Helen and Valerie devote a second episode to the challenges and complexities of bipolar disorder. In Episode 24, a remarkable discussion with Dr. Stephen Strakowski a national leader in bipolar disorder treatment and research, addressed many topics that merited further examination. Join Helen and Valerie for this episode’s more in-depth investigation into bipolar disorder and its profound, long-reaching impact on individuals and their relationships.
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Bipolar Disorder: Part Two
Episode 27
Helen Sneed: Welcome to Mental Health Hope and Recovery. I'm Helen Sneed.
Valerie Milburn: And I'm Valerie Milburn.
Helen Sneed: We both have fought and overcome severe chronic mental illnesses. Our podcast offers a unique approach to mental health conditions. We use practical skills and inspirational true stories of recovery. Our knowledge is up close and personal.
Valerie Milburn: Helen and I are your peers. We're not doctors, therapists or social workers. We're not professionals, but we are experts. We are experts in our own lived experience with multiple mental health diagnoses and symptoms. Please join us on our journey.
Helen Sneed: We live in recovery, so can you.
Valerie Milburn: This podcast does not provide medical advice. The information presented is not intended to be a substitute for or relied upon as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The podcast is for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any health related questions you may have.
Helen Sneed: Welcome to episode 27, bipolar disorder part two. Today, Valerie and I are devoting a second episode to bipolar disorder. We found that the complexities and challenges of the disorder merit further examination. In episode 24, we addressed the subject through a remarkable discussion with Dr. Steven Strakowski, a national leader in bipolar treatment and research. He gave us and our listeners a broad understanding of the illness and that opened up the subject to more questions and suggestions for additional information. So we're going to follow up with more in depth investigation into bipolar disorder and its profound, long reaching impact on on individuals and their relationships. Dr. Strakowski said that Americans like to believe that they're in charge of their bodies, minds and selves. Unfortunately, bipolar disorder can turn this belief upside down.
Valerie Milburn: You know, Helen, this episode with Dr. Strakowski was powerful for me. I learned more about the disorder I have lived with for so long and I gained new insights about my journey. I knew we needed this follow up episode because many topics were discussed that we wanted to explore further. So let's jump right in.
Helen Sneed: Yes, I'm really glad that we're doing this because I like you, I learned so much more about what, you know, one of my greatest enemies of my life. And. And so we're just going to go into it more today and I'm so glad. So to begin, we offer some basic background about bipolar disorder and its impact. So here's a definition from the National Institute of Mental Health. Bipolar disorder, sometimes referred to as manic depressive disorder, is a mood disorder. It is characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, energy and activity levels that affect a person's ability to carry out day to day tasks. These shifts in mood and energy level are much more severe than the normal ups and downs that are experienced by most people. There are several types of the disorder, but these are the dominant ones. Bipolar 1. This involves at least one manic episode that may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes.
Helen Sneed: Hypomania is a milder version of mania that lasts for a shorter period, usually a few days. Mania is a more severe form that lasts for a longer period, a week or more. Manic episodes may also trigger psychosis and there is a high risk of suicide. Bipolar 2. That means at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, but never a manic episode. So there's a difference. Bipolar 2 has severe depression that can last for longer periods and cause severe impairment. It also has a high risk of suicide. So who is affected by bipolar? 5.7 million adult Americans, about 2.6% of the US population age 18 or older have it every year. The median age of onset is 25 years old, although the illness can start in early childhood or as late as the 40s and 50s. And unfortunately, the typical delay in correct diagnosis is six to eight years. An equal number of men and women develop bipolar illness, and it is found in all ages, races, ethnic groups and social classes. So what is the cause? Genetics, environment, and altered brain structure and chemistry can all play a role. Here's the big question. Is there a cure? No. There is no cure. And if bipolar goes untreated, it can worsen with time. However, with proper treatment and support, the individuals can lead full and productive lives.
Valerie Milburn: Helen you and I are proof of that, that with proper treatment and support, we show that we can live full and productive lives. Now, the first thing, very, very lucky.
Helen Sneed: To, very lucky to be able to have that treatment and support.
Valerie Milburn: You know, we really are.
Helen Sneed: Yeah.
