Bipolar Disorder on the Road: Book Excerpt on the Topic of Bipolar Disorder and Travel

My current book project covers the topic of how to travel safely and stably when you have bipolar disorder. I’ll also add tips in for those who have to travel with people who have the illness.  This book has been in the draft process for quite awhile, but the topic is so timely I thought…… Julie, just get the tips out there. People need them! Here’s the introduction. The blog will have excerpts throughout the summer. The pictures are from Japan and China in the 90′s. I used to just pick up and go anywhere! Who knew what mood would follow!

Bipolar Disorder on the Road: Four Steps to Successful and Stable Travel

The smoother the travel, the more stable the mood.

  For most of my life I traveled two to three times a year. Between 1982 and 1995, I visited Europe many times, lived in Japan for three years, traveled all over Asia, went to school in China and frequently went between my home in Seattle and my mother’s home in Hawaii. All of this travel involved time changes that inevitably led to mood swings. I had NO idea why my moods would change so much when I traveled.

When I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1995 at age 31, I had to modify my travel lust in order to get the illness more under control. I only traveled to Hawaii for quite a few years after my diagnosis and worked diligently on using my Health Cards to keep myself stable.

I moved to France for six months in 2002 with my then partner Ivan (who is French )and finally moved to my home in Portland, Oregon and have been here ever since. I always assumed I would continue to travel the world throughout my life. But the reality is that travel is tough for me. To be blunt, travel makes my bipolar disorder a lot worse.

Since starting my management system,  I’ve paid daily attention to the triggers of bipolar disorder. And one of the strongest triggers for many people with this illness is traveling. I’m now happy to announce that I can once again travel all over the world, but it takes a lot more planning than in the past in order to make sure the trip is successful and stable. This book explains the four steps I use every time I travel. Bipolar disorder management takes a lot of practice, but it is possible to find what works and get your life to a place where traveling is fun!

*** end of introduction***

Check back to the blog for my travel tips.

Julie

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