This is an interview with Shawn Edwards who has founded an organization to fight mental illness stigma: StigmapuzzlezUS. You can learn more about it on his blog. You can connect with Shawn on Twitter here. @stigmapuzzlezus.

1.   Thank you for taking the time to share your story. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I AM a mental health advocate, blogger and founder of StigmapuzzlezUS. I’m currently working to create a networking website for advocates and professionals to connect, share and fight the stigma surrounding mental illness.

2.   What events led to you receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder?

I took some pills bought at a smoke shop labeled as Kratom. They contained synthetic opioids which created a drug-induced psychotic episode I experienced on St. Patricks Day 2017. Which also happened to be the day of my grandma’s funeral.

I had quit drinking alcohol and was working overtime, stressed not sleeping enough all while mourning the death of my late Grandma J.

Note from Molly: Very sorry for your loss.
 

3.   If you don’t mind, can you share how old you were at the time of diagnosis and what type of bipolar illness you have i.e. Bipolar I Disorder (BP-1), Bipolar II Disorder (BP-2), Cyclothymic, etc.

I was 35 and it’s documented as unclassified Bi-polar disorder.
 

4.   Do you have other diagnosed medical conditions besides bipolar (physical or mental)? For example, I have fibromyalgia and deal with chronic fatigue. I also have a form of subclinical hypothyroid. All of these have affected my bipolar states and when treated successfully my severe bipolar illness states (mania, suicidal depression) improved much.

I currently have no other physically or mental conditions besides suffering from Stigma being judged by others labeled as mentally ill.
 

5.   Now for the good stuff! What things – medications, vitamins, therapy, books, alternative treatments, etc. – have helped you to not only survive this difficult illness but thrive in your life?

Number one thing that has helped me is my faith in God. As growing spiritually has made me mentally and physically stronger. Next, is MindFullness and Meditation Taking a few minutes throughout the day to check-in with myself, body and mind relax and re-balance my emotions.

By practicing positivity I accept myself regardless of the label society has put on me and focus on recovery. Looking through the perspective that a diagnosis can be a blessing not only a curse. I am grateful I can help others by sharing with them my own experience.
 

6.   What advice do you have for others who may be overwhelmed by the symptoms (hypomania leading to impulsive behaviour, rapid cycling mood changes, hospitalizations due to severe depressive episode or a manic episode resulting in psychosis…) and feel discouraged or without hope?

Take it one day at a time. You can only control it moment by moment. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Hang in there, there is hope. Your a Human and we all experience tough times throughout our life.

Do not allow others to judge you by not judging yourself. Keep the Faith and follow your path to peace because It’s following you!

I AM Stigma Positive. Shawn Edwards

Thank You!

Very sorry for your experience, and I know how incredibly frightening that must have been. I so agree with you about stigma, it’s almost like there is a ‘before diagnosis’ you and an ‘after diagnosis’ you in the way you are seen and treated by others.

And it’s a bit ridiculous. The reality is, many have brief periods of mental illness (severe depression, a psychotic episode like you describe above), receive care, recover, then go on and live their lives.

I think one way stigma may change eventually is when the physical aspects of mental illness (root causes) are better identified and treated. That’s my advocacy focus. Psych meds can stabilize someone in a crisis but longterm lead to serious health consequences – and for bipolar folks, more unwanted mood issues.

I don’t share your religious beliefs (spiritual yet agnostic) but I know that is very helpful to many – glad it helps you. Thanks for the interview and best of luck with your mission. We are all in this together.

This is an interview with BPD Talks – a cool gal who shares her experiences and insights into the condition. If you are not familiar with it, BPD is an acronym for “Borderline Personality Disorder”.

Here’s how BPD Talks describes herself:

“Grown-ass woman with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Major Depressive Disorder. Here to raise awareness, support others, and be real about life with BPD.”

Love it. We’ve recently connected and I wanted to learn more about BPD and how it differs from bipolar disorder – specifically Bipolar 2 Disorder.

BPD Talks was psyched to get to help others understand what BPD is better, and I was psyched to get to talk with her. You can follow her on Twitter here: @BPD_talks.

She blogs about BPD here: BPD Talks.

Here goes…

1.   Thanks a ton for speaking out and sharing here. I have issues with psychiatric diagnostic categories because it can victimize someone who in many cases has already been victimized – why they are experiencing mental health difficulties in the first place.

