Julie A. Fast's Blog, page 52

How My Mother Helps Me Manage My Bipolar Disorder

My mother is a genius when it comes to helping me with bipolar disorder, but it didn’t start out that way. It took her many years to know how to help me. I created my treatment program (The Health Cards) in 1998. There was definitely a learning curve for my family. When someone has bipolar disorder, family members want to help, but they rarely know how. All of the comforting techniques that work on others don’t work when a person is in a mood swing. Family members have to educate themselves.

It’s natural to say, “But you have so much!” when someone you love is depressed. It never works. It’s natural to say, “Why can’t you just focus? It’s a really simple thing to clean your house.” It’s natural to say, “It’s just dinner? Why is it so hard for you to cook dinner?” These questions are pointless as the person with bipolar doesn’t know the answers until they learn to manage the illness.

I always say, “You don’t have to understand why a person can’t do things when they’re having mood swings, but you can believe that what they’re going through is real and help them find a way to get better.”

Empathy is great, but it’s not really possible unless you have bipolar disorder- support is what matters to us.

Here is what makes my mother special:

1. She is not scared like she used to be. The Health Cards have given her a tool that works, so she knows what to do when I get sick. For example, when we first started using them, she had to say, “Get out your cards Julie. You’re psychotic. What do you need to do?” If I was too sick to get them out, she said, “I’m getting your psychotic card out now Julie. I will see what it says to do.” As you can see, this gives us tools when I’m too sick to help myself.

2. She edits my books so she knows my tips! In fact, she’s editing the book I’m currently writing with a friend. The one that is taking forever to get done. I have anxiety episodes every time I even sit down to write. She took the files and told me they were fine. Anxiety distorts my thinking- my mom knows my writing well enough to tell me if it’s good!

3. She isn’t embarrassed that I have bipolar and tells all of her friends she is proud of me.

4. She educates others. I once heard her say, “When you have to tell someone that your child has bipolar disorder, remember that the person you’re talking to probably has no idea what it is. It helps if you explain it while you give out the information. I say, ‘My daughter has bipolar disorder. You may have heard about it as it’s in the news a lot. She has mood swings and it can be really tough, but she works hard to manage it.” This lets others know it’s an illness and not something to be ashamed of.

My mom is a genius because she educates herself in order to help me. I am indebted to her and proud of her too. It isn’t easy having a child with a mental health disorder, but she simply couldn’t be a better mom!

Julie

PS: She is coming with me to California for my presentations on May 6-8th. She will be in the audience when I give the keynote at the Fiesta of Hope Dinner. Please find her and say hello!

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Published on April 30, 2014 11:38

Are you busy next week? If not, I’d love to meet you in California on May 6-9th!

I will be in Monetery Bay California for three days next week. Here are the details.

Event #1: Morning Keynote presentation and afternoon break out session with Julie Fast at the Embracing Wellness and Recovery Conference

The 6th Annual Embracing Wellness and Recovery Conference is a FREE one-day conference in Monterey County, Tuesday, May 6, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (PDT) and Julie will be the Keynote speaker. This is a huge conference welcoming service providers, mental health consumers and their family members. As an exciting bonus, Julie will also be one of the break out workshop presenters. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to see Julie in action. She is a favorite speaker wherever she travels. The conference will be held at Salinas Valley Community Church, 368 San Juan Grade Rd. Salinas, CA 93906. For more details, click here.

Event #2 Fiesta of Hope Dinner Keynote Presentation with Julie Fast.

Thursday, May 8th will be The 10th Annual Fiesta of Hope Dinner

The Exhibits and Art Sale will begin at 5:30 PM and Dinner is at 6:30 PM.

This event will be held at the Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay Seaside, CA.

For more details, click here.

**********

Please click here to visit my FaceBook Julie A. Fast page if you have any questions about the events or would like to set up a time to meet in person.

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Published on April 29, 2014 18:52

Guest Blogger pt. 2 Gayathri Ramprasad- author of Shadows in the Sun on Speaking the Truth about Mental Illness

I am sitting here with author, speaker and mental health advocate Gayathri Ramprasad. She just told me this story.

“The Indian national motto says: Satyameva Jayate. In English it means, “Truth Alone Triumphs.” As a child I was raised by parents who taught me that honesty is the greatest virtue- they were hardworking and modest people. And yet I remember at age 25 in 1987 sitting in a psychiatrist’s office in Bangalore, India getting my diagnosis of depression and anxiety and in a heartbeat believing that my truth about mental illness would destroy not just me and my family but generations to come.

Unfortunately things haven’t changed a whole lot- we are still so terrified to share the truth about our mental illness whether at home, in our community, at work or places of worship- we are terrified to share our truth and yet I go back to the philosophy on the flag- Does truth alone triumph?

Does it?

My answer finally is YES. Ultimately the truth is that mental illness is a human experience and a part of the continuum from illness to wellness. People with mental illness can thrive- it’s a truth. My life is a testament to this motto. And it’s a truth I want to share with the world.”

Truth Alone Triumphs

Gayathri! You are an amazing woman! Julie

Click here to read more about Shadows in the Sun. Click here to read her original guest post.

