Managing a mental illness, chronic illness or otherwise debilitating condition can be extremely difficult. Add to that 'simple' things, such as household tasks, paying bills and weeding the garden and these simple tasks turn into uncrossable mountains. We all have to deal with housework and I can honestly say that it has never been something … Continue reading How to Keep The House Clean with Bipolar Disorder
Over the weekend I volunteered for a local community-based expo called Rethink Your World. I had a blast with Seeds Newcastle that organised the expo and I have learned a great deal about how physical, mental and spiritual health intertwine and support each other for optimum health. I took notes. Mostly because I selfishly want to … Continue reading World Mental Health Day: 9 Ways to Rethink Your Health and Influence Your Mental Health
As part of Mental Health Month, I will be sharing more on what my day to day life can be like as a Christian living with Bipolar 2 Disorder, Generalised Anxiety and Panic Disorder. I hope to uncover some real life battles that go on and how I am learning to manage the onslaught, fight the battle and come out stronger in my faith and my wellbeing.
As it's Mental Health Month here is Australia I got to thinking about my own journey with Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety and Panic Disorder. The past few weeks have been quite flat out with family, church, obligations and well, just life! I've not stopped a great deal but I have made the effort to have an … Continue reading A New Perspective Can Bring Change if You’re Paying Attention
Being real, and working toward understanding who we are, is really hard work. It's not just daily, it can be hourly. Minute by minute. But over the past six months or so I've been learning (much to my frustration, of course) some keys that seem to be relevant in moving forward and becoming more healthy … Continue reading Three Keys to Being Real
Today I want to talk about overcoming the fear of the unknown. I realise that everyone deals with 'the unknown' in different ways and the things that cause them to fear it are complex, unpredictable and diverse. My current challenges lie within two predominant areas: flying and being around large congested crowds. I'm going to … Continue reading Overcoming The Fear of The Unknown, One Panic Attack at a Time
***UPDATE*** I've finally had a formal assessment for my mental health. Even though I feel the jury is still out on Cyclothymia, my psychiatrist has confirmed the original diagnosis of Bipolar 2, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. To be honest, I am not worried. I am still 'relearning' about Bipolar 2 and how it differs from Cyclothymia, and … Continue reading The daily swings explained: understanding a Cyclothymic mind.
If you’ve not read from the beginning, you can start here. Chapter 3, Scene 1 It rained from Friday night until Monday morning. After such a massive week, no one really wanted to go out anyway, and the mood was as damp as the house. Even Hannah’s Moodle, Shelby, seemed to drag herself around, plopping … Continue reading Reconciled Chapter 3. A miserable weekend and a mystery to solve.
If you’ve not read from the beginning, you can start here. Chapter 2, A trip down memory lane Hannah scanned the room for faces she recognised. It had been a number of years since this particular group had assembled but the family unit overall wasn't terribly big. In addition to family there was a steady … Continue reading Reconciled – Chapter 2 A trip down memory lane
Last Friday I was having a swim with the hubster and chatting about the weekend to come, and in particular Saturday. Everyone was either working or out or studying and I, well, I really didn't have any plans or agenda as to how I was going to spend the time. There was a time when this … Continue reading Gratitude Day 16: Some of us just need a plan.
