this is bipolar

Shaley Hoogendoorn and Dr. Andrea Vassilev have a quick chat talk about friendship, online connection, and why having people who understand bipolar disorder can be so validating. Andrea is visiting Shaley and they wanted to share a quick message and record for the second time IN REAL LIFE! They share how their own friendship began, discuss the support online communities can offer, and reflect on the experience of speaking openly about bipolar disorder at a conference.

(00:01:32) — How Shaley and Andrea first connected
(00:03:07) — Finding your people beyond your local community
(00:03:52) — Why opening up online can feel safer
(00:04:33) — The value of friends in different time zones
(00:05:26) — How messaging can ease pressure during depression
(00:05:56) — Why having a friend who lives with bipolar disorder matters
(00:06:39) — The validation of being understood through lived experience 
(00:07:59) — Connecting at the International Society for Bipolar Disorder conference
(00:08:42) — The impact of seeing people discuss bipolar disorder openly
(00:10:14) — Hope for a future with less stigma
(00:11:06) — Encouragement to reach out and find your people

 

About Shaley Hoogendoorn

Shaley Hoogendoorn is the host and creator of This Is Bipolar, a podcast about navigating life with bipolar disorder. Shaley is a mental health advocate, speaker, content creator, mother, writer, and teacher who lives with bipolar II disorder.

Through This Is Bipolar, Shaley shares her own experiences and creates space for honest conversations about bipolar disorder, mental health, stigma, relationships, parenting, work, and recovery.

Her mission is to challenge stigma, reduce shame and self-stigma, create connection, and remind people living with bipolar disorder that they are not alone.

🎙️ Visit This Is Bipolar:
https://www.thisisbipolar.com/

📱 Follow Shaley on Instagram:
@this.is.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/this.is.bipolar/

Join the This Is Bipolar Community 💛

Want more connection and support between episodes?

Become an Instagram subscriber to This Is Bipolar and join our private peer-support community. Subscribers can take part in a monthly Zoom gathering and connect through a private community chat with others who understand what it's like to live with bipolar disorder.

It's a space to share experiences, ask questions, offer support, and build connection in a welcoming community.

📱 Join us on Instagram:
@this.is.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/this.is.bipolar/

Tap Subscribe on Instagram to become part of the community.

About Dr. Andrea Vassilev

Dr. Andrea Vassilev, PsyD, is a clinician, academic, writer, speaker, and mental health advocate who has lived with bipolar disorder for nearly 30 years. She specializes in treating bipolar disorder and is passionate about reducing stigma and helping people living with bipolar build meaningful, authentic lives.

Andrea is the creator of Overcoming Self-Stigma in Bipolar Disorder (OSSiBD), an original program designed specifically to address self-stigma in bipolar disorder. Her work brings together clinical knowledge and lived experience, and her advocacy focuses on integrating lived experience into bipolar research, treatment, and education.

Her workbook, Beyond the Bipolar Label: A Workbook to Overcome Self-Stigma, Break Free from Shame, and Live Authentically, provides practical tools to help people challenge shame and negative beliefs, build self-compassion, reclaim their identity, and move beyond the limitations of the bipolar label.

🌐 Andrea's Website:
https://www.andreavassilev.com/

📱 Follow Andrea on Instagram:
@best.life.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/best.life.bipolar/

📖 Beyond the Bipolar Label:
https://www.newharbinger.com/9781648486685/beyond-the-bipolar-label/

 

The whole world has been talking about psychosis with the Lindsay Clancy case. The experience is so misrepresented and misunderstood in mainstream media. In this episode of This Is Bipolar, Shaley Hoogendoorn talks with returning guest Charise Jewell about psychosis and bipolar disorder from someone who actually experienced the condition more than once. Charise shares how psychosis appeared during mania, including hallucinations, delusions, hospitalization, and the challenges of recovery. Together, they address common misconceptions, the importance of compassionate support, and why psychosis does not define a person.