Valerie Milburn: The first thing we want to revisit from our conversation with Dr. Strakowski is something that often leads to both misdiagnosis and misunderstanding of bipolar disorder. And that's the name of this disorder itself. Because bipolar implies that people with the disorder go from one one extreme mood to the other, when in fact, as Dr. Strakowski put it, and this is a quote from him, people with bipolar disorder don't live on polls. And he said that looking for clear opposite moods is misleading. 40% of people are depressed while manic. And he thus thinks that manic depressive is a better name for the disorder. Another misconception is that mania is euphoric. Dr. Strakowski said that actually, what is far more common are manic episodes that are labile, irritable and dysphoric. Labile means that emotions are easily aroused or freely expressed. Emotions that tend to alter quickly and spontaneously, basically emotional instability. Dysphoric means easily annoyed or made angry and very unhappy, uneasy or dissatisfied. I don't know about you, Helen, but that does not sound like a euphoric mood to me.
Helen Sneed: No, certainly not for any period of time with all these other, other emotions.
Valerie Milburn: Going on right now. Another thing that Dr. Strakowski talked about was something that was really new to me and is one of the insights I talked about a minute ago. He talked about the fact that mania is not necessarily wild, out of control behavior. That is often what is thought of when someone talks about or thinks about a manic episode. He talked about mania as reward driven, hyper focused behavior. And you know, this really made me think about my early experience with bipolar disorder because looking back on it, I can see that I was suffering from manic episodes years before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was hyper focused and in pursuit of reward to the extent of ignoring negatives and consequences, as he discussed. An example for me was that for me it was my career pursuit, regardless of those negative impacts that it had on my husband, my children, on my alcoholism and addiction, on the periods of depression I suffered, and just on my health in general. I mean, in spite of the fact that I was working full time, had a three year old and a five year old. When I was 29, I started a business doing what was then called desktop publishing. I even hired a part time employee and it was periods of mania that fueled my ability to juggle all of this. And it began a
Valerie Milburn: seven year stretch of 70 hour weeks. Oh my gosh, I was just always looking for the reward of greater success. In pursuit of this, I abandoned that business I started and the job I had at that time for another opportunity. And then I left that job for yet another. I kept ignoring all the negatives and the consequences until I totally crashed. And this is the reward driven mania, the hyper focused behavior that I pursued. I mean it was just reward driven behavior despite negatives and consequences. Now others experience this reward pursuit in the form of gambling, sex, food, very extravagant spending, and again, ignoring those negatives and sometimes drastic consequences.
Helen Sneed: Well, I know what you're talking about. Negatives and drastic consequences were nothing to me because I was utterly reward driven. That's why I'm so taken with, with this concept that he's given us. Because all of a sudden all these things about my past fell into place. You, it had to be, it could be career, relationships, my appearance, good press coverage, awards, anything. You know, I was just driven to get the most, the most, the most. And of course nothing was ever enough ever, ever, ever. And it was worse, you know, when I was depressed because then I felt like I hadn't achieved anything or I had lost it all. And so not only did it make the mania worse, it made the depression worse as well.
Valerie Milburn: You know, I never thought about some, I never thought about some of what you just mentioned, you know, that it was my appearance, it was awards, it was just anything, anything. It was everything.
Helen Sneed: Again, recognition, recognition of how wonderful I was. And that was limited. But anyway, I, this, this business of thinking about what it did to me while I was depressed, it leads us to something that, that I think is terribly important, which is the less recognized danger of bipolar disorder. And that is bipolar depression. The following information is from bipolar depression, the lows we don't talk about enough. And this is from the national alliance on Mental Illness. And there's this great quote from Katherine Ponte that I think says it all. It's the mania that gets you into trouble, but it's the depression that kills you. And depression is the more pervasive symptom of bipolar disorder. For most people, the bipolar suicide rate is strongly associated with the depressive phases. Bipolar disorder, as we know and as we have said, has a very high suicide rate. 19% die of suicide. This is just staggering. And 50% make non fatal attempts.
Valerie Milburn: 50%, yes.
Helen Sneed: Which I haven't heard these kind of numbers anywhere. Else with any other illness, I could be wrong, but I just haven't.
