Advertisements

Author Archives

Samantha

Samantha Steiner is the author of the new book, "My Bipolar Mind: You're not alone," which is now available on Amazon. She is also a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate who runs and manages her own mental health blog, MyBipolarMind.com.

Thoughts from an Insomniac

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Today is day two of some bothersome insomnia. It is said that about 25 percent of Americans suffer from acute insomnia and that 75 percent of those cases clear up on their own without an issue after a maximum of three months. However, I am more of a chronic case since I typically have insomnia that has lasted more than at least three nights a week for longer than a three month period. In my case, I have been dealing with insomnia issues for as long as I can remember.

Advertisements

October 2019: National Depression & Mental Health Screening Month

By on • ( 1 Comment )

October 2019 holds more than just spooky stuff and Halloween. Maybe you’re having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, maybe even a bad year. Perhaps you’re not feeling like yourself and haven’t for quite some time. Maybe you have everything to be grateful for but are having a hard time finding even a little bit of joy in your everyday life. When is it more than just a bad mood or a bad day?

Autumn: My Favorite Time of The Year

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Autumn is hands down my favorite time of the year. The weather gets cooler in Pennsylvania, the leaves start to turn beautiful colors before gliding to the ground, it’s hoodie weather, plus, let’s not forget Halloween! I am also one of those pumpkin spice coffee lovers as well! I just love the Fall season! I hate summer even though I am a Leo; a summer baby.

Contemplating Life

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Contemplating Life Yesterday was the two year anniversary of Wade’s death. I can’t believe that it has been two years already since he passed away. I really wish that I could bring him back to help ease my best friend and Godchildren’s pain. He left three wonderful children […]

Forever Waiting

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I haven’t been keeping up with blogging lately — even though I have all the time in the world right now. I always seem to have time but the desire I used to have for writing, even journaling, just hasn’t been there since June… since my life fell apart again. My life is always falling apart, though. This is nothing new.

I’m Doing The Best I Can

By on • ( Leave a comment )

On August 4, 2019, I turned 33-years-old. I created so many different blog posts since my birthday but all kinds of different craziness would happen and I would delete the post and start fresh with more to talk about. To be honest, I will even be amazed if I finish this post. Sometimes I feel like my life could be a Lifetime movie. Does anyone else ever feel like that or is it just me?

Good Morning: July 29, 2019

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I feel like I have been neglecting my blog… and I guess I pretty much have been. I have been up and down and have had some med changes since the last time I wrote. I am at a place where I am unsure where I am at mentally. Some days I am great, while other days I am not so great. But I am surviving and that is all that really matters anymore, right?

C’est la vie (That’s Life)

By on • ( Leave a comment )

C’est la vie! I can’t control the cards that I have been dealt, just like I can’t control how other people act or think. I am trying to make the best of a bad situation. The best of a few bad situations, actually. Sometimes I feel like it’s one blow after another. I am doing the best that I can with what I have and I am finally okay with not being okay most days…

Suicide Awareness & Prevention : Learn The Signs That Can Help You Save A Life

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Suicide Awareness & Prevention is something that I am passionate about. I understand how it feels to want to give up and end it all when you can’t take the pain any longer; I am a suicide attempt survivor. I shouldn’t be here today, but I am glad that I am despite the obstacles and challenges that I still face in my everyday life. I would have missed so much if I had succeeded. I understand how hard life can be sometimes. If I can pull through, so can anyone else who is going through it right now. Just know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOU ARE NOT A BURDEN. YOU ARE LOVED. 

Toxic Positivity: What Is It?

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Photo by Jules D. on Unsplash Toxic Positivity: What Is It? Toxic positivity is, in a sense, pushing for someone to change their current mental state by telling them things like, “You’ll get over it,” or even, “Just be positive!” Little phrases like those two examples are usually meant to be […]

Insomnia, Anxiety & Me

By on • ( Leave a comment )

“Roughly 60 Million Americans are affected by [a] sleep disorder every year,” and I am one of them – as some of you may already know. Some night I have issues with insomnia, other nights my sleep is completely broken and restless. It is not very often that I actually get a good night’s sleep, regardless of how long I am lying in my bed for. I could be lying in bed for 12 hours and yet only get 4-5 hours of solid sleep. I even have a prescription medication that I take every night (almost) faithfully.

STEM Hobbies Kids Really Love

By on • ( 1 Comment )

While school should always be your child’s top priority, it is also important for your little ones to have extracurricular interests and hobbies in their free time. Hobbies expand your child’s world and build self-esteem. They help kids become more empathetic and well-rounded while increasing their social circle beyond their peers at school. Kids who have hobbies also tend to be less stressed and do better in school.

What Does Mental Illness Look Like?

