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Family Stories of Bipolar Disorder
  • Home
  • Parent Stories
    • Joann: From confusion to advocacy
      • Joann: Learning about Bipolar Disorder
      • Joann: What Happened to Jacob?
      • Joann: Impact on Family Relationshps
      • Joann: Encounters with the Healthcare System
      • Joann: Being Jacob's Mother
      • Joann: There are Good Times
    • Connie: Her brain got hijacked
      • Connie: Help for Naomi
      • Connie: Working Through Family Conflict
      • Connie: Calling the Police and Filing and Order for Protection
      • Connie: Becoming an Advocate
    • Sharon: Walking Alongside
      • Sharon: Finding Help for Her Daughter
      • Sharon: Building Support
      • Sharon: Impact on Family Relationships
      • Sharon: Changing Expectations
      • Sharon: Staying Grounded
      • Sharon: Sharon's Tips for Parents of Young Adults
    • Anita: It is what it is
      • Anita: Expressing Emotions Through Art
      • Anita: Trying to Find Answers
      • Anita: Encountering Barriers in the Mental Healthcare System
      • Anita: Engaging in Self-Care
      • Anita: Changed Expectations
      • Anita: Moving Forward
    • Elaine: I have a purpose
      • Elaine: Life Challenges for Terry
      • Elaine: Making Sense of Her Daughter's Experience
      • Elaine: Finding a Satisfying Mother-Daughter Relationship
      • Elaine: Sources of Support
    • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Parents
  • Partner Stories
    • Frank: Be firm and be very kind
      • Frank: Searching for Good Healthcare
      • Frank: Providing Support for Gloria
      • Frank: Focusing on Self-Care
      • Frank: Family Relationship Challenges
      • Frank: Finding Peace
    • Jim: Do the best you can with it
      • Jim: Searching for Answers
      • Jim: Family Challenges
      • Jim: Coping Strategies
      • Jim: Learning to Be Patient
    • Brenda: We make the best of today and we go foward
      • Brenda: A Wild Ride
      • Brenda: Going to a Safe Place
      • Brenda: Moving Back Home
      • Brenda: Dealing with Financial Problems
      • Brenda: Adjusting to Life Changes
      • Brenda: Interacting with Mental Healthcare Services
      • Brenda: Finding Support
      • Brenda: One Day at a Time
    • Holly: I was on a rollercoaster
      • Holly: Ron's Difficult Life
      • Holly: The Rollercoaster Ride
      • Holly: Family Mental Illness
      • Holly: Experiences with Mental Health Care
      • Holly: Reflecting on Her Relationship with Ron
      • Holly: Learning about Self-Care
      • Holly: Talking about Mental Illness
      • Holly: Live Your Life
    • Marta: I take it day by day
      • Marta: Trying to Understand
      • Marta: Looking for Help
      • Marta: Prioritizing Her Children
      • Marta: Impact on Work and Relationships
      • Marta: A Changed Life
      • Marta: Working Toward Life Stability
    • Questions for Reflection: Partners/Spouses
  • Sibling Stories
    • Katie: Healthy realism
      • Katie: Trying to Help
      • Katie: Changing Expectations for Family Relationships
      • Katie: Finding Help from the Mental Healthcare System
      • Katie: New Understanding
      • Katie: Moving Forward
    • Dick: Why me?
      • Dick: Becoming a Caregiver
      • Dick: Frustration with Mental Healthcare
      • Dick: Family Connections
      • Dick: Coping Strategies
      • Dick: Ambivalent Feelings
      • Dick: Advocacy Through NAMI
    • Janet: Let people be who they are
      • Janet: Feeling Helpless
      • Janet: Her Brother David's Experience
      • Janet: Family Support
      • Janet: Triggers for Mental Illness
      • Janet: Views about Mental Illness
      • Janet: Impact on Her Life
      • Janet: Self-Care Skills
    • Carmen: I'm proud of her
      • Carmen: Her Sister Lily's Challenges and Accomplishments
      • Carmen: Responding to Lily's Needs
      • Carmen: Family Relationships
      • Carmen: Taking Time Out
      • Carmen: Learning about the Mental Healthcare System
      • Carmen: Considering the Future
    • Heather: Be gentle with yourself
