Gum on My Shoe

By Julie A. Fast It’s fun to do things together, but it can be hard to figure out what is helpful when a person with bipolar is working hard on stability. Before I truly committed my life to bipolar management, going out drinking at karaoke was my main entertainment. These days, I look for more healing environments that allow me to have a great time and still get to bed on a schedule. If you’re a friend of someone with bipolar disorder and wonder what you can do together that is relaxing and fun and SAFE, think of these options. I’m in Portland, Oregon in the US where there is a lot of gender openness, so even if something sounds feminine or masculine, please know that there is no limit to what we can do - as you will see by suggestion number one: Get a pedicure or foot massage together! Find a salon with a good health record and book a joint session where you can sit and get your feet pampered while you both sit and gossip about life. Pedicure chairs are so comfortable. We h...

Today, I simply give thanks. I give thanks to each person in my life sharing smiles, laughter, love, tears, happiness, contrast, and the wonders of the world with me. I give thanks to those seemingly different from me as they open my eyes to new ideas, understandings, opportunities, and ways of living. I give my thanks to those who choose to see love, health, happiness, and possibilities in whatever situation they find themselves in at this moment. I give thanks to those with such courage and conviction who face situations that seem insurmountable and yet find a way to not only survive but thrive. I give thanks to YOU and ask that you add Thank You to the top of your vocabulary list. Say thank you for the good experiences. Say thank you to the contrasting experiences as there is a gem waiting to be uncovered. Whether you say THANK YOU out loud or quietly to yourself, when you live in and with gratitude, you shine so bright you light up the world.  

Disclaimer: Wellness Recovery Action Plan® and WRAP® are registered trademarks. All rights are reserved by the copyright holder, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. I wrote recently about how I came to enrol at Newcastle Recovery College (ReCoCo) and a little of what the college means to me . I have also written about the first class I took, which was on self-harm awareness . In this article I describe my experiences attending the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Awareness workshop. The following description is taken from the ReCoCo website : WRAP AWARENESS A workshop for people who experience mental health challenges and for those who care about them. It promotes a structured approach to developing a range of strategies to support self-management in recovery from distress. WRAP® (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) is a plan designed and managed by you and is designed to: Decrease and prevent intrusive or troubling feelings and behaviours Increase personal empowerment I...

As I described elsewhere , I recently enrolled at Newcastle Recovery College (ReCoCo) and have attended the first of several courses I intend taking there. Last week ReCoCo held their Hallow Wellbeing fundraising event and I went along to help out, using one of my three volunteering days from work. I should note that I’m not an official trained ReCoCo volunteer, I was simply there to help out on the day as best I could, and to have fun! The latter aim was definitely achieved! I’ve never considered myself the sort of person who does fancy dress, but as I’ve written before sometimes it’s good to challenge the stories we tell ourselves, especially those that begin "I’m not the kind of person who..." With that in mind I allowed myself to be talked into being made up for the occasion (thanks, Vikki!). My main concern was that the heavy black and white face paint might not come off. It did (eventually!) but I think I was still sporting a little hair glitter into the offi...

Check out our top posts for the past month. Posts are listed by number of page views they attracted during the month, most popular first. What Newcastle Recovery College Means To Me To Pieces Our Top Posts of the Month (September 2018) My Most Recent (Serious) Suicide Attempt How Can I Best Help My Bipolar Friend? Attending a Self-Harm Awareness Session at ReCoCo Seeing Red: A Look at Bipolar Anger Let’s Talk about Talking: Three Conversation Types for a Mutually Caring Relationship Things That Help Announcing Our New Creative Partnership with Eliezer Tristan Publishing Our most visited pages were: Contact Us Resources About Us Our book: High Tide Low Tide News and Appearances Testimonials