Timestamps:

(00:10:53) Charise recognizes her own experiences in the symptom list
(00:19:37) The broth story and how mania can affect judgment
(00:28:06) Why psychosis can feel completely real
(00:33:34) What led Charise’s husband to take her to the hospital
(00:38:46) Charise’s confusion and denial during her first hospital stay
(00:44:22) The second episode and the return of manic symptoms
(00:50:53) Asking for better training and accountability in mental health care
(00:56:28) Charise’s advice for listeners who are worried about symptoms(00:10:53) Charise recognizes her own experiences in the symptom list
(00:19:37) The broth story and how mania can affect judgment
(00:28:06) Why psychosis can feel completely real 
(00:33:34) What led Charise’s husband to take her to the hospital
(00:38:46) Charise’s confusion and denial during her first hospital stay
(00:44:22) The second episode and the return of manic symptoms
(00:50:53) Asking for better training and accountability in mental health care
(00:56:28) Charise’s advice for listeners who are worried about symptoms

Shaley Hoogendoorn is a passionate mental health advocate, speaker, writer, and teacher who is dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness. As the co-founder and host of the this is bipolar podcast, Shaley uses her lived experience with Bipolar 2 disorder to foster an authentic, supportive community and spark raw, honest conversations about navigating the complexities of the condition. Her advocacy work extends across multiple platforms, including contributions to Psych Central and BP Hope magazine, where she continuously aims to bring lived-experience expertise to the forefront of mental health education.

@this.is.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/this.is.bipolar/

Tap Subscribe on Instagram to become part of the community.

Charise Jewell is a Canadian author, speaker, and mental health advocate who spent 15 years working as a robotics engineer before pivoting to writing. After experiencing a sudden onset of mania at age 40, she was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 disorder—a life-altering turning point that inspired her powerful debut memoir, Crazy: Memoir of a Mom Gone Mad. Today, Charise uses her distinct perspective as a scientist and storyteller to humanize severe mental illness, serving on hospital advisory councils and speaking across corporate and educational spaces to fight for the fair, empathetic, and dignified treatment of the mentally ill.

You can buy Charise's books here:

Normal

Regrets Ever After

Crazy: Memoir Of A Mom Gone Mad

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In this episode, Shaley Hoogendoorn and Dr. Andrea Vassilev discuss the impact of bipolar disorder on work life, sharing personal experiences, statistics, and practical strategies for managing employment challenges. They aim to provide support and insights for those living with bipolar and navigating the workplace.

Chapters

(00:08:16) Managing Symptoms and Work Challenges

(00:12:18) Symptoms That Can Affect Work Performance

(00:15:18) Reliability, Predictability, and Bipolar

(00:23:20) How Hypomania and Depression Affect Work

(00:27:36) Managing Work During Mood Episodes

(00:30:16) Should You Disclose Bipolar at Work?

(00:38:17) Workplace Accommodations and Strategies

(00:54:09) The Strengths and Gifts of Living With Bipolar

About Shaley Hoogendoorn

Shaley Hoogendoorn is the host and creator of This Is Bipolar, a podcast about navigating life with bipolar disorder. Shaley is a mental health advocate, speaker, content creator, mother, writer, and teacher who lives with bipolar II disorder.

Through This Is Bipolar, Shaley shares her own experiences and creates space for honest conversations about bipolar disorder, mental health, stigma, relationships, parenting, work, and recovery.

Her mission is to challenge stigma, reduce shame and self-stigma, create connection, and remind people living with bipolar disorder that they are not alone.

🎙️ Visit This Is Bipolar:
https://www.thisisbipolar.com/

📱 Follow Shaley on Instagram:
@this.is.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/this.is.bipolar/

Join the This Is Bipolar Community 💛

Want more connection and support between episodes?

Become an Instagram subscriber to This Is Bipolar and join our private peer-support community. Subscribers can take part in a monthly Zoom gathering and connect through a private community chat with others who understand what it's like to live with bipolar disorder.

It's a space to share experiences, ask questions, offer support, and build connection in a welcoming community.

📱 Join us on Instagram:
@this.is.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/this.is.bipolar/

Tap Subscribe on Instagram to become part of the community.

About Dr. Andrea Vassilev

Dr. Andrea Vassilev, PsyD, is a clinician, academic, writer, speaker, and mental health advocate who has lived with bipolar disorder for nearly 30 years. She specializes in treating bipolar disorder and is passionate about reducing stigma and helping people living with bipolar build meaningful, authentic lives.