Valerie Milburn: 50%, 50% make non fatal attempts. People with bipolar disorder, they try. That's a staggering, staggering.
Helen Sneed: It really is. It really is. Now there's something, also something that I learned that I hadn't known before and that this can be particularly dramatic in the suicide rates after hospitalization, which of course we've just had an episode on this and I wish I had known this then. In the first three months after discharge, the rate of suicide is 100 times higher than the general population. Who would, I wouldn't have thought that number was possible.
Valerie Milburn: Staggering.
Helen Sneed: With bipolar depression, caregivers, this is another area of real problems. Caregivers can be relieved or little concerned by the lows. And as opposed to manic episodes, too often actions and factors that can worsen depression are considered acceptable in order to prevent mania. Well, this can be a very dangerous response to the deep depression based on the misconception that mania is to be avoided at all cost and depression is a more desired state. Now, given the frequency and deadly symptoms of bipolar depression, we can see that the highs and lows deserve equal attention and respect and care and caution. Now this is another thing that I learned that I have suspected for, I guess for decades in my life, but I've never seen it before. And this is a study from the National Institute of Health, the National Epidemiologic Survey. And they determined again, I think this is for the first time, that there was indeed a spectrum of severity of major depressive episodes. In other words, some forms
Helen Sneed: of depression are more severe than others. Now, to begin with, in bipolar depression, as we said, depression is more prevalent and has stronger effects on mortality and psychosocial impairment than the mania and hypomania. Now here is the spectrum of severity of the major depressive episodes. Now, the highest severity is bipolar 1. Second highest severity is bipolar 2, and the third highest severity is major depressive disorder. Now, in addition, individuals with bipolar 1 and 2 experienced first mood episodes 10 years earlier than those with major depressive disorder. Started at 20 and 21 years old for bipolar, 30 years old for major depressive disorder.
Valerie Milburn: That's really valuable and startling information about depression as opposed to mania and bipolar disorder. And I really appreciate you sharing that because it just brings home the importance of paying attention to the depression as much as the mania. There's another.
Helen Sneed: It's just as dangerous, it's probably more dangerous. You know what, it's not a contest. They're both, they're both really, really, really need to be attended to and minded. You know, people need to pay attention.
Valerie Milburn: You know, and that brings us right into the co occurring discussion we wanted to have, because that's something else. When you have a co occurring, which means happening at the same time, co occurring disorders, they have to be paid attention to at the same time. And.
Helen Sneed: Right.
Valerie Milburn: One of the misconceptions also around bipolar disorder is that if you have bipolar disorder, you're immune to other mental illnesses. That's a misconception.
Helen Sneed: We know that's not true.
Valerie Milburn: It's not true. Substance use disorder is a disorder that co occurs with bipolar disorder at a very high rate, actually around 50%. And we talked to Dr. Strakowski about treating both substance use disorder and bipolar disorder. And he emphasized that you have to treat them both at the same time. And he talked about tracking both disorders and the importance of doing so. For example, he tracks it to see does the substance use trigger a manic or depressive episode, or does a manic or depressive episode trigger substance use? And he said, that's just really brilliant.
Helen Sneed: But it seems, it seems so simple. But I've never thought of that.
Valerie Milburn: Right, it is. And. And he said, you know, it's really important to track those because it's something to really pay attention to, as, you know, does one lead to the other and vice versa. Because it's just important to know how substance use plays a role in the triggering of one type of episode or another, manic or depressive. And he said yes to pay attention to this part in treating bipolar disorder. And he said that he does sometimes focus on sobriety first if it's keeping a patient from being able to participate in his or her own treatment. But he talked about how the two diseases often just run independently of each other, like in other chronic illnesses, and they both have to be treated at the same time.
