🎙️ How to Tame the “Bipolar Beast”

Published about 6 hours ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

Laura Riordan knows that feeling "too happy" can be dangerous. Most people don't have to worry about feeling too happy, but, when you live with Bipolar 1, that euphoric feeling can be a very real and very nefarious signal that you are slipping into mania. Once that slide happens, it is very difficult to course-correct and you may be flying high on a terrifying ride heading towards the inevitable crash of severe depression. This is what it is to live with the bipolar beast, as Laura calls it. She's learning to tame it.

Laura navigates life with bipolar disorder; she and her partner, Chris, are watchful for signs like losing sleep or spiking confidence. They know that coincidences can lead to magical thinking; they check in with each other. It is a delicate dance and finding that content, peaceful middle ground is part of the key to success regarding disease management.

Today, Laura is in training to become a Certified Peer Specialist so that she can help other people living with mental illness by supporting them, sharing her own story, and walking beside them as they navigate the complex and fractured mental health system.

Laura has benefitted from peer support and and Depression/Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) online support groups, which she writes about in the essay she wrote for us a few years ago, "How Bipolar Support Groups Helped Change My Life", which Laura reads aloud in this episode of the show.

Laura is open about how stigma can inhibit help-seeking and can encourage people who are suffering to mask and hide their symptoms, which can be catastrophic. Laura also shares her personal experiences about trial-and-error medication management, side-effects, spotting triggers, setting boundaries, and taking care of herself.

If you’re searching for bipolar disorder support, DBSA resources, peer support specialist insights, coping strategies, or an honest conversation about non-linear recovery, this one is for you.

Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and be sure to leave us a review!

All my best,
Gabe Nathan

PO Box 130, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
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