Andrea is the creator of Overcoming Self-Stigma in Bipolar Disorder (OSSiBD), an original program designed specifically to address self-stigma in bipolar disorder. Her work brings together clinical knowledge and lived experience, and her advocacy focuses on integrating lived experience into bipolar research, treatment, and education.

Her workbook, Beyond the Bipolar Label: A Workbook to Overcome Self-Stigma, Break Free from Shame, and Live Authentically, provides practical tools to help people challenge shame and negative beliefs, build self-compassion, reclaim their identity, and move beyond the limitations of the bipolar label.

🌐 Andrea's Website:
https://www.andreavassilev.com/

📱 Follow Andrea on Instagram:
@best.life.bipolar
https://www.instagram.com/best.life.bipolar/

📖 Beyond the Bipolar Label:
https://www.newharbinger.com/9781648486685/beyond-the-bipolar-label/

 

Living with bipolar disorder can look different for everyone, but one thing many people share is the pressure to pretend they're okay when they're struggling.

In this honest conversation, Shaley Hoogendoorn sits down with returning guest Lee Formella to talk about what it's has been like living with bipolar disorder as a man. Together they discuss late diagnosis, learning acceptance, managing anger, masking symptoms at work, addiction, and why men often struggle to ask for help.

Lee shares how years of therapy, medication, and self-awareness have changed his life—not by eliminating bipolar disorder, but by helping him build a life that's more manageable and meaningful.

Whether you live with bipolar disorder, support someone who does, or simply want to better understand mental illness, this conversation offers hope, validation, and practical insight.

In This Episode

• Accepting that bipolar disorder is lifelong
• Why comparing yourself to "normal" only creates more shame
• The unique stigma men face around mental health
• Anger, depression, and how bipolar can look different than expected
• Addiction, alcohol, and unhealthy coping strategies
• Learning to recognize symptoms before they escalate
• Why masking your struggles is exhausting
• How therapy and support can change your relationships
• Finding hope while living with a chronic mental illness

Timestamps

(00:06:12) Lee shares what life has looked like since his bipolar diagnosis and why acceptance changed everything.

(00:12:08) "Their baseline can't be my goal." Letting go of comparisons and learning to live with bipolar.

(00:21:45) Bipolar disorder in men: breaking stereotypes and why so many struggle in silence.

(00:30:58) How anger feels different during depression versus hypomania.

(00:37:41) Alcohol, gambling, addiction, and searching for relief from overwhelming symptoms.

(00:45:18) Why pretending you're okay all day is one of the most exhausting parts of living with bipolar.

About Shaley Hoogendoorn

Shaley Hoogendoorn is the host of This Is Bipolar, a mom, teacher, speaker, and mental health advocate living with Bipolar II Disorder. Through honest conversations and lived experience, she is passionate about reducing stigma, helping people feel less alone, and creating spaces where people affected by bipolar disorder can connect, heal, and be seen.

About Lee Formella

Lee Formella is a mental health advocate living with bipolar disorder and CPTSD. Through his honest storytelling and advocacy, he helps others understand the realities of living with serious mental illness while encouraging hope, self-acceptance, and recovery. Connect with Lee on Instagram at @benefitsofbipolar.

Connect with Shaley

🌐 www.thisisbipolar.com
📸 Instagram: @this.is.bipolar

Join hosts Shaley Hoogendoorn and Dr. Andrea Vassilev as they delve into the complexities of traveling with Bipolar Disorder in this enlightening episode of 'this is bipolar'. Together, they explore how changing time zones and disrupted routines can impact mental health, offering practical tips to manage these challenges. They share personal stories and expert insights on maintaining balance and stability while traveling, ensuring that your adventure is both memorable and manageable.
Discover strategies for regulating your body's internal clock, managing overstimulation, and finding downtime for self-care even amidst the excitement of travel. Shaley and Andrea underscore the importance of self-awareness, planning, and kindness towards oneself, creating a roadmap for travellers with Bipolar Disorder to feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.
Tune in for an open, supportive conversation that empowers listeners to embrace travel with confidence and self-compassion.
Resources Mentioned:
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at thisisbipolar.com (https://www.thisisbipolar.com/) to get a free "Bipolar Travel Toolkit" PDF to help you prepare ahead and manage bipolar disorder while traveling. 
Jet Lag Rooster (http://www.jetlagrooster.com/)
Chris Aiken Jet Lag Document (https://chrisaikenmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/jetlag.pdf)
 