By on • ( 1 Comment )

According to MentalHealthAmerica.net, about 54 million Americans suffer from some type of mental illness in a given year. With over 200 types of classified mental illnesses, that number can expect to rise. Yet many people cannot recognize mental illness in other people, let alone themselves. Having a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, it is just how your brain is wired and it doesn’t make you any less of a person.

Hello, Mania!

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Hello, Mania! I am a bit on the manic said and it is the good kind of mania with the wonderful euphoria. I feel excellent right now. I don’t ever want to lose this feeling, but I know it is not possible to stay up in the clouds […]

Sober People Don’t Go To Rehab, Karen

By on • ( 2 Comments )

I had to give up on someone, we’ll call her Karen, for pretty much the first time in my life. Like completely give up, walk away, and wash my hands of her. I had to learn the hard way that I can’t help and save everyone. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved or isn’t ready to receive the help yet.

Why Am I Still Awake? Insomnia!

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I’m exhausted, but I can’t sleep. I am in so much physical pain that sleep should come easy, but it’s not. Insomnia has its grungy hands all over me and it’s refusing to let go. It probably doesn’t help the situation any that I finally remembered to take my nighttime meds around 1:45-2am.

My Bipolar Mind: You’re not alone is NOW AVAILABLE at The Barnes & Noble In Whitehall, PA

By on • ( 2 Comments )

Just a quick note: To my surprise, I just recently learned that my book, My Bipolar Mind: You’re not alone, is now officially available at a local Barnes & Noble book store near me! I knew they sold it on their website, but not at the actual branch in Whitehall, PA! If you are from or are familiar with the area, it is at the one inside the Lehigh Valley Mall shopping center. This is so exciting!

Late Night Thoughts: May 6th, 2019 🤔

By on • ( Leave a comment )

So, random thought from last night… I was working on a blog post — that I never finished — and it was titled “3am Thoughts,” and I couldn’t figure out what time “late night” transitioned into “early morning” so I settled on just saying “3am.” I probably spent way too much time being consumed by this question than I should have. And I didn’t necessarily feel like resorting to using Google to solve yet another debate for me. If you think that this a strange thing to be consumed by, you would not want to know about the rest of the crap that gets stuck inside my head!

Early Morning Thoughts: April 27th, 2019

By on • ( 1 Comment )

It is a little after 5 in the morning and I have been up for some time now. I went to bed around 9 pm and woke up at 2 am. Shortly after I finally fell back to sleep, I woke up around 3 am with a muscle cramp in my leg, also known as a “Charlie Horse.” Those are always fun, right? And I have been up ever since.

Happy Easter 🐰 2019

By on • ( 2 Comments )

I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter! If you celebrate, I hope that you are able to spend some time with your loved ones. To those of you who are spending the holiday solo, that is okay too, but always remember that you are loved and that there is nothing wrong with being alone on the holidays. Spend the entire day doing the things that you love – choirs can wait until tomorrow.

Happy Thursday: April 18th, 2019

By on • ( 2 Comments )

The past couple of days, I have been feeling pretty good despite any obstacles and challenges that have been thrown my way. Yesterday, April 17th, was my grandmother’s birthday. She sadly passed away in 2012 and we were incredibly close. But instead of breaking down over it, because some wounds seem to fully disappear, I thought about how she would always say, “Are you my Sammy?” and I would always respond with, “Yep. Are you my Grammy?” And it made me smile. What I wouldn’t give to hear her say that to me one last time…

[TW] There Is Hope

By on • ( 1 Comment )

This post contains some things that may trigger certain people. I am issuing a trigger warning for self-harm and suicidal ideation. Please use caution when reading. If you feel you may be triggered by these things do not read past here. Thank you.

Child-Proof Your Yard – Four Tips for Outdoor Safety

By on • ( Leave a comment )

According to the CDC, 8,000 children a day are taken to emergency rooms due to fall-related injuries. Many of these happen at home, particularly in the summer months when windows are open and children play outside. However, falls are not the only risk in the backyard – pests, infections, and standing water can also be issues. If your children are eager to get outside to enjoy the season, here are four tips that will help you childproof your backyard.

Trying To Be Optimistic While Feeling Pessimistic

By on • ( 2 Comments )

It is hard to really decipher how I am feeling. I’m up and down, high and low. If someone were to ask me how I was feeling, I would probably have to shrug my shoulders and then laugh and cry at the same time. I am trying to look at things from an optimistic viewpoint while feeling pessimistic and unsure about almost everything in life. I keep wondering if I am good enough… at anything.

Anxiety Fueled

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I have been filled with an excessive amount of anxiety since about 11:30 am yesterday. Jasper had gotten his head caught in between two metal bars under our recliner while he was hiding from two of my Godson’s. Thank God my best friend, Jazmine, was here too because she ended up being the one to save my poor kitty’s life.