Helen Sneed: I'll tell you what, it's not easy to juggle more than one. Now in terms of the diagnosis or misdiagnosis of bipolar as we know, it can be exacerbated by the individual having more than one mental illness, which is just what you were talking about, Valerie. This is this co occurring illnesses situation. And this is also true for individuals that don't have substance use disorders, but have multiple or one or more other illnesses. And it can cause much confusion about what symptoms are being caused by what and what treatment choices to make. And regardless, each illness must be recognized and treated for the patient to make a recovery. For example, Dr. Strakowski said that 50% of bipolar patients have a history of trauma that also must be dealt with, that is 50% bipolar. Patients also have to deal with PTSD, these two major, major difficult illnesses. So it's a lot to think about. And as you and I both know, it's a lot to take on. It is trying to get over more than one.
Valerie Milburn: Right. And we both deal with multiple diagnoses and have firsthand experience with that. And like we said, we're both very fortunate to be in recovery with multiple diagnoses.
Helen Sneed: Really? Really. And it took well, anyway, it's. I'm determined to keep them all at bay individually and as a collective. They're not going to take me over again.
Helen Sneed: Now this is, I think, a very good place to look at something that, that I think I have seen more about when we talk about bipolar than with anything else. And that of course, is genetics. We devoted, I believe it was episode 16 to genetics, which was just utterly fascinating. But even then we kept running across bipolar. And when we have investigated genetics in mental health, bipolar disorder is in the forefront of genetic research. There was a groundbreaking study that was begun way back in 1976 for bipolar and unipolar research through the Coriel Institute for Medical Research. And those scientists found a perfect deme. Now this is a genetically closed community where nobody new has come in for generations. The old order Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania comprised the oldest deme in the United States. These Amish were descended from 500 members in the 18th century, so no new DNA had been introduced since they came to America. They had geographic immobility, which helped, and bipolar disorder was predominant in the Amish. And they also kept extensive genealogical records. So this was a perfect community for tracking and doing this study. And the Amish were wonderful. They generously agreed to the study in order to help all people with bipolar. This groundbreaking study has had far reaching impact on genetic research and advancement. It's now widely recognized that having a close family member affected by mental illness is the largest known risk factor to date. This is especially true with bipolar disorder. Dr. Strakowski told us that 85% of the risk of getting bipolar disorder is purely genetic. Now research shows that mental illnesses are not caused by an inherited single gene, but rather from combinations of genetic changes that predispose some people to become ill. Each person inherits a unique combination of genes from their mother and father, and certain combinations can predispose the individual to a particular illness, such as bipolar. And this means mental illness is indeed genetic. It's just not inherited from a single gene.
Valerie Milburn: The next thing we wanted to talk about is treatment. And Dr. Strakowski talked a lot about the need for a comprehensive treatment program. A team effort. He called it, a program, not a prescription. He emphasized that better access to coordinated care is essential as we go forward in treatment of bipolar disorder. He gave an example of treatment disparities between mental health and general health. And we talked about this in our last episode, our episode on psychiatric hospitalization. The example Dr. Strakowski gave is that some insurance policies won't let you see your therapist and psychiatrist on the same day. Now, if you have diabetes, you can see your doctor, your nurse practitioner, your nutritionist, and anybody else you need to see on the same day. But you can't see your therapist and your psychiatrist on the same day. That is a disparity between mental health and general health insurance.
Valerie Milburn: Now, there is an appropriate treatment model for recovery of bipolar disorder, but it's not well implemented and the current lack of access is abysmal.
Helen Sneed: To say the least. Another aspect, of course, of treatment is medication. Now, as medications have become more sophisticated, there are more options with fewer side effects. However, many bipolar patients want or choose to go off their meds, generally to disastrous results. In some cases, people miss the manic highs, while others feel so good they decide they no longer need medication. In one famous study, all of the participants stopped their bipolar medication 100% relapsed. Now, when we look at treatment, we always look at relationships. Human relationships play an Immeasurable role in the life and treatment of those with bipolar. Really, really important. It has been shown that a relationship with just one person who is optimistic and believes in the individual's ability to recover is a common denominator in patients who triumph over their illnesses. The primary therapeutic relationships, doctor, therapist, group leader, psychopharmacologist, are essential. If they're based on trust and mutual respect, they can be the bedrock of the person's recovery journey. And the second part of it, which is the ability to maintain recovery and obviously the support of family, friends and community are also invaluable. Now, Valerie, I think you have been looking at some stuff, some, some factors in lifestyle, right?