Chapter Markers:
(00:04:15) Challenges of Travel
(00:06:26) The Impact of Social Rhythms
(00:09:27) Substance Use on Vacation
(00:10:36) Personal Travel Stories
(00:15:25) Comfort Items and Coping
(00:20:17) Managing Physical Wellbeing
(00:24:49) Navigating Support at Airports
(00:40:40) Encouragement and Empowerment
 
Connect with us:
IG @this.is.bipolar (https://www.instagram.com/this.is.bipolar/)
Youtube: this is bipolar channel (https://www.youtube.com/@thisisbipolar)
TT @this.is.bipolar
 
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening. If this episode or podcast means something to you, I would be forever grateful if you would follow/subscribe the ‘this is bipolar’ podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts so you stay up to date. It would also mean the world to me if you gave a 5 ⭐️ star review- this helps the podcast reach those who need to hear it most. 
Much love, Shaley xo 

More about your Host:
Shaley Hoogendoorn is a speaker, content creator and currently hosts the popular “this is bipolar” vlog and podcast. She lives with bipolar 2 disorder and shares her story and the stories of others to dismantle the stigma around mental illness. 
Shaley is passionate about educating and empowering others about bipolar disorder. She has contributed to publications for Sanctuary Ministries, Psych Central and BP Hope magazine. She hosted a series interviewing women living with mental illnesses at SheLoves Magazine in a series named "Sisters in Mental Illness." 
Shaley’s greatest hope is that creating safe spaces to connect will give hope and comfort those that struggle.

Meet our Guest Co-Host:
Dr. Andrea Vassilev holds a doctorate in psychology, is a therapist in California, and has lived with bipolar disorder for over 25 years. Andrea is the creator of the program Overcoming Self-Stigma in Bipolar Disorder and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. As a clinician and academic with lived experience, Andrea brings a special perspective to both her professional and advocacy work. Andrea hopes that by telling her own story of life with bipolar disorder through the lenses of clinical causes, treatments, and outcomes that she can provide education, hope, and comfort to others.

UPDATE- Andrea's Book is now available get you book or audiobook

BEYOND THE BIPOLAR LABEL: A Workbook to Over come Stelf-stigma, Break Free from Shame and Live Authetically 

Beyond the Bipolar Label amazon US link

You can connect with her on Instagram @best.life.bipolar or at www.andreavassilev.com 

What if one of the biggest challenges of living with bipolar isn't just the symptoms—but the way we've learned to think about ourselves?

In this powerful episode of this Is bipolar, Shaley Hoogendoorn welcomes back friend, psychotherapist, researcher, and bipolar advocate Dr. Andrea Vassilev to celebrate the release of her groundbreaking workbook, Beyond the Bipolar Label: A Workbook to Overcome Self-Stigma, Break Free from Shame, and Live Authentically.

Pre-Order workbook here (or wherever you like to buy your books) - Beyond the Bipolar Label A Workbook to Overcome Self-Stigma, Break Free from Shame, and Live Authentically

*Available on Audiobook soon

Together, they unpack one of the most overlooked aspects of living with bipolar disorder: self-stigma. From believing you're "too much," "hard to love," "lazy," or "broken," to learning how to challenge those deeply ingrained beliefs with evidence-based strategies, this conversation offers hope, compassion, and practical tools for anyone living with bipolar—or loving someone who is.

Andrea shares the research behind self-stigma, explains why shame can be more disabling than symptoms themselves, and walks listeners through the workbook chapter by chapter. Shaley also opens up about her own struggles with feeling difficult to love, comparing herself to others, and learning how to replace harsh self-judgment with self-compassion.

Whether you've been newly diagnosed or have lived with bipolar for decades, this episode is a reminder that you are so much more than your diagnosis.

In this episode:

• What self-stigma really is—and why so many people don't recognize it

• The difference between public stigma and self-stigma

• How shame impacts depression, self-esteem, relationships, work, and recovery

• Why our thoughts shape our emotions and behaviors

• Learning to recognize and reframe self-stigmatizing beliefs

• The importance of telling yourself a more truthful—not more positive—story

• Why living authentically helps reduce stigma for everyone

• How to decide whether or not to disclose your bipolar diagnosis

• Building community and finding people who truly understand

• A look inside Beyond the Bipolar Label workbook and how to use it at your own pace

• How book clubs and peer support can make healing less lonely

If you've ever thought...

