point of not being able to talk. Your mother on another phone in the background, rapidly making plans to be by your side as soon as humanly possible.

Dec 2013 28

Staff Picks For Favorite Books of 2013

2013 Articles, Cynthia Chow, Every Other Book, Fantasy & Fangs, Lorie Lewis Ham, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sandra Murphy, Terrance V. Mc Arthur

by KRL Reviewers

KRL reviewed a lot of really good and great books in 2013, but we decided to give our best shot at choosing our top 5 of the year--some of us cheated a little, but here are our choices! And if you are an author who is not on the list, take heart--like I said, they were all good books!

Dec 2013 14

Holidaze: Surviving The Holidays With Bipolar Disorder

2013 Articles, Mental Health, Muffy Walker

by Muffy Walker

For some, the holidays are a time for gathering with family and friends, gift giving, festive parties, shopping sprees, cookie exchanges, caroling and more. For others, the holidays are a lonely time, evidenced perhaps by the lack of all the joy experienced by others. For most though, the holidays are a time, good or bad, which can be filled with stress.