      • Heather: Different Symptom Experiences
      • Heather: Deciding to Get Married
      • Heather: Losing the Brother She Used to Know
      • Heather: Experiences with Medication Management
      • Heather: Navigating Family Relationships
      • Heather: Moving to Acceptance
      • Heather: Finding Meaning in Life Challenges
      • Heather: Life Lessons
    • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Siblings
  • Adult Children Stories
    • Sam: Being responsible
      • Sam: Growing Up with Mom
      • Sam: His Mother's Suicide
      • Sam: Grieving
      • Sam: Reconnecting with Family
      • Sam: Investing in Work
      • Sam: Finding New Relationships
    • Jessica: Just my mom
      • Jessica: Her Mother's Accomplishments
      • Jessica: Making Family Relationships Work
      • Jessica: Mental Healthcare Resources
      • Jessica: Concerns about Her Mental Health
      • Jessica: Life Adjustments
      • Jessica: New Knowledge and Skills
    • Mark: I didn't know I was okay
      • Mark: Childhood and Teen Years
      • Mark: Becoming an Adult
      • Mark: Family Support
      • Mark: Friend and Work Connections
      • Mark: Disappointment with the Mental Healthcare System
      • Mark: Coping Strategies
      • Mark: Finding Identity and Self-Esteem
    • Melanie: I survived by being quiet and good
      • Melanie: Understanding Her Father Lived With a Mental Illness
      • Melanie: The Perfect Storm
      • Melanie: Trying to Help Her Brother
      • Melanie: Growing Up in a Challenging Environment
      • Melanie: Moving Out
      • Melanie: Surviving
      • Melanie: Moving Forward
    • Abby: Finding balance
      • Abby: Early Family Life
      • Abby: Navigating the Mental Healthcare System
      • Abby: Family Challenges
      • Abby: Coping Strategies
      • Abby: Learning from Her Journey with Mom
      • Abby: Talking with Others about Mental Illness
      • Abby: Reflecting on What She Can Do
    • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Adult Children
  • Mental Health Support
    • Mental health crisis response teams
    • Hospitals
    • First episode psychosis programs
    • Civil commitment
    • Crisis intervention training for police officers
    • Outpatient and day treatment
    • Dual diagnosis treatment programs
    • Residential treatment
    • Mental healthcare workers
    • Social Security disability
    • Mental health case management
    • Community mental health programs
  • My Story
    • Acceptance
  • Advocacy and Expertise
  • Author Q & A
  • Explore Further
Family Stories of Bipolar Disorder
  • Home
  • Parent Stories
    • Joann: From confusion to advocacy
      • Joann: Learning about Bipolar Disorder
      • Joann: What Happened to Jacob?
      • Joann: Impact on Family Relationshps
      • Joann: Encounters with the Healthcare System
      • Joann: Being Jacob's Mother
      • Joann: There are Good Times
    • Connie: Her brain got hijacked
      • Connie: Help for Naomi
      • Connie: Working Through Family Conflict
      • Connie: Calling the Police and Filing and Order for Protection
      • Connie: Becoming an Advocate
    • Sharon: Walking Alongside
      • Sharon: Finding Help for Her Daughter
      • Sharon: Building Support
      • Sharon: Impact on Family Relationships
      • Sharon: Changing Expectations
      • Sharon: Staying Grounded
      • Sharon: Sharon's Tips for Parents of Young Adults
    • Anita: It is what it is
      • Anita: Expressing Emotions Through Art
      • Anita: Trying to Find Answers
      • Anita: Encountering Barriers in the Mental Healthcare System
      • Anita: Engaging in Self-Care
      • Anita: Changed Expectations
      • Anita: Moving Forward
    • Elaine: I have a purpose
      • Elaine: Life Challenges for Terry
      • Elaine: Making Sense of Her Daughter's Experience
      • Elaine: Finding a Satisfying Mother-Daughter Relationship
      • Elaine: Sources of Support
    • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Parents
  • Partner Stories
    • Frank: Be firm and be very kind
      • Frank: Searching for Good Healthcare
      • Frank: Providing Support for Gloria