Valerie Milburn: I have, and we talk a lot about lifestyle as part of an overall treatment program. You and I call it our wellness plan. And we talk a lot about, you know, exercise, diet, sleep. And I'm going to talk about the sleep aspect as it relates to our circadian rhythm system. Now, the circadian system is the natural cycle of physical, mental and behavior changes that the body goes through in a 24 hour cycle. Circadian rhythms are mostly affected by light and darkness and are controlled by a small area in the middle of the brain. They can affect sleep. They can affect body temperature, hormones, appetite and other body functions. Abnormal circadian rhythms may be linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and sleep disorders such as insomnia. Circadian rhythm is sometimes called the body's clock. In bipolar patients, irregular circadian rhythms are thought to contribute to episodes of mania and depression. Abnormal circadian rhythms are also thought to underlie sleep difficulties in bipolar disorder, which affect approximately 70% of patients. Now, here's the critical thing I learned. I learned that not only is it important for me to sleep eight hours a night, it is also important for me to sleep the same eight hours a night. It took me years to commit to this. My psychiatrist hounded me on this for a long time, and it took me a long time to commit to it. But once I did, the effect was profound. Once I slept the same eight hours a night, I felt much more rested, focused and calm throughout my day. And one impact was on my daily, first thing in the morning meditation. It became deeper and even more centering and a rather unbelievable thing happened. After going to bed at the same time for a few weeks, I began to wake up every morning, eight hours later without an alarm. I mean, that's just shocking. And I have sustained this discipline probably 90% of the time to this very day. And that is even more shocking.
Helen Sneed: You know, Valerie, I had no idea that it was. It needed to be the same hours, you know, within the same, you know, from what, say, 10, 10 to. What's. What's eight hours? 10 to. To six. So that's what it needs to be every night, right?
Valerie Milburn: Right.
Helen Sneed: Eight hours. Ten to six.
Valerie Milburn: And those are the 10. Those are the eight. I sleep. I'm usually in bed by 9:30, which is, I know, hard to believe, and asleep by 10. And I just wake up on my own at 6, which is crazy because I used to hate mornings, and I would stay up till midnight and then be miserable in the morning because I was so tired. And now, I mean, it's just like
Valerie Milburn: I was going to say, like night and day, but my mornings and the way I live my days are so different because I get up in the morning, I have my calm morning, I feel better. And it has really been life changing. Once I committed to this same eight hours, in addition to just my previous commitment to eight hours.
Helen Sneed: And this is when did you begin this? When you were sort of actively battling bipolar?
Valerie Milburn: No, I had been stable.
Helen Sneed: Or was this later in your treatment?
Valerie Milburn: No, I had been stable for a while, and I eventually committed to the eight hours a night. And then after years of sleeping eight hours a night, I finally committed to the same eight hours a night. This was a long process for me to buy into the importance of the CDM rhythm being regulated.
Helen Sneed: Well, I'm gonna sort of start paying attention to mine beginning tonight.
Valerie Milburn: Well, it's a good thing to try. So the next thing we wanted to talk about is, as part of staying on our path of recovery, is the importance of families and caregivers. And one of the things Dr. Strakowski talked about, and we've talked about it before, and we talked about it in our not sure which episode, actually, we've talked about it in several episodes, that it's important to reach an agreement with family members and caregivers when things are going well, that your family member, or at least one that you feel really comfortable with, can be involved with treatment when things are not going well. So to reach this agreement in times when things are going well, that family members can be involved with treatment when things are not going well. That was one of the things Dr. Strakowski emphasized as well. Another thing we Talked about that Dr. Strykowski talked about that a family member, even if locked out of treatment by their loved one, can always reach out to their doctor, even if the doctor cannot respond to the family member. Dr. Strakowski said he always reads what Family members send. He also talked about the fact that family therapy is probably undervalued and he finds it very helpful. He also said that individual therapy for family members can help them manage the stressful life circumstances that surround bipolar disorder.
