Tag: institutions

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#31 Why am I bipolar?

why am i bipolar? asks Carrie Brown Talking About Mental Health

Carrie started her career as a pastry chef in the United Kingdom.  30 years later, she’s a leader in the Ketogenic diet scene and the author of 5 popular Keto cookbooks including books on crock pot meals, soup and ice cream.  In between pastries and keto, Carrie spent twenty years working the grind of corporate America. It was there that she discovered she had bipolar 2.  Dissatisfied with her treatment options, she set off to find her own solution to bipolar 2. Ultimately she answered and to answer the question “Why am I bipolar?”.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:32 — 23.8MB)

In this episode of Silent Superheroes, Carrie will talk about her early life living misdiagnosed with depression.  She’ll share her experience of being handcuffed and sent to hospital for considering suicide.  And finally, she’ll explain the lifestyle changes she made based on researching her genetics and changing her diet, changes that have lead her to many years of bipolar free living.

Links

  • Read Carrie’s protocol for answering “Why am I bipolar?” (link)
  • Get Carrie’s Cook Books (link)
  • Watch Carrie on Youtube (link)
  • Visit Carrie’s website (link)

About Bipolar

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. For example, mood swings include emotional highs called mania or hypomania, and lows called depression. On the other hand, Bipolar disorder used to be called manic depression.

When depressed bipolar patients may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest in most activities. Then, when a patients mood shifts to mania or the less extreme hypomania, patients may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.

Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. While most patients will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.Although bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, patients manage mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder is treated with medications and psychological counseling. Causes of bipolar aren’t clear, so your doctor cannot typical answer the question “Why am I bipolar?”.

Getting Support

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their opinions about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment approach.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.

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#28 Who am I beyond my illness? Rachel’s journey with anorexia

anorexia illness mental health podcast

It’s a question that many people with chronic illnesses must face. Answering that question pulled Rachel back to living her life after four years of hospitalization. As a young teenager, she struggled to find her own identity and place in the world. It was that struggle that lead to her to her pre-anorexia and later anorexia diagnosis. Controlling her food intake was a way to control her emotions and a cry for help. Eventually deemed “treatment resistant,” she focused more on her education and found her way back to her passions and life.

Listen To Episode 28

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:41 — 28.6MB)

In this episode of Silent Superheroes, we learn what landed Rachel in a psychiatric institution. She explains how she navigated multiple psychiatric facilities and medical interventions. We hear how her story evolved once she was at college and living on her own. Finally, we’ll hear how support from friends and an intervention helped to pull her out of her lowest point. From there, finding a good therapist and doing the work were key to her recovery.

About Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight. People with anorexia place value on controlling their weight, in ways that tend to significantly interfere with their lives.

To prevent weight gain, people with anorexia usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. They may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or through misusing medications. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively.

Anorexia isn’t about food. It’s an extremely unhealthy and sometimes life-threatening way to try to cope with emotional problems. When you have anorexia, you often equate thinness with self-worth. Anorexia, like other eating disorders, can take over your life and can be very difficult to overcome. But with treatment, you can gain a better sense of who you are. You can return to healthier eating habits and reverse some of anorexia’s serious complications.

Getting Support

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their opinions about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment approach.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.