When I rescued a dog, I never imagined the impact she would have on my mental health. Sure, her presence and warmth was calming and healing, but my dog Amber taught me a crucial lesson about how to handle my bipolar disorder.

Happy to have a rescue dog in my life, things went downhill when a doctor put me on an antidepressant (which is a risky medication move if you have bipolar illness). And for me, it sent me into mania and then psychosis. In order to get care, I had to leave Amber home alone. And while trapped in a psych hospital, I had no way to get any care for her. As the clocked ticked by, my dog was home alone. She finally did get care, but when I returned, she showed signs of distress and this made me feel awful. She taught me that my illness impacts those around us--especially loved ones.

In this mini-remix I talk to JD about how this experience changed my life and has helped me prevent hospitalizations. Sometimes our greatest teachers have fur and four legs.

Recorded & Edited at ModernTone Studios.

Music composed and performed by guitarist, JD Cullum

Edited by Brandon Moran

Sponsored by Soar With Tapping

What happens when bipolar disorder collides with unexpected pregnancy? For Betsi it was a frightening time knowing a bipolar episode can be triggered by pregnancy and that bipolar illness has a genetic component that may be passed down to your child.

And Betsi had already endured several hospitalizations in her early adulthood. She also was under the care of a doctor who misdiagnosed her and took her off all psychiatric medications, only to result in an episode that could have been prevented. After finding stability with the right psychiatrist and medication, she and her husband had made peace with not having children. But when she unexpectedly became pregnant after nine years of marriage, Betsi soon found herself in the psychiatric ward, experiencing a break from reality while carrying her child.

The recovery process during pregnancy and her daughter's first year was exhausting, but Betsi discovered unexpected reservoirs of strength. Her small-town Ohio community, supportive husband, and Mennonite church provided crucial stability. Most powerfully, she reveals how confronting her own childhood trauma, growing up with an alcoholic father, has been essential to her healing journey – and her determination to break that cycle for her daughter.

Now stable for thirteen years, Betsi's story challenges simplistic notions about bipolar disorder being purely biological, highlighting how childhood environments can influence brain chemistry and mental health outcomes. Her journey offers hope that with proper treatment, support, and courage to face the past, living well with bipolar disorder – even through unexpected challenges – is absolutely possible.

Music composed and performed by guitarist, JD Cullum

Edited by Brandon Moran

Sponsored by Soar With Tapping

What happens when the joyful arrival of a baby triggers an unexpected mental health crisis? When Susan returned home with her newborn, she was in a manic state. Fueled by little sleep with an infant to care for, her behavior became erratic--rushing around the house, even handling her baby carelessly. Her husband David told Susan that it felt like he was suddenly living with two strangers--a wife he didn't recognize and a child he didn't yet know.

It would take their doula's observation and advice that Susan was not just a fatigued new mother, but that she needed immediate help.

However, without effective treatment, Susan went back to work completely manic, losing her job. She would then alternate between a depressive fog and a manic state, ultimately landing her at McLean hospital for a harrowing three week stay. Rebuilding her life would include ECT, years on disability, and finally getting care from expert providers.

Susan's mothering instinct now shines through by coaching those living with bipolar disorder and helping them design lives and careers. Perhaps most movingly, Susan developed a profound bond with her child, now eighteen years old despite such rough early years.

At the top of the show I mention Susan's dedication to Bipolar Social Club, and online support group with weekly meetings, special programming and an online discussion board. As a member, I am grateful for the support BSC offers!

Music composed and performed by guitarist, JD Cullum

Edited by Brandon Moran

Sponsored by Soar With Tapping