Author Archives
Samantha is the author of "My Bipolar Mind: You're not alone," she is also a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate who runs and manages her own mental health blog MyBipolarMind.com.
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My Experience Being a Patient in Behavioral Health Units (& How My Last Stay Scared Me From Going Back)
I am no stranger to inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations or even to partial hospitalization programs for mental health treatment and care. Before my first ever stay in a Behavioral Health Unit, I lived in fear of being told I needed inpatient mental health care because it was something I had never experienced before and feared deeply.
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Why I Believe DSPs Need Extra Training on Mental Health Issues
DSP stands for Direct Support Professional. Most people with this job title help care for and support individuals who have been diagnosed with intellectual and/or mental health disorders who could also have a physical disability as well. Most individuals who receive this level of care reside in residential group homes that have been purchased by an agency who is in charge of providing care to the individual in question.
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I Quit My Job Just Over a Week Ago
I quit my job on Monday, April 12, 2021. My boss wanted me to sign a contract starting that I would work whatever hours he wanted me to, when he wanted me to without notice if someone were to call off. My hours were 9a-4p Monday – Friday. I refused to sign the contract so he immediately cut my hours and took away Fridays. Then a few hours later, he took away Wednesdays as well and claimed there wasn’t enough work available for me. I got fed up of the bull shit and tension and told my boyfriend to come pick me up and I quit at 2pm.
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Mindfulness: A Simple Technique to Bring You Back to the Here and Now
I just wanted to share a very easy and simple mindfulness technique that you can try almost anywhere you are. It only takes a brief few minutes to complete. This exercise can help ground you and bring you back to the here and now during times of high anxiety or stress.
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March & April Special: Get PDF Copies of The My Bipolar Mind Books for ONLY $5
For the rest of March and all of April, since April will mark one year since the release of My Bipolar Mind: Surviving the Chaos, I want to offer people a more affordable way to read my books for the one year anniversary of my second book and it’s only $5!.
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This is Why I’m Honest About My Mental Health…
No one wants to live with a mental illness but if you find yourself on the opposite end of a psychiatrist’s desk and they are telling you that they believe you suffer from a mental health condition it can feel like your world has suddenly stopped. Or you could feel numb, maybe a bit uncertain about what this means for you.
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Always Exhausted but at least it’s Been a Good Week
(Warning: This personal blog post came out longer than anticipated. Sorry for the long read!)
I feel like I am always exhausted and in need of a good cat nap. I don’t even work overtime or anything strenuous, but by the end of my shift at work I am usually ready to veg out in bed while flipping between Netflix and Hulu until it’s time for me to take my night time medications and go to bed.
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Guest Post by Ryan Rosen: Jobs You Can Start Today While Recovering From Yesterday’s Challenges
Let’s Welcome back Ryan Rosen as he shares tips on getting jobs that you can start immediately while still recovering from yesterday’s challenges.
The past year was really tough for all of us, and some people experienced bigger challenges than others. Lost income, health issues and social strife are just a few of the issues that you might have faced head-on. Regardless of where you’re coming from, moving forward can be tricky. Thankfully, if you need a sideline to help you get back on your feet, there are lots of options available.
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Surefire Ways to Advertise Books Online: Guest Post by Hayley Zelda
Let’s take a moment to welcome Hayley Zelda to My Bipolar Mind as she shares tips on how to advertise your book online.
Book promotion can feel like a terrifying and mysterious art to many writers, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. With some planning and studying, you can start building a buzz around your work and reach a wider audience. Below are surefire ways to make that happen.
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My Anxiety is High Today & I’m Stuck at Work
After staying up all night blogging about how my insomnia was triggering my anxiety in the wee hours of the morning, I feel like I’m just ready to crash and be lazy for the rest of the day. Only thing is, I still have about 2.5 hours of work left so being fully lazy isn’t an option for me at this moment.