      • Frank: Focusing on Self-Care
      • Frank: Family Relationship Challenges
      • Frank: Finding Peace
    • Jim: Do the best you can with it
      • Jim: Searching for Answers
      • Jim: Family Challenges
      • Jim: Coping Strategies
      • Jim: Learning to Be Patient
    • Brenda: We make the best of today and we go foward
      • Brenda: A Wild Ride
      • Brenda: Going to a Safe Place
      • Brenda: Moving Back Home
      • Brenda: Dealing with Financial Problems
      • Brenda: Adjusting to Life Changes
      • Brenda: Interacting with Mental Healthcare Services
      • Brenda: Finding Support
      • Brenda: One Day at a Time
    • Holly: I was on a rollercoaster
      • Holly: Ron's Difficult Life
      • Holly: The Rollercoaster Ride
      • Holly: Family Mental Illness
      • Holly: Experiences with Mental Health Care
      • Holly: Reflecting on Her Relationship with Ron
      • Holly: Learning about Self-Care
      • Holly: Talking about Mental Illness
      • Holly: Live Your Life
    • Marta: I take it day by day
      • Marta: Trying to Understand
      • Marta: Looking for Help
      • Marta: Prioritizing Her Children
      • Marta: Impact on Work and Relationships
      • Marta: A Changed Life
      • Marta: Working Toward Life Stability
    • Questions for Reflection: Partners/Spouses
  • Sibling Stories
    • Katie: Healthy realism
      • Katie: Trying to Help
      • Katie: Changing Expectations for Family Relationships
      • Katie: Finding Help from the Mental Healthcare System
      • Katie: New Understanding
      • Katie: Moving Forward
    • Dick: Why me?
      • Dick: Becoming a Caregiver
      • Dick: Frustration with Mental Healthcare
      • Dick: Family Connections
      • Dick: Coping Strategies
      • Dick: Ambivalent Feelings
      • Dick: Advocacy Through NAMI
    • Janet: Let people be who they are
      • Janet: Feeling Helpless
      • Janet: Her Brother David's Experience
      • Janet: Family Support
      • Janet: Triggers for Mental Illness
      • Janet: Views about Mental Illness
      • Janet: Impact on Her Life
      • Janet: Self-Care Skills
    • Carmen: I'm proud of her
      • Carmen: Her Sister Lily's Challenges and Accomplishments
      • Carmen: Responding to Lily's Needs
      • Carmen: Family Relationships
      • Carmen: Taking Time Out
      • Carmen: Learning about the Mental Healthcare System
      • Carmen: Considering the Future
    • Heather: Be gentle with yourself
      • Heather: Different Symptom Experiences
      • Heather: Deciding to Get Married
      • Heather: Losing the Brother She Used to Know
      • Heather: Experiences with Medication Management
      • Heather: Navigating Family Relationships
      • Heather: Moving to Acceptance
      • Heather: Finding Meaning in Life Challenges
      • Heather: Life Lessons
    • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Siblings
  • Adult Children Stories
    • Sam: Being responsible
      • Sam: Growing Up with Mom
      • Sam: His Mother's Suicide
      • Sam: Grieving
      • Sam: Reconnecting with Family
      • Sam: Investing in Work
      • Sam: Finding New Relationships
    • Jessica: Just my mom
      • Jessica: Her Mother's Accomplishments
      • Jessica: Making Family Relationships Work
      • Jessica: Mental Healthcare Resources
      • Jessica: Concerns about Her Mental Health
      • Jessica: Life Adjustments
      • Jessica: New Knowledge and Skills
    • Mark: I didn't know I was okay
      • Mark: Childhood and Teen Years
      • Mark: Becoming an Adult
      • Mark: Family Support
      • Mark: Friend and Work Connections
      • Mark: Disappointment with the Mental Healthcare System
      • Mark: Coping Strategies
      • Mark: Finding Identity and Self-Esteem
    • Melanie: I survived by being quiet and good
      • Melanie: Understanding Her Father Lived With a Mental Illness
      • Melanie: The Perfect Storm
      • Melanie: Trying to Help Her Brother
      • Melanie: Growing Up in a Challenging Environment
      • Melanie: Moving Out
      • Melanie: Surviving
      • Melanie: Moving Forward
    • Abby: Finding balance