Helen Sneed: That is great advice for the people. The caregivers also have to really look into. Do they need therapy themselves? Another thing that he distressed, he stressed several times over, was about the importance of education for anyone who's involved with bipolar disorder. And learn everything you can about the illness. That's my advice. It will help individuals understand what they're going through and it provides validation and a reduction of self blow if you have bipolar. And it will create understanding and patience in those who love and support them. So education builds stronger patients who can assess their treatment and their providers. The more they know about it, the better they are at understanding you know, who's helping me and is this really a good choice for me? Now, Valerie, you and I talked and we decided that our number one recommendation was the classic on bipolar disorder called An Unquiet Mind.
Valerie Milburn: Yes.
Helen Sneed: By K. Redfield Jamison. And I think I know that. I read it and I felt the earth move because I learned so much from her about what it was like to, to have it. And, and also the thing about, about the national alliance on Mental Illness and the National Institute of Mental Health and other organizations is that they provide comprehensive and up to date information that can be. And then also, obviously doctors and therapists can also recommend books and resources. So again, do your home, do your homework because it will make a huge, huge difference.
Valerie Milburn: Right? I agree. Education is really important. And the more I learned, the more I was able to heal because I understood what was happening. And I continue to learn. That's what this episode is about, that I learned so much. I wanted to investigate the beginnings of the things Dr. Strakowski talked about. The, you know, the things that got my mind spinning about. What more do I want to learn about this? And so it helped me. I continue to learn, as always. We closed our episode with Dr. Strakowski asking him what made him hopeful. And I'm just going to read the quote that he gave us when we asked him. So here's the quote from
Valerie Milburn: Dr. Strakowski when we asked him what made him hopeful about the future of the field of research and treatment and in the, about the field of bipolar disorder. And here's his quote. The fact that we can have public conversations with people with the illness is what gives me hope. This podcast would not have happened 30 years ago. We Start hearing public officials talk about the importance of mental health. That to me is what makes me most hopeful. The research we do is really cool and has the potential to change the landscape and time. But the low hanging fruit in mental health right now is get more people access to care, then demand clinicians follow evidence based care and stop doing goofy stuff. If we can do those two things, and I believe we can, we can revolutionize how the United States cares for people with mental illness while we continue to understand the brain based system and find ultimately cures for these conditions. End quote. Now that's really hopeful that he believes that we can ultimately find cures for these conditions. Helen, what makes you helpful?
Helen Sneed: Well, it's funny, I don't know that I've ever been asked this question. In terms of our podcast, I can't remember, but. So what makes me hopeful about the future of those with bipolar disorder? Well, to begin with, I myself overcame its phenomenal power. And as I fought with it for many years, treatment and medication and understanding of the illness expanded and matured with strides in the field, you know, and that made a huge difference for me as an individual. There was just more knowledge about it. I learned much more about bipolar and what I was up against now. A lot of things helped me. The skills I learned in DBT dialectical behavior therapy helped me especially with that bone deep depression. And my recovery was complicated further over time by the changes in my symptoms as the years went by that, you know, I ended up as I got older with almost no manic episodes, long debilitating depression, really, really long lasting and excessive lability of moods where I cycled uncontrollably from one terrible mood to the next. I found this great quote. Someone said, I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then. And that's what it was like for me. You know, just hour by hour I could be a different person. At the same time, I was in treatment for four other mental illnesses. And you know, again, it was not a tidy process. But, you know, dealing with the others also strengthened me to continue the fight against bipolar. And here's something that I've only come to see recently that is precious to me, this insight. I have achieved some accomplishments in work and creativity without mania to make me feel superhuman. This has been fairly recently and the work is as good or better than any I've ever done. And I also feel a sense of fulfillment that I never knew when I was sick. And there's one other thing that gives me hope and that is the ability to share my story, to listen to your story and others, and to have seen firsthand that talking about this illness publicly is one major method of helping others to conquer it. So, Valerie, what makes you most hopeful?
Valerie Milburn: Well, first, I want to comment on the fact that you are indeed doing amazing work that has good or better than anything you've ever done. And I'm going to brag on you for a minute because you just proved that by winning a competition with a play that you wrote and performed. So congratulations. You are amazing, and I'm so proud of you. I'm not going to even let you say anything because you're going to say something like, oh, it was nothing. So just. Just say, thank you, Helen.
Helen Sneed: Thank you, Valerie.
