The Marriage and Bipolar Disorder Authority

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the option of Marriage Coaching as an option to start the journey to mend your marriage. I would recommend taking a look at this bog post, there are some great comments given by our readers for this post. Several weeks ago I was contacted by Naomi at The Power of Two asking if I would be interested in reviewing their online coaching program. I was completely honored and they were generous enough to provide me with a free demonstration of  their online marriage coaching program. As you may recall from the post A Struggle for Balance, August has been a busy and challenging month trying to find balance between this blogging project and all of my family and career responsibilities. Needless to say, this review took a back burner. Read the rest of this entry →

I grew up with a father who was very competitive and loved sports, in particular basketball and football. Amazingly enough, I also married a man who loves sports. Very few people not in the business of sports analytics or commentating know as many detailed stats on basketball and football games as my husband. There are many times while watching games together that my husband will correct the announcers as they are calling a game and merely seconds after he does that the announcers themselves correct their error. For this reason, many times I will joke with him that our family room is wired. It is an ongoing joke at our house. Well, it is the end of August and now we are gearing up for another football season. This is a favorite time of the year. This football season will Read the rest of this entry →

Merriam Webster defines mania as “excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorgination of behavior, and elevation of mood”. Mania is not a stranger to anyone who lives with bipolar disorder or those close to them. In previous posts I have addressed the need to try to remain flexible when facing bipolar disorder in your marriage. When a manic phase hits it is no different. Though, many times things can become more challenging when your spouse has become manic. Everything from communicating to working together to parent your children can be more difficult when mania hits. Read the rest of this entry →

I have recommended in previous posts that when you are married to someone who is bipolar taking care of yourself is very important. One way to do this is by hiring a coach. There has been a trend in the last several years moving away from traditional counseling and therapy to coaches. Understand though, that there is a time and a place for traditional therapy. Traditional therapists are well educated in the text book case studies regarding relationships, conflict resolution, and personal growth. Read the rest of this entry →

The rules change when your spouse is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, or any other mental illness for that matter. The basic principles of marriage are still there, though they can be a lot more difficult to carry out when a mental illness is entered into the mix. Read the rest of this entry →

For those in the United States this weekend is a holiday weekend celebrating our Independence Day. We have several days packed with friends and family and lots of outdoor activities. I hope that you and your family are enjoying this weekend where ever you are.

I love reading blogs, I think that the first time the blogging bug bit me was while reading another blog. However, what I love more than reading blogs is reading a top 10 list. There is something so simplistic about a top 10 list and they are practical and applicable for just about any blog genre. Today I am going to share my top 10 list with you. Now, I believe there is a right way and a wrong way to do a top 10 list. I think the wrong way is to waste the energy and time to give 10 reasons why your life stinks right now. Trust me, I could write a book about the negative side about being married to and living with someone who suffers from Bipolar Disorder. Though, today I want to take a positive spin on the illness and how it has given light to a better version of myself – a version that would not be possible without the challenges that facing this mental illness with my spouse brought. Read the rest of this entry →

If we have learned one thing during our journey with mental illness we have learned to expect the unexpected. Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness with a very wide spectrum. The illness can look one way with one person and completely different with another person. This is one of the many reasons why it is difficult for clinicians to diagnose and why it is often misdiagnosed for bipolar patients and why it is so very important for you to be an advocate for your spouse living with Bipolar Disorder. One overlooked aspect of mental health is the physical illness associated with mental illness that patent can suffer from impacting their quality of life. Read the rest of this entry →

Sleep is a very important part of our quality of life for either spouse. I know I feel awful after a night of tossing and turning unable to sleep. Tonight, I read an article titled “When Wives Can’t Sleep Marriage May Suffer”. This article was about the impact sleep has on your marriage. The premise is that when wives cannot sleep it has a negative impact on a marriage, though when a husband has difficulty sleeping it does not have as big of an impact on a marriage. I think the basis of this article is very strong, however when married to someone who has bipolar disorder sleep very much becomes a part of the relationship equation. Read the rest of this entry →

Recently, I was reading an online advice column about being in a relationship with someone who struggles and lives with Bipolar Disorder. The premise of the article surrounded the idea of living a normal life with someone who is bipolar. The gentleman writing in had reservations about moving on to the next stage of the relationship with his long time girlfriend due to her diagnosis with Bipolar Disorder. The psychologist who answered the question replied in a very cautionary way and for good reason. After reading the post it made me stop and think about our journey and the journey of so many of the readers. I think the answer to this gentleman’s question is not whether or not he can move their relationship to the next level, but learning how to redefine what a “normal” marriage should look like. Read the rest of this entry →

Every once in a while friends will ask me “how do you do it? How do you handle it all?” When they say this they are referencing how I support a spouse through mental illness while trying to raise our children and everything that goes into keeping our home running as smoothly as possible. So how do I handle it all? It’s simple really. I don’t. Read the rest of this entry →

Today is Friday and my husband and I will be traveling 3 hours today to take our daughter to camp for the weekend. It will be a great weekend of crafts, activities, camp fires, and special one on one time with our 7, almost 8 year old. She is growing up so fast!

Surprises Along the Way Read the rest of this entry →