"I'm hard to love."

"I'm lazy."

"I'm broken."

"I'll never amount to anything."

...this episode was made for you.

Remember: your diagnosis is one part of your story—not your entire identity

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Memorable Quotes

"You are so much more than your diagnosis."

"Reframing doesn't change reality—it changes your ability to cope with reality."

"Self-stigma is often harder to live with than bipolar itself."

"You are worthy of love just the way you are."

"Healing starts one thought at a time."

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About Dr. Andrea Vasilev

Dr. Andrea Vassilev is a psychotherapist, researcher, author, speaker, and passionate mental health advocate living with bipolar disorder. Diagnosed at age 14, Andrea combines nearly three decades of lived experience with extensive clinical expertise specializing in bipolar disorder. She is the creator of the Overcoming Self-Stigma in Bipolar program and author of Beyond the Bipolar Label, an evidence-based workbook designed to help people overcome shame, challenge self-stigma, and build a more compassionate relationship with themselves.

Follow Andrea on Instagram: @best.life.bipolar

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About Shaley Hoogendoorn

Shaley Hoogendoorn is a bipolar advocate, speaker, podcast host, teacher, wife, and mom living openly with Bipolar II Disorder. Through her podcast, social media platforms, and community, she is passionate about sharing real stories that reduce stigma, increase understanding, and remind people living with bipolar that they are never alone. Her mission is to create honest conversations that offer hope, connection, and practical tools for recovery.

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Connect with Shaley

🌐 www.thisisbipolar.com

Instagram: @this.is.bipolar

If this episode encouraged you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may need to hear it. Every conversation helps break stigma and reminds someone that hope is possible.

What does bipolar disorder look like at work?

In this candid and relatable conversation, Shaley sits down with mental health advocate Brandon to talk about the realities of navigating employment while living with bipolar disorder. From thriving in creative environments to struggling with organization, depression, anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and workplace expectations, they share personal stories of jobs that worked, jobs that didn't, and the lessons they've learned along the way.

Together, they explore how bipolar disorder can impact productivity, communication, confidence, relationships with coworkers, and even the way we organize our desks, calendars, and lives. They also discuss the overlap between bipolar disorder and ADHD, the pressure of fitting into traditional workplace structures, and why understanding your strengths can be a game changer.

This episode is a reminder that success doesn't have to look like everyone else's version of success. Sometimes "organized chaos" is still success, and sometimes the key is finding environments that allow you to work with your brain instead of against it.

Whether you're struggling at work, supporting someone who is, or trying to better understand how bipolar disorder impacts employment, this conversation offers honesty, hope, and practical insights.

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6 Important Timestamps

(00:00:00) Introduction and discussion about bipolar disorder, employment, and finding work environments that fit your strengths.

(00:11:30) Brandon shares how organization struggles, executive functioning challenges, and possible ADHD symptoms have affected his work life.

(00:23:15) Shaley opens up about moving away, experiencing a severe depression, losing a job, and the impact it had on her confidence and friendships.

(00:34:40) How depression can create paranoia, self-stigma, and the feeling that everyone is judging your performance at work.

(00:46:50) The difference between hypomania and depression in the workplace, including impulsivity, conflict with supervisors, and heightened sensitivity to criticism.

(01:02:10) Finding your strengths, embracing creativity, advocating for workplace accommodations, and redefining what success looks like when living with bipolar disorder.

How to Support Someone with Bipolar Disorder (Part 1)

In this deeply honest and compassionate episode of This Is Bipolar, Shaley Hoogendoorn and Julie Kraft tackle one of the most requested topics from listeners: how to support someone living with bipolar disorder or another mental illness.

Speaking from lived experience, they open up about the realities of being on both sides of the relationship — loving someone with bipolar disorder and living with it yourself. Together, they discuss the guilt, shame, loneliness, boundaries, communication struggles, reassurance, emotional regulation, and difficult decisions that can come with supporting a loved one through mental health challenges.