And a label leads to stigma. I’ve experienced that in being diagnosed with Manic Depression and living with it for 30 years.

But the other reality is a diagnosis – if accurate – can help someone clarify things they are experiencing and get help to deal with it better. That’s the end goal, to live a full and healthy life.

Can you give us a brief description of what Borderline Personality Disorder is? What does someone who struggle with BPD experience?

The symptoms of BPD include an intense fear of abandonment, tumultuous relationships with others, recurring suicidal episodes, engaging in high risk behaviors, identity disturbance, and extreme mood swings that can change several times a day.

I’d say BPD is like having feelings that are turned way up all the time. Also, it doesn’t take much for things to get overwhelming. I’ve been called overly sensitive a lot, and I guess in a lot of ways people with BPD are more sensitive than other people.
 

2.   Can you share how you got diagnosed?

I started showing signs of borderline personality disorder when I was about 19. At that time my only treatment was being prescribed antidepressants by campus health services where I was going to college.

Once when I was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and self-injury I heard a doctor say, when he thought I wasn’t listening, that I showed definite signs of BPD but that it wouldn’t help anything to diagnose me since I wasn’t insured anyway. I was finally diagnosed by a psychiatrist when I was 25. The diagnosis has been confirmed by two more psychiatrists.
 

3.   Do you think your experience was typical? Or is there a lot of variation in how mental health practitioners will identify someone who experiences these symptoms?

It seems somewhat common to be diagnosed with depression first, like I was. From what I understand BPD isn’t a diagnosis that professionals want to make hastily, which I think is good.

The symptoms of BPD are things that everyone can experience to some degree, at a lower intensity and for a shorter amount of time, so a doctor should be sure before making the diagnosis.
 

4.   Do you think BPD is a useful term or could we look at these expressed symptoms in other ways, without a label i.e. define it differently? So as to not lead to stigma.

I think that Borderline Personality Disorder isn’t an accurate name for the disorder and I think it has a lot of negative connotations. People have associated it with the wrong things (manipulation, lack of empathy, etc) for so long that the label itself is stigmatizing.

Some people are using Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, which I think is worse. I’m not sure what a good name for the disorder would be.

Note from Molly: I totally agree with you. Changing the name to that is not going to help anyone. And it should not be necessary. There are many therapists, psychiatrists, etc. who have contributed to the understanding of someone who has these symptoms and seeks help.

It’s a sign of strength – like you display here. The only issue of importance should be learning as much as you can, honoring yourself and your journey and trying to live as full of a life as you possible can.

All things you are clearly doing. I really admire you.

5.   How does depression overlap with BPD? How does someone with both a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder and BPD differ from someone diagnosed with BPD only?

BPD and depression often overlap. Researchers have found that about 80% of people with BPD have experienced major depressive disorder. It can be hard to tell sometimes which of my symptoms are BPD and which are MDD sometimes.

Some are obvious, like when I don’t want to get out of bed and don’t have interest in anything–that’s MDD. And when I switch from elated to angry to incredibly sad in a couple hours, that’s BPD.
 

6.   Lastly – and most importantly – what would you offer as words of wisdom or hope to someone who is dealing with these issues or who recently was diagnosed with BPD?

I believe there is a lot of hope for those with BPD. Dialectical behavior therapy is becoming more common and accessible. Even people who can’t afford therapy can get workbooks and worksheets online.

There is a lot of support online. I’ve found that the more I learn about myself, the easier things get.

It often fees like it’s never going to get better, but it does. It just takes a lot of work.

Thank You!

I checked out your blog and there are some really nice posts. And what I read does help explain the difference between bipolar disorder and BPD.

In general, bipolar is more episodic (with a very different onset) and the other – BPD – more of a daily stuggle with constantly changing moods. And the moods connected to relations with others.

That’s a really key difference that you describe very well using your personal experience.

Bipolar is more of an ‘out of the blue’ what the heck is happening and why am I feeling like a psycho kind-of thing. Both difficult to deal with, just different things to deal with.

You’ve helped me understand BPD and I hope others as well.

Congrats on your engagement 🙂

This is an interview with Rebecca Lombardo – an inspiring lady who though stuggles with mental health issues is happily married and an author, blogger and contributor to The Mighty and to The Huffington Post.

