Claim OwnershipThe Upside of Bipolar: Conversations on the Road to Wellness
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Living with bipolar disorder sucks! Each week Michelle Reittinger and her guests explore tools and resources that help you learn how to live well with your bipolar. If you are tired of suffering and want to live a healthy, balanced, productive life with your bipolar, this podcast was designed with you in mind.
70 Episodes
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Send us a message! We challenge the reflex to medicate and the vacuum around de-prescribing by tracing Jen’s 25-year story with SSRIs, from teenage labels and muted emotions to neonatal withdrawal, metabolic fallout, and a hard-won hyperbolic taper. We share tools for safer tapering, building a support tribe, and reclaiming informed consent and agency. • prescribers trained to start meds, not de-prescribe • teen SSRIs without context of eating disorder or stress • labels and DSM coding shapi...
Send us a message! We challenge the “gold standard” of therapy plus meds and show how nutrition, sleep, and curiosity reveal root causes that the psychiatric labels miss. Dr. Teralyn Sell shares her journey from traditional psychotherapy to functional brain health, and why feeding the brain changes everything. • how siloed systems block simple solutions like omega‑3s • the cost of medication‑first care on memory, mood and agency • subjectivity in diagnosis and the loss of curiosity • thyroid...
Send us a message! Understanding the true source of bipolar symptoms requires becoming a detective in your own life rather than accepting diagnosis as the final answer. Approaching symptoms with curiosity instead of judgment allows us to identify what's really happening beneath the surface and find effective paths to healing. • Diagnoses are observations of symptom clusters, not explanations for why you have symptoms • Breaking symptoms into specific experiences rather than broad categories ...
Send us a message! Michelle shares her transformative realization that bipolar disorder isn't a disease but a cluster of symptoms, and how this understanding freed her from decades of believing she had an incurable condition. • The bipolar diagnosis ends curiosity about why symptoms occur because people believe they've been given a complete answer • Being told bipolar disorder is lifelong and incurable creates helplessness and a victim mindset • The chemical imbalance theory of mental illnes...
Send us a message! Michelle shares why she took a hiatus from her podcast to fully experience planning her daughter's wedding and supporting her son through his senior year of high school. • Decided to pause her podcast, blog, and social media when life became overwhelming with a job change, moves, planning a wedding, and senior year activities. • Realized the purpose of healing from bipolar was to be present for these family milestones • Planning her daughter's wedding became a beautiful he...
Send us a message! In her new book "Chemically Imbalanced: The Making and Unmaking of the Serotonin Myth" Professor Joanna Moncrieff exposes how millions have been misled to believe they have brain chemical imbalances requiring drug treatments when no evidence supports this view. • Depression is a normal human emotional response to life difficulties, not a brain disease • The "drug-centered" model recognizes psychiatric medications as mind-altering substances that temporarily mask symptoms r...
Send us a message! Dr. Sheri Johnson shares groundbreaking research on how circadian rhythms and reward sensitivity affect bipolar symptoms, offering practical approaches to wellness through lifestyle interventions. Her work at UC Berkeley's CALM program explores how time-restricted eating and Mediterranean diet patterns can strengthen body rhythms and improve mood stability. • Bipolar symptoms affect circadian rhythms, with genetic factors influencing clock genes throughout the body • Time-...
Send us a message! Episode Highlight: After years of navigating the complex intersection of marriage and mental health, Sue Best shares her deeply personal journey of supporting her husband, Travis, through his bipolar disorder recovery. In this heartfelt conversation, Sue opens up about the emotional challenges, pivotal moments of growth, and the resilience required to maintain stability in the face of adversity. This episode offers practical insights and hope for those navigating similar s...
Send us a message! Don't miss this episode! Travis Best, a member of the Upsiders' Tribe recovery program, and his wife Sue share their journey navigating the challenges of bipolar disorder within their marriage. They highlight the profound impact of community, communication, and therapeutic resources. With candid reflections on symptoms, medication struggles, and the importance of mutual support, they emphasize that while healing is challenging, it is possible to find hope and rebuild ...