Valerie Milburn: Okay. What makes me hopeful. What makes me hopeful is the increased freedom that people have to talk about their mental health struggles, both personally and in the media. And, you know, there's also this increased curiosity people have about their own mental health that makes me hopeful. For example, I've had people tell me that they have suffered for years with periods of what they called bad moods, but now they know that there are treatments, choices, and tools to help them. I see and hear this in the media as well. People are just more aware of what they're going through and curious about how they can get
Valerie Milburn: themselves help. And, Helen, you and I talk often about how deadly loneliness and isolation are, and this ability to reach out with honesty is the cure for that. And our podcast gives me such hope, this work that we get to do together. I mean, you and I have shared our mental health journeys together with all types of audiences for many years, but the last two years of doing this podcast together, I mean, wow. This. The feedback we've gotten and the number of people we've reached lets me know that we've taken our dark journeys and turned them into a light of hope and recovery on a broader scale than we ever thought possible. And that fills me with not just hope, it fills me with joy.
Helen Sneed: Well, Valerie, I think that something that fills you with joy is where we should bring this topic to a close on the subject. On the. On the subject of joy. And we want to express our gratitude again to Dr. Stephen Strakowski for his generous and invaluable conversation that taught us so much and inspired us to answer even more questions today. And another thing is, without you, our listeners, we would not have any reason to continue to explore bipolar disorder or indeed any other. Your responses and appreciation are what keep us going. I found this great anonymous quote recently that Made me think of those of you that are in our audience. I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm more afraid of not finding the light again. And I think both Valerie and I have been so blessed to have found the light again. And the least we can do is to share it with others, such as you. So thank you for joining our journey. And now Valerie will lead us in a mindfulness exercise.
Valerie Milburn: I will. We will close with our traditional mindfulness exercise. And what is mindfulness? I always give a definition. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations without judgment. Today's mindfulness practice is about discovering the power of just 60 seconds of being truly and fully mindful. Just one full minute of mindfulness is a grounding, centering, calming investment in ourselves. We will begin, as always, with our diaphragmatic breathing, deep breathing, but with an added element. Today, I'm going to share a technique I've been practicing for a few weeks now that I've found even further deepens my breathing. And I invite you to practice it with me now. If you're driving or walking, please adapt this mindfulness exercise in such a way that it works in your current surroundings. Let's get mindful. If you can find a comfortable seated position, try closing your eyes if it's safe to do so. Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach as you do. Hold your breath. Take another inhale. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your stomach in. Drop your shoulders. Pull your stomach all the way in. Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach as you do so. Hold your breath. Take another inhale. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your stomach all the way in. Drop your shoulders. Pull your stomach all the way in. Continue with this deep, regular breathing. Inhale, exhale, Inhale, exhale. Bring your awareness fully to this moment. You could think. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Or think right here, right now, right here, right now. Or even intently focus on something pleasant in your surroundings. I invite you to do whatever will bring you to full mindfulness.
Valerie Milburn: Mindfulness of the next 60 seconds the universe has given us. If your eyes are closed, please open them and gently bring yourself back to the room. Thank you for exploring the power of one minute of mindfulness with me.
Helen Sneed: Thank you, Valerie. It was a very rich minute. We have such an exciting and I would say, surprising episode coming next. It's called empowerment and recovery. Through volunteering, through our own stories, we have learned that volunteer work has far more impact than we had ever imagined. Please join us to hear how volunteering generates personal power and supports a life in recovery. Until our next episode, I leave you with our favorite word. Onward. That's the sound of the fully electric Audi Q6E Tron and the quiet confidence of ultra smooth handling. The elevated and interior reminds you this is more than an ev. This is electric performance redefined. Coming up with a name for a podcast is tough. I'm Diane Rae and when I wanted to launch a podcast to continue the conversations I was having on Hay House Radio and Unity Online Radio about spirituality, metaphysics, paranormal mediumship and more, I was convinced all the good names were taken. Then I remembered something Louise Hay used to say. The point of power is always in the present moment, so that's what I took for inspiration. I hope you can be present with me for these conversations on the MindBodySpirit FM Podcast Network and wherever you get your podcast.