Very impressive and congrats! You can check out her stuff at: RebeccaLombardo.com. You can connect with her on Twitter @BekaLombardo or Facebook.

1.   Thank you for taking the time to share your story. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I have been happily married going on 16 years now. We don’t have children, but we have cats. I have been writing since a very young age. I lost my mother in 2008 and lost my father in the last week, so everything is a bit of a struggle right now but keeping busy helps.

Note from Molly: Very sorry for your loss.

I love movies, books, music, TV, and photography.
 

2.   What events led to you receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder?

I was 19 years old and living in an apartment when I started have suicidal thoughts, flashbacks, and feeling unable to cope. I felt it before then, but I only thought to go to my parents when I felt like I had a complete mental breakdown and had to leave the apartment and move back home.
 

3.   If you don’t mind, can you share how old you were at the time of diagnosis and what type of bipolar illness you have i.e. Bipolar I Disorder (BP-1), Bipolar II Disorder (BP-2), Cyclothymic, etc.

At the age of 19, I do not know which type of bipolar I was diagnosed with. It has changed slightly over the years. At times, they’ve added psychosis. This is something I keep meaning to ask my new doctor about. I only recently started with a psychiatrist again.
 

4.   Do you have other diagnosed medical conditions besides bipolar (physical or mental)? For example, I have fibromyalgia and deal with chronic fatigue. I also have a form of subclinical hypothyroid. All ofthese have affected my bipolar states and when treated successfully my severe bipolar illness states (mania, suicidal depression) improved much.

I have borderline personality disorder, panic disorder, PTSD, agoraphobia, social anxiety, and I’m recovering from self-injury. (3 years and 11 months) Also, severe migraines.
 

5.   Now for the good stuff! 🙂 What things – medications, vitamins, therapy, books, alternative treatments, etc. – have helped you to not only survive this difficult illness but thrive in your life?

As far as medications, Seroquel has always been pretty consistent in my life, but unfortunately has also consistently contributed to weight gain. I take several supplements, and sometimes they help that day, others not.

I recently started on Thorazine and that seems to help. I rely a lot on Valium. My husband has been the main reason I have kept going. He is constantly there for me, and without him there would be no me. Writing is an incredibly useful tool for me, as well as coloring, as silly as it sounds.

Note from Molly: You are lucky to have him as he is to have you I am sure 🙂 And no, not silly. I like to scribble my thoughs… half the time makes no sense (to anyone but me), but is cathartic. I have always wanted to do water color painting… maybe some day!
 

6.   What advice do you have for others who may be overwhelmed by the symptoms (hypomania leading to impulsive behaviour, rapid cycling mood changes, hospitalizations due to severe depressive episode or a manic episode resulting in psychosis…) and feel discouraged or without hope?

Even if you feel like doing nothing try not to isolate yourself. Stay in contact with your parents, friends, etc. – whoever is in your support system. Stay in communication and be 100% honest about what you are feeling. Tell your doctor about any medication side effects when they occur. They are there to help.

Don’t stress yourself out by reading about your diagnosis online – unless you find that helpful to you. There is a lot of information that is incorrect, and may worry you unecessarily.

I need to say if you are on medication it is very important to not stop taking it without first consulting with your doctor. It could lead to a serious episode and possibly require you to be hospitalized.

And lastly… know you will be OK. You can get better and live a full life, you may just have to work at it a little harder than some others do. And that’s OK.

Thank You!

And yes – let me emphasize that point above too, stopping psychiatric medication without support can be dangerous. If you want some basic information and resources read this: Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Resources.

You are the first person in this interview series to talk about not isolating yourself, etc. and is such excellent advice. I tend to do that, and know at times it might not be the healthiest choice. And your advice to not get freaked out reading stuff online is excellent as well. Though there is a lot of great info online that someone may find helpful.

Doctors simply don’t have the time to share much, and are medication-oriented, which isn’t the best path for many. Once on those meds, it can be very difficult to get off of them. Just a note, as that is a part of my advocacy.

I appreciate the work you do and you have been so nice to interact with – thank you for doing the interview and sharing your story. I hope you continue to do well and find things that help you live well. I’ll keep following your work for sure.

Best to you and your hubby, Molly