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Insomnia Really Sucks When You Have to Be Up in a Few Short Hours
Just a few hours ago, before I realized how bad my insomnia was going to be tonight, I posted about how I am still feeling like I am in an okay place in life. Even though I am feeling okay and content for the most part, that does not mean that I don’t have any more bad days or nights. Tonight happens to be a another night where insomnia has fully taken over and it is already almost 3:30 in the morning and my alarm for work is scheduled to go off at 7:50 am…
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Debunking 5 Common Mental Health Myths
There is still so much mental health stigma in this world, even after all these years. While we have made some incredible progress toward understanding mental illness, what causes it, and how we can treat it, there is still a lot more pertinent information that we have yet to uncover and learn about.
Educating people on mental health and mental health disorders can help tear down the walls of mental health stigma one brick at a time. People fear what they don’t know. So, helping people who have never struggled with their mental health or who have never had a loved one who struggled with their mental health learn the facts from the myths can help make the topic feel less scary for some people.
Don’t get caught up in believing in these 5 common mental health myths!
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Still Feeling Like I’m in an Okay Place in Life…
I feel like my new habit is monthly personal posts with other content sprinkled around here and there sporadically. It has been about a month since my last personal post which was titled: “Feeling Like I am in an Okay Place Lately.” And I am happy to report that I am still feeling like I am in an okay place in life right now.
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4 Ways to Sneak Healthy Habits Into Your Post-Rehab Journey: Guest Post by Ryan Rosen
Let’s welcome Ryan Rosen back to the My Bipolar Mind blog as he shares some wonderful tips on how to sneak healthy habits into your post-recovery journey. Don’t forget to check out Ryan’s author bio at the end of this article to learn more about him and find the link to his site!
Many people in recovery struggle to balance mental and physical health, especially when first coming home from a rehabilitation center. Sometimes we think that too much damage has been done to make health and wellness a priority now. Others may feel like they don’t deserve health and happiness, while others—often, many others—come home to stigma and don’t have a supportive and healing community to rely on. (Continue Reading)
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Dealing with Anxiety and Stress in the Workplace & How to Cope
There is no doubt about it, there is not one single job out there that won’t cause you some form of stress or anxiety at one point or another. Work wouldn’t be called work if it was easy peasy and stress-free. For someone without mental health disorders, work can have its moments where you feel like you’re about to lose your mind and you just want everything to pause for a moment. For people who struggle with mental health disorders, it can become even more challenging because you’re already dealing with daily battles inside your mind that no one else knows about.
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Product Review: Raina Zeal’s “Depression is Not a Flow” Hoodie
A fellow blogger and mental health warrior, Raina from Raina Zeals, asked me to check out some of her products from the store on her website/blog so I could give her an honest review. And I have to say, I was highly impressed. All of her products support mental health awareness and I think that is absolutely spectacular.
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Feeling Like I am in an Okay Place Lately
I finally feel like I am on the right medication combination for my mental health disorders. It took 20 years of trial and error and getting prescribed more medications than I can even remember to get where I am today. I honestly felt like I’d never get to the point where I am okay on all my meds without any major side effects.
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My Christmas Turned Out Great
Christmas Eve was rough for me. I couldn’t find my normal Christmas cheer that usually surges through my veins almost every year. But I woke up Christmas morning with such happiness and excitement.
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Where’s My Normal Christmas Cheer?
When things are going fairly well in my life and I am not on the outs with a loved one during the holiday season, I usually always feel a childish sense of excitement and eagerly await Christmas Day. But this year, it doesn’t even feel like Christmas time for me. It feels just like every other day of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled that I get to spend tomorrow with my family and my boyfriend but it still just doesn’t feel like Christmas to me. And Christmas has always been my favorite part of the year.
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Insomnia Is Kicking My Butt (It’s Going To Be a Long Day)
It’s already after 5 am and I have yet to sleep. My alarm for work is scheduled to go off at 7:45 am. There is no point in even trying to get any rest now especially because I am so wide awake. I have nothing going on at the moment, so I figured I would try to blog for a little – again – or until I have to start getting ready for work.