Send us a message! This episode explores the concept of core wounds—deeply embedded beliefs formed during childhood that shape our emotional lives. Through practical tools and rich discussions, we guide listeners in identifying their core wounds, understanding their impact, and taking actionable steps toward healing. • Introduction to core wounds and their significance • Understanding the formative experiences that create core wounds • Personal stories and examples illustrating core wound...
Send us a message! This episode dives deep into the transformative power of running as a means to improve mental health and overall well-being. Victor Vizcaíno shares his journey from disliking running to using it as a therapeutic tool, revealing how mindfulness and gratitude can create lasting change. • Transforming personal struggles into opportunities for growth • Understanding the connection between mental and physical health • The role of mindfulness and gratitude in running • Coachi...
Send us a message! This episode explores the interconnectedness of holistic health and bipolar disorder, emphasizing the importance of understanding underlying factors over simply alleviating symptoms. Reed Davis discusses his journey and methodologies that highlight the relationship between stress, diet, and gut health, advocating for a comprehensive approach to wellness that empowers individuals to take charge of their health. • Examining the limitations of relief care versus root cause re...
Send us a message! Episode Shownotes: In this transformative episode, we sit down with Austin Davis, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and founder/CEO of Clearfork Academy, to explore how core values can empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and find lasting healing. Austin shares his journey, the mission of Clearfork Academy, and the strategies they use to help teens create meaningful change in their lives. Episode Highlights: 🌟 Austin’s Journey: The experiences that le...
Send us a message! Episode Highlights: In this powerful and enlightening conversation, Dr. Tonya Cunningham shares her personal and professional insights into navigating and processing grief. Her candid storytelling and expert advice provide a roadmap for understanding grief’s impact and embracing healing. What to expect in this episode: Dr. Cunningham’s personal story and transformative realizations about griefThe impact of spiritual bypassing on emotional healthWhat grief is, how it manifes...
Send us a message! Episode Highlights: In this insightful episode, boundaries coach and recovery advocate Barb Nangle shares her expertise and personal experiences with 12-step programs, offering valuable guidance for anyone on a healing journey. What you’ll discover: Barb’s powerful story of transformation through 12-step programsA clear explanation of ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) and CoDA (Codependents Anonymous)How 12-step programs have evolved and why they remain impactfulThe concep...
Send us a message! In this eye-opening episode, Claudie Gordon-Pomares, M.S.Ed, and Kim Pomares share groundbreaking insights on: The inspiration behind Claudie’s development of Sensory Enrichment TherapyHow Sensory Enrichment Therapy activates the brain’s natural self-healing abilitiesThe remarkable impact of simple Sensory Enrichment Therapy exercisesThe process behind creating the Sensory Enrichment Therapy activitiesHow these straightforward activities cultivate an environment that promot...
Send us a message! In this thought-provoking episode, DNMS specialist Karen Gardner, LCSW, unveils: How she became a Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS) practitioner,Why DNMS is such an effective treatment modality for childhood neglect and trauma,What attachment wounds are and how they are addressed through DNMS,How many diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia are actually suffering from untreated trauma,The importance of establishing “resourcing” prior to beginning trauma therapy o...
Send us a message! In this engaging conversation boundaries coach Barb Nangle reveals: Her journey through recovery,What led her to become a boundaries coach,Why boundaries are so difficult for trauma survivors,Why codependency frequently develops out of trauma,Understanding the concept of 'info not ammo' and its significance in the recovery process, The concept of “reparenting”—what it is, how it functions, and its role in healing,What “boundaries of self-containment” are and their valu...
Send us a message! In this engaging episode author and comic Dave Mowry shares: His story of beginning to use humor to help him deal with his trauma and bipolar symptoms,How he began writing for bphope.com which led to his first book OMG That’s Me!,What helped him grieve his “lost fourteen years”,The daily activities that have helped him to “get out of his head”,Why humor is so powerful in helping to overcome trauma and the suffering of mental illness,How he discovered it’s possible to teach ...
Send us a message! I’m so excited to share that I conquered my final trigger for mood swings: moving! In this reflective episode I share: My previous experiences with moves triggering mood swings,How my Mood Cycle Survival Guide enabled me to anticipate and proactively manage mood swings caused by moving,A breakdown of how applying my Mood Cycle Survival Guide in my most recent move helped me avoid symptoms,How writing my book helped to solidify my healing and recovery, The importance of...
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