      • Abby: Early Family Life
      • Abby: Navigating the Mental Healthcare System
      • Abby: Family Challenges
      • Abby: Coping Strategies
      • Abby: Learning from Her Journey with Mom
      • Abby: Talking with Others about Mental Illness
      • Abby: Reflecting on What She Can Do
    • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Adult Children
  • Mental Health Support
    • Mental health crisis response teams
    • Hospitals
    • First episode psychosis programs
    • Civil commitment
    • Crisis intervention training for police officers
    • Outpatient and day treatment
    • Dual diagnosis treatment programs
    • Residential treatment
    • Mental healthcare workers
    • Social Security disability
    • Mental health case management
    • Community mental health programs
  • My Story
    • Acceptance
  • Advocacy and Expertise
  • Author Q & A
  • Explore Further
  • More
    • Home
    • Parent Stories
      • Joann: From confusion to advocacy
        • Joann: Learning about Bipolar Disorder
        • Joann: What Happened to Jacob?
        • Joann: Impact on Family Relationshps
        • Joann: Encounters with the Healthcare System
        • Joann: Being Jacob's Mother
        • Joann: There are Good Times
      • Connie: Her brain got hijacked
        • Connie: Help for Naomi
        • Connie: Working Through Family Conflict
        • Connie: Calling the Police and Filing and Order for Protection
        • Connie: Becoming an Advocate
      • Sharon: Walking Alongside
        • Sharon: Finding Help for Her Daughter
        • Sharon: Building Support
        • Sharon: Impact on Family Relationships
        • Sharon: Changing Expectations
        • Sharon: Staying Grounded
        • Sharon: Sharon's Tips for Parents of Young Adults
      • Anita: It is what it is
        • Anita: Expressing Emotions Through Art
        • Anita: Trying to Find Answers
        • Anita: Encountering Barriers in the Mental Healthcare System
        • Anita: Engaging in Self-Care
        • Anita: Changed Expectations
        • Anita: Moving Forward
      • Elaine: I have a purpose
        • Elaine: Life Challenges for Terry
        • Elaine: Making Sense of Her Daughter's Experience
        • Elaine: Finding a Satisfying Mother-Daughter Relationship
        • Elaine: Sources of Support
      • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Parents
    • Partner Stories
      • Frank: Be firm and be very kind
        • Frank: Searching for Good Healthcare
        • Frank: Providing Support for Gloria
        • Frank: Focusing on Self-Care
        • Frank: Family Relationship Challenges
        • Frank: Finding Peace
      • Jim: Do the best you can with it
        • Jim: Searching for Answers
        • Jim: Family Challenges
        • Jim: Coping Strategies
        • Jim: Learning to Be Patient
      • Brenda: We make the best of today and we go foward
        • Brenda: A Wild Ride
        • Brenda: Going to a Safe Place
        • Brenda: Moving Back Home
        • Brenda: Dealing with Financial Problems
        • Brenda: Adjusting to Life Changes
        • Brenda: Interacting with Mental Healthcare Services
        • Brenda: Finding Support
        • Brenda: One Day at a Time
      • Holly: I was on a rollercoaster
        • Holly: Ron's Difficult Life
        • Holly: The Rollercoaster Ride
        • Holly: Family Mental Illness
        • Holly: Experiences with Mental Health Care
        • Holly: Reflecting on Her Relationship with Ron
        • Holly: Learning about Self-Care
        • Holly: Talking about Mental Illness
        • Holly: Live Your Life
      • Marta: I take it day by day
        • Marta: Trying to Understand
        • Marta: Looking for Help
        • Marta: Prioritizing Her Children
        • Marta: Impact on Work and Relationships
        • Marta: A Changed Life
        • Marta: Working Toward Life Stability
      • Questions for Reflection: Partners/Spouses
    • Sibling Stories
      • Katie: Healthy realism
        • Katie: Trying to Help
        • Katie: Changing Expectations for Family Relationships
        • Katie: Finding Help from the Mental Healthcare System
