Dear Bipolar Warriors and Supporters,

April is in the rearview mirror, and Mental Health Awareness Month is here. This month's newsletter is packed: a brand-new excerpt from Bipolar Rules!, my no-