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Published on April 23, 2014 17:53

Bipolar Disorder? Never Give Up! Even when life throws you a curve ball, there are answers.

Hi! As you can see, I haven’t posted as much as I normally do. I’m dealing with an old…. old… old! back injury and am not writing as much as I would like. When life throws me a curve ball- I have to make sure I treat bipolar disorder first. I’m doing this! The mood is stable. yay. The back? That’s a challenge. I look for inspiration everywhere when life is tough. I just saw the video below and it was exactly what I needed today. I hope it helps you as well- there are so many ways we can respond to this video! For me, it says, never give up Julie. Never give up!

Can't see the video in your RSS reader or email? Click Here!

Never give up! We can move forward with our lives even when life throws us a curve ball.

Julie

You can read more about Pascale Honore & Tyron Swan, the stars of the inspirational short film, Duct Tape Surfing at Duct Tape Surfing on Facebook.

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Published on April 11, 2014 12:02

Julie Fast is speaking about bipolar disorder in Portland, Oregon on March 28th, 2014

Hello to everyone! This is a reminder that I’m speaking for Cedar Hills Hospital here in Portland, Oregon on the topic of bipolar disorder. The talk is specifically for health care professionals, but many people with bipolar disorder or those who care about someone with the illness will be there. Here is the email the hospital sent out- the links are not live, so I added a live link at the bottom if you would like to register. I love meeting readers and clients! Maybe I will see you there! Julie

Click here to read more about the bipolar disorder presentation.

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Published on March 27, 2014 11:37

Bipolar Swivel Head at the UFC

I’m watching the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fights with my brother Ed. We love hanging out once a month to watch the mma skills and have fun chatting and talking smack. We usually go to a bar where there is a TV in each corner. I do ok in this environment. I’ve learned to just pick a spot and stick to one TV.

Unfortunately, our regular bar can no longer afford the $1200 the UFC wants to show the fights. (Astonishing!) So I’m here at a Buffalo Wild Wings. The people are nice- the TV is huge and I can actually hear the commentators. It’s going to be packed.

The problem?

My bipolar brain.

As you can see from the picture below, there isn’t one TV in a corner. There are TVs on every wall showing different channels. This leads to what I call:

Bipolar Swivel Head

My brain goes into overdrive and keeps looking at all of the TVs as though it’s going to miss something important. I- the real me- know that I simply need to focus on the large TV in front of me, but my brain doesn’t care what I want.

This leads to big time ADD symptoms, some anxiety and trouble enjoying the evening. And my brother isn’t even here to join me yet!

I know that visual overstimulation is the problem- it’s happened watching World Cup soccer friendlies last week. It’s very, very uncomfortable and I have to figure out what to do.

I know that having the kind of glasses they put on horses who have to walk in the city would help. It’s not the sound that’s bothering me as much as the constant visual change on the screens. I actually rolled up a menu and looked through it to see if it made a difference if I could block out the screens on the side.

Absolutely!

I’m sure my brother would love it if I spent the evening looking through a menu tube.

What can I do?

The first step is the most important- I realize that this is a trigger for me. I’m not drinking, so that’s not an issue. I’m not meeting new people and I will be home around 10:15, so my sleep won’t be compromised.

The next step is to keep my eyes focused on the big screen. It has to be a conscious decision. When the swivel head starts, I must physically get my head back in a straight ahead position.

This may seem like overkill, but if I don’t take care of this now, the evening will be one of nervousness and anxiety which means even more trouble getting to sleep.

I won’t come back here next time- but I’m here now and I don’t want to tap out of my evening before it has even started. Ha!

Julie

PS: AHA!

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Published on March 15, 2014 18:37

Bipolar Happens! is in the Top Ten of Bipolar Disorder Books on the Kindle!

Bipolar Happens: 35 Tips and Tricks to Manage Bipolar Disorder is in the top ten of Bipolar Disorder books on the Kindle!

That’s exciting. I went to the Kindle store to see how my books Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder were doing on the bipolar disorder page. These books are in the top ten ranking- and then I saw that Bipolar Happens! was up there as well.

Fantastic! Bipolar Happens! is an enjoyable book about a serious topic.

Guess what- it’s only $.99 I want it to be available to everyone.

Yes, I think this is a great deal and a good way to get helpful information about bipolar disorder at minimum cost. Bipolar Happens! was my first book. I knew I wanted to talk about how I manage the illness, but I also wanted to tell stories about how it affects my life daily.

There are stories about anger, manic spending, anxiety at a baseball game and what it feels like to be psychotic! It’s a book that family members love too. I love it myself. It’s hopeful.

Click here to go to amazon.com. You can read part of the book and then add it to your Kindle. Wow, $.99!

Julie

PS: If you’re new to my work, this is a great way to experience my writing style and the quality of my information. If you like it, you can come back for more.

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Published on March 04, 2014 00:31

My Family and Partner Coaching is Currently Full

I’m finally accepting that I can’t be three people at once and will have to take a break from new clients in my coaching practice. It’s by far my favorite work, but reality has to be faced!