The conversation explores:

• What to do when someone refuses help
• Why boundaries matter (and why they can hurt)
• The importance of timing difficult conversations during stable moments
• How depression, anxiety, anger, and mania affect relationships
• Why reassurance and emotional safety are so important
• Supporting your loved one without losing yourself
• Finding support as a caregiver, spouse, family member, or friend

Most importantly, this episode reminds listeners that bipolar disorder is treatable, relationships can survive and thrive, and both the person living with the illness and the people loving them deserve compassion and support.

This is an emotional but incredibly important conversation for anyone navigating mental illness within relationships, friendships, or family dynamics.

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⏱️ Important Timestamps

• (00:02:10) — Why this episode is emotionally difficult but deeply needed
• (00:05:35) — Can you make someone get help? Julie shares the ultimatum that changed her life
• (00:13:50) — Why boundaries feel painful for people living with bipolar disorder
• (00:22:05) — Anger, emotional intensity & seeing bipolar through a compassion lens
• (00:30:15) — Why loved ones also need support and safe spaces to talk
• (00:40:20) — Reassurance, safety & the phrases that genuinely help during episodes

This is bipolar...

 

Connect with Shaley Hoogendoorn

Website: www.thisisbipolar.com
Instagram: @this.is.bipolar

Shaley Hoogendoorn is a Canadian mental health advocate, elementary school teacher, event planner, wife, and mama living with Bipolar II Disorder. She is the host of the podcast This Is Bipolar, where she shares honest conversations and lived experiences to help reduce stigma and remind others that they are not alone. Through storytelling, advocacy, and community-building, Shaley is passionate about creating safe spaces for people navigating bipolar disorder and mental health challenges.

 

About Julie Kraft
Julie Kraft is a mental health advocate, artist, author, wife, and mama living with Bipolar Disorder. Through sharing her lived experience, Julie is passionate about helping others feel seen, understood, and less alone in their mental health journeys. Known for her honesty, compassion, and creativity, she uses storytelling and advocacy to encourage open conversations around bipolar disorder, stigma, healing, and hope. www.juliekraft.com

 

#thisisbipolar #thisisbipolarvlog #thisisbipolarpodcast #mentalhealthpodcast #bipolarpodcast #mentalhealthpodcast

 

In this deeply honest and powerful conversation, Shaley sits down with mental health advocate, author, and peer mentor Mel to share her lived experience with bipolar disorder.

Mel opens up about her early struggles, being misdiagnosed, and what it was like to experience severe depression, mania, and psychosis. She shares the reality of a nine-month depressive psychotic episode, the impact of medication, and the complexity of navigating bipolar disorder alongside physical illness, trauma, and motherhood.

This episode also explores topics that are often misunderstood or left unspoken — including hypersexuality, eating disorders, stigma within families, and the challenges of accepting a lifelong diagnosis.

Mel’s story is raw, real, and ultimately hopeful — a reminder that stability, purpose, and connection are possible.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Early signs of mental health struggles in childhood
• Depression, misdiagnosis, and SSRI-induced psychosis
• What manic and psychotic episodes actually feel like
• A 9-month depressive psychotic episode
• Eating disorders and bipolar disorder
• Hypersexuality and shame
• Medication, stigma, and acceptance
• Pregnancy, postpartum mental health, and bipolar
• Writing a memoir and healing through storytelling

   KEY MOMENTS:

  (00:32:15) SSRI-triggered depressive psychosis begins
  (00:35:40) Feeling like people are imposters / losing reality
  (00:38:10) Nine-month isolation and disconnection
  (00:44:55) Shift from depression into mania
  (00:47:20) Grand delusions (believing she could become a doctor instantly)
  (00:50:30) Hallucinations and suicidal psychosis

About Mel:

Melissa Pang Howard is the author of the memoir Mental(ish) A Memior of Insanity and the Search for Stability. A blogger for the International Bipolar Foundation and a frequent panelist for the Reddit Bipolar AMA, she focuses on navigating Bipolar 1, c-PTSD, and the path from surviving to thriving. Through her writing and advocacy, Melissa explores the intersections of trauma, identity, and resilience to support others on their journey toward stability.

