I received my bipolar diagnosis a little over twelve years ago as a freshman in college. It took me a couple years to accept my diagnosis as valid, and looking back on my life pre-diagnosis, there is a lot of evidence that substantiate my having bipolar disorder. I spent most of my high school years …
Welcome back, Hypomania!
After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, my psychiatrist and I spent the next few years figuring out the right doses for my medication. At first, sleep was not a problem. My medicine actually made me too tired; I took both around 6:00 pm and would be in bed by 7:00. Since couldn’t be …
Nine years and many more to come
Nine years ago, almost down to the minute, I received a call from my dad about Ray Hardin passing away. He’d been fighting lung cancer, and we knew the end was near. That didn’t keep the shock of his death from hitting me in the face. The previous Monday, I’d had my wisdom teeth removed. …
Vulnerability
A few months ago, one of the minsters at my church asked me to make a video for the online service that week. (We are still meeting virtually thanks to COVID.) He asked me to talk about my mental health journey. I’d been itching to tell my story, so I gladly accepted. I wrote a …
Sight and readiness
How about a light-hearted post today? My family has the worst eyesight known to man. I’m pretty sure all four of my grandparents wore glasses, and both my parents wear them. My dad’s eyesight was so bad, he had to wear hard contacts. Then he got cataracts, had surgery, and now he doesn’t need contacts. …
Oh, Papa
My grandpa died last Saturday. His funeral is today, and I am giving him a tribute on behalf of all the grandkids. I wanted to share it on my blog because I really like how it turned out. (We pronounced Papa Pawpaw.) Reflections Papa Wayne was ornery and gruff, but he was also exceedingly generous. …
Between Two Poles 