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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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