The Highway 127 Yard Sale Starts August 3 in Dunlap
A shopping excursion the whole family will love. The tables and tents started going up last weekend in Dunlap, Tennessee. Not all local residents are thrilled, but the happy ones are overjoyed. They look forward to this event all year.
Read full storyMental Illness Can Make Some Feel Isolated and Alone
A writer shares how bipolar disorder makes him feel. Recently, I witnessed an emotional social media conversation about mental illness. One user commented about how their experience felt unlike any of the other experiences they had heard. As isolating as mental illness can be, their unique struggles made them feel even more alone. The comments I read have stuck with me since.
Read full storyMisconceptions About Bipolar Disorder Can Stop Some From Getting the Help They Need
Common misbeliefs about bipolar disorder and how to fight them. When I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I only had a vague idea of what the diagnosis meant. I knew of a young man who bought several cars from various dealerships over the course of one week. He disappeared for days at a time and had violent outbursts. Though it was always told in whispers, he had bipolar disorder.
Read full storyOver Half of Bipolar Disorder Patients Also Struggle With ADHD
A look at bipolar disorder and ADHD, and how to manage your symptoms. I often joke about being like the dog from Up! Even when I try my best, the slightest shiny object will steal my attention. I sit down to write a story, and five minutes later, I’m cleaning the grout in the shower with a toothbrush.
Read full storyBipolar Disorder Can Cause the Patient To Feel Bitter Feelings of Shame
Three tips to overcome the shame caused by mental illness. A friend asks if I’m okay. I pause, purse my lips, and contemplate my reply. In a million ways, I’m not okay, but will my friend understand? It’s always a tightrope walk between the truth and what a listener can handle.
Read full storySocial Anxiety With Bipolar Disorder: Turning Time With Friends Into a Tough Challenge
A look inside a bipolar mind after a dinner party. I’m notorious among my group of friends for turning down social invites. It’s amazing I have any friends left as often as I reply with a ‘no’ to their invitations. The guilt crushes me, but I feel helpless most days to offer another answer.
Read full storyDaylight Saving Time and Bipolar Disorder
How time changes affect bipolar, and the steps you can take to lessen the impact. I have a love-hate relationship with spring. On the positive side, I love spring flowers, warmer weather, and the freedom to ditch wearing a coat. Over on the negative side, I dislike pollen so thick you can write your name in it, the mad rush to get my taxes done on time, and the life-destroying start of daylight saving time.
Read full storyJournaling Is an Effective Tool for Maintaining Good Mental Health
How keeping a journal can make your life better. Is there an unending list of things you need to do and people you should call? Does the pure volume of information running through your mind overwhelm you?
Read full storyMany Express Their Love Without Using the Word
People are telling you they care. Are you listening?. "Be careful,” my new friend called out to me as I was walking out her front door. “Um, okay,” I called back. It seemed strange to me, a young man raised in central Wisconsin, for my new southern friend to tell me to be careful.
Read full storyFamilial Mediterranean Fever: A Painful Chronic Illness That Disrupts the Lives of Many
Sharing the challenges of living with chronic illness. A man getting out of bed and feeling ill.Photo byAndrea Piacquadio/Pexels. A day with Familial Mediterranean Fever goes a little something like this:
Read full storyPeople With Mental Health Problems Are No More Likely To Be Violent Than Anyone Else
Three lies about mental illness to stop believing and the real truth about them. Magnifying glass showing facts.Photo byGerd Altmann/Pixabay. “You have bipolar disorder,” my new doctor told me. She was as friendly as a stink bug, but with less of a smile and a stronger scent.
Read full storyMany Find Success Lists Help to Focus on the Positive
A simple tool to help improve your mental health. The word completed showing on a cell phone.Photo byMarkus Winkler/Pixabay. It’s the age-old question that we often struggle to answer.
Read full storyCaring for Aging Parents Feels Like An Ever-Changing Dance
The four things to remember as you care for your parents. An older woman sitting next to pink flowers.Photo byBenjamin Balazs/Pixabay. This was my greeting. Her bank statement clutched in her right hand, she glared at me with a mother’s disapproving eyes.
Read full storyPart of Depression Is Feeling Like a Burden
Eight helpful phrases for when you don't know what to say to the depressed. A hand reaching our of the water toward a lifebelt.Photo byGerd Altmann/Pixabay. Depression is scary. It’s frightening when you feel yourself slipping into the blackness. It’s equally terrifying as you watch a loved one succumb to it.
Read full storyThe Butterfly Circus: a Short Film Full of Life Lessons
A simple tale to help you focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. Most of my life, I didn’t share my writing with the world. Even though writing has been an essential part of my life since I was old enough to string words together, there was a part of me that worried my writing was never good enough to share.
Read full storyReflecting on 30 Years and How Little I Knew at Age 20
Things I wish I had known as a young adult. Red pencils and envelope on a blue desk.Lucas Wendt/Pixabay. In the fall of 1992, I got into my blue 1989 Toyota Corolla and drove away from my family and friends. I was 20 years old and on the cusp of a brand new life. My smile was wide as the thrill of possibility stoked flames inside my stomach.
Read full storySouthern Women and What They Mean by Saying, “Bless Your Heart”
The meaning depends on how she says it. A table with flowers and a woman's hat.Gabriele M. Reinhardt/Pixabay. When you live in the South, Bless Your Heart is part of everyday life. It’s a simple truth that television and filmmakers capitalize on.
Read full story10 Things to Do in Chattanooga This November to Improve Your Mental Health
Whatever you like, Chattanooga has a place for you to ease your anxiety. Fall overlooking Chattanooga, Tennessee.David Mark/Pixabay. As the leaves finish changing colors and drop from the trees and the weather gets cooler, it's easy to let your mental health slide. There’s no reason for that to happen, because there are plenty of things to do in Chattanooga in November to help you stay happy and healthy.
Read full storyUntreated Mental Illness May Explain Why More Men Die From Suicide and Alcohol Abuse
A look at common mental disorders affecting men and how to cope. A depressed man thinking about his mental health.Jowanna Daley/Pixabay. It’s no secret that men are not always the best at taking care of their mental health. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, “men are more likely than women to die by suicide.” But why is this? Why are men more likely to suffer from mental disorders and why are they less likely to seek help?
Read full storyI Am Scott Ninneman, and I Have Bipolar Disorder
Grieving two suicides helped me share my authentic self with the world through the Speaking Bipolar site. Blog in big letters on a blue background.Gerd Altmann/Pixabay. “And he's bipolar. You know what that means.” My boss was 10 minutes into his latest gossip fest.
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