        • Katie: New Understanding
        • Katie: Moving Forward
      • Dick: Why me?
        • Dick: Becoming a Caregiver
        • Dick: Frustration with Mental Healthcare
        • Dick: Family Connections
        • Dick: Coping Strategies
        • Dick: Ambivalent Feelings
        • Dick: Advocacy Through NAMI
      • Janet: Let people be who they are
        • Janet: Feeling Helpless
        • Janet: Her Brother David's Experience
        • Janet: Family Support
        • Janet: Triggers for Mental Illness
        • Janet: Views about Mental Illness
        • Janet: Impact on Her Life
        • Janet: Self-Care Skills
      • Carmen: I'm proud of her
        • Carmen: Her Sister Lily's Challenges and Accomplishments
        • Carmen: Responding to Lily's Needs
        • Carmen: Family Relationships
        • Carmen: Taking Time Out
        • Carmen: Learning about the Mental Healthcare System
        • Carmen: Considering the Future
      • Heather: Be gentle with yourself
        • Heather: Different Symptom Experiences
        • Heather: Deciding to Get Married
        • Heather: Losing the Brother She Used to Know
        • Heather: Experiences with Medication Management
        • Heather: Navigating Family Relationships
        • Heather: Moving to Acceptance
        • Heather: Finding Meaning in Life Challenges
        • Heather: Life Lessons
      • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Siblings
    • Adult Children Stories
      • Sam: Being responsible
        • Sam: Growing Up with Mom
        • Sam: His Mother's Suicide
        • Sam: Grieving
        • Sam: Reconnecting with Family
        • Sam: Investing in Work
        • Sam: Finding New Relationships
      • Jessica: Just my mom
        • Jessica: Her Mother's Accomplishments
        • Jessica: Making Family Relationships Work
        • Jessica: Mental Healthcare Resources
        • Jessica: Concerns about Her Mental Health
        • Jessica: Life Adjustments
        • Jessica: New Knowledge and Skills
      • Mark: I didn't know I was okay
        • Mark: Childhood and Teen Years
        • Mark: Becoming an Adult
        • Mark: Family Support
        • Mark: Friend and Work Connections
        • Mark: Disappointment with the Mental Healthcare System
        • Mark: Coping Strategies
        • Mark: Finding Identity and Self-Esteem
      • Melanie: I survived by being quiet and good
        • Melanie: Understanding Her Father Lived With a Mental Illness
        • Melanie: The Perfect Storm
        • Melanie: Trying to Help Her Brother
        • Melanie: Growing Up in a Challenging Environment
        • Melanie: Moving Out
        • Melanie: Surviving
        • Melanie: Moving Forward
      • Abby: Finding balance
        • Abby: Early Family Life
        • Abby: Navigating the Mental Healthcare System
        • Abby: Family Challenges
        • Abby: Coping Strategies
        • Abby: Learning from Her Journey with Mom
        • Abby: Talking with Others about Mental Illness
        • Abby: Reflecting on What She Can Do
      • Questions for Reflection and Discussion: Adult Children
    • Mental Health Support
      • Mental health crisis response teams
      • Hospitals
      • First episode psychosis programs
      • Civil commitment
      • Crisis intervention training for police officers
      • Outpatient and day treatment
      • Dual diagnosis treatment programs
      • Residential treatment
      • Mental healthcare workers
      • Social Security disability
      • Mental health case management
      • Community mental health programs
    • My Story
      • Acceptance
    • Advocacy and Expertise
    • Author Q & A
    • Explore Further

Explore Further

Artist: Carye Bye

You can find accurate information about mental health conditions on the following websites:


  • American Psychiatric Association

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  • Mayo Clinic

  • National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)

  • NAMI Minnesota

  • National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH)




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