Purchase Mel's Memoir here:

Mental(ish): A Memoir of Insanity and the Search for Stability

Connect with Mel:
Instagram: @mindful_movement_for_mania

Connect with Shaley:

www.thisisbipolar.com
Instagram: @this.is.bipolar

Do you have a Bipolar Peer Support Group?

Shaley private Instagram subscriber group is a safe, supportive space for people living with bipolar disorder.

It’s a place to be seen, heard, and understood — where you can share openly, connect with others who truly get it, and find support on both the hard days and the good ones. Members also have access to monthly Zoom meetups for deeper connection and conversation.

How to join:
Go to @this.is.bipolar on Instagram and tap “Subscribe” to access the private chat and community.

 

 

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What if the story of bipolar disorder was told not just through textbooks—but through real people, real lives, and real hope?

In this deeply moving and insightful episode, Shaley sits down with author Sarah Schley and filmmaker Bonnie Weltch to talk about Brainstorm, a powerful new documentary that brings together lived experience and cutting-edge science to reshape how we understand bipolar disorder.

Sarah shares her personal journey—what it was like to live for 25 years without the correct diagnosis of bipolar II, the toll that took, and what finally changed. She opens up about turning decades of pain, confusion, and stigma into her memoir, and ultimately into a film designed to reach people all over the world.

Bonnie takes us behind the scenes of creating a documentary from the ground up—what it takes to commit years to one story, how they found and chose the individuals featured in the film, and why it was so important to weave together both human stories and scientific research. The result is a film that doesn’t just inform—it connects, validates, and inspires.

Together, they explore the realities of bipolar II, including why it’s so often misunderstood or misdiagnosed, and why it is not a “lesser” form of bipolar disorder. They also dive into fascinating, evidence-based science featured in the film—from genetics and brain function to circadian rhythms—and how this research can actually translate into practical, everyday strategies for staying well.

This conversation also highlights something many people living with bipolar struggle with: the ongoing nature of the illness. Even when things look “together” on the outside, there is often continuous effort behind the scenes—protecting sleep, maintaining routines, advocating for needs, and staying aware of early warning signs. Sarah and Shaley speak candidly about what it really takes to live well, and why self-advocacy is not selfish—it’s essential.

Most importantly, this episode is filled with hope. Through storytelling, community, and science, it reminds us that while bipolar disorder is complex and lifelong, it is also manageable—and a full, meaningful life is possible.

Whether you live with bipolar, love someone who does, or simply want to better understand it, this episode will leave you feeling more informed, more connected, and less alone.

YOU can watch Brainstorm on World Bipolar Day 🌍

Get your ticket here (there is a sliding scale to make is accessible to all)

Brainstorm World Bipolar Day Screening

 

Chapter Markers:

(00:06:12) Meet the Voices Behind Brainstorm
Sarah and Bonnie share how a memoir turned into a global documentary project

(00:11:48) 25 Years to Diagnosis: The Reality of Bipolar II
Why bipolar II is often missed—and the cost of getting it wrong

(00:18:55) From Book to Film: Taking the Story Worldwide
The leap from personal story to powerful, large-scale impact

(00:26:40) Blending Science + Lived Experience
Why this film weaves real stories with research—and why that matters

(00:34:22) The Science That Changes Everything
Circadian rhythms, brain function, and what we can actually do to stay well

(00:44:05) Living Well with Bipolar: Boundaries, Routine & Hope
Practical strategies, self-advocacy, and a reminder you’re not alone

 

Bonnie Waltch is the director, producer, and writer of BrainStorm, a feature-length documentary film about the bipolar spectrum. She is the award-winning senior producer and writer of the one-hour PBS and international broadcast documentary, Earth Emergency, and series of five short films, Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, narrated by Richard Gere. She has worked on a variety of science series for PBS and the Discovery Channel, and has produced, directed, and written short films for museums around the U.S. 

 

Sara Schley is the author of the memoir BrainStorm: From Broken to Blessed on the Bipolar Spectrum which inspired BrainStorm the documentary. Her mission in both the book and the film is to end stigma, save lives, and maximize healing. Sara is co-producer, co-writer, and one of six characters who live with bipolar in the film. Prior to becoming a full time bipolar health advocate, Sara worked as a business consultant, social change entrepreneur, speaker, and author and led systemic transformation at renowned companies around the world.