For this reason, I posted the following on my coaching page:

Hello, thank you for visiting my coaching page. My practice is currently full. I have a waiting list I want to complete before taking new clients. Please check my blog for news on when I will have available appointments. If you have already sent in a query, please know I will get to each one and you will hear from me soon. My book Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder is an excellent overall book for parents and partners and my book Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner speaks directly to partners. My newsletter also has many tips for partners and parents. Thank you for your patience and I hope we can connect in the future. Julie

Please do check back on this blog if you want to explore coaching in the future. I hope to accept new clients in April. If you sent in a query and have not heard from me, this is due to the high volume of emails I receive weekly on the topic. I will get to each and every one as I know how important it is to have help when you love someone with bipolar disorder.

Thank you,

Julie

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Published on March 03, 2014 11:05

Tips to Get Things Done When You Have Bipolar Disorder!

How I get things done … on the days it’s hard to even get out of bed!

One of my strategies in Get it Done When You’re Depressed says- we usually worry much longer about getting something done than the time it actually takes to do the project. How true. I’ve recently worried for over a week about a project that I finally did this morning in a very short amount of time.

I’m a columnist for the wonderful Bp Magazine. I love writing the column and am very proud of my work. I didn’t miss a deadline for over five years. Then, as my bipolar disorder got really bad a few years ago and I had to go back on meds, I found myself getting behind with my writing. It has been a challenge. I made my deadline for my spring column, but didn’t get back with my final edits on time. Today was the day to set this right.

I made myself a one project to do list and got started. I should add that I used another one of my Get it Done Tips right at the beginning. I put myself in a place I could work. Then I did the following.

1. Reminded myself that it ALWAYS takes less time to do a project than it takes to worry about a project.

2. Made a realistic list of what had to be done.

3. Put a time next to each step. This helps me see how long a project actually takes when I face the same project in the future.

4. Kept myself focused- I’m only allowed to do what’s on the list. It’s so easy to answer one of the emails on the list and then get side tracked by an unrelated email! (I still got off track a few times and had to say- Julie, back to the pink list!)

5. Did the items in order.

6. Was honest with my editor about why I was late with the edits. Asked her to help me stay on track.

Then I did the edits!

Darn it- this is a project I’ve been worrying about for a week. The entire thing took less than an hour!

When you find yourself worrying about something instead of just sitting down and doing it- remember this mantra- it takes less time to do something than worry about not getting something done.

If you don’t already subscribe to BP Magazine- here’s the link. My spring column is called Growing Older with Bipolar Disorder. If you subscribe now, you can get the spring issue!

Julie

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Published on February 03, 2014 11:22

Guest Blogger: Gayathri Ramprasad author of the upcoming memoir Shadows in the Sun

Namaste,

My name is Gayathri Ramprasad. I’m the author of the upcoming memoir from Hazelden Shadows in the Sun: Healing from Depression and Finding the Light Within.

Julie and I have been friends and mental health colleagues for almost ten years. It’s exciting to finally announce that the book we originally discussed in a restaurant booth when we were both starting our mental health advocacy work is finally a reality. The book comes out in March, but Julie wanted me to introduce myself to everyone before we talk more about the release.

I was born and raised in Bangalore, India, amidst ancient traditions, and a large, loving extended family of twenty-three – grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. My happy childhood, however, gave way to a traumatic adolescence. By the time I was 18, I was debilitated by generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. At 23, as a young mother in America, I struggled to free myself from the death-hold of depression.

On April 30, 1989, confined in the seclusion room in a psychiatric ward in America, stripped of freedom, dignity, hope and humanity, I promised to emerge a messenger of hope and healing. For every indignity that I had suffered in shame and silence, I promised to fight to restore my dignity and the dignity of others like me around the world. And for every moment that my family and I had lived in despair, I promised to bring hope to the lives of others like us.

I dreamed of having a life where I could be a loving mother and wife as well as someone who could honestly tell her story. I didn’t know how it would happen, but I knew I would do everything I could to help others who went through and are going through what I experienced. I started a nonprofit called ASHA International- Julie is on the board! We promote cultural competence and mental health awareness. Writing the memoir took many years. I’m glad I kept going and I hope I can encourage you if today is a tough day or if you care about someone who is having a hard time. We can get better. I still deal with my depression and anxiety, but I now have tools to keep it managed. I talk about all of this in the book.

Helping others has helped me heal and become whole again.

ASHA literally means HOPE both in Sanskrit, one of the world’s most ancient languages which originated in India, and Hindi, India’s national language. In English, ASHA is an acronym for A Source of Hope for All touched by mental illness. I look forward to telling you more about Shadows in the Sun. Check back for more information in the next few weeks!

Wishing you wellness,

Gayathri

Click here to watch a video trailer about the book.

Click here to read more about ASHA International.

Click here to read more about Shadows in the Sun on Facebook!

A note from Julie: I’m so excited that this book will finally be available to the world! It’s the first memoir ever written by a woman from India that directly addresses mental health. Amazing!

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Published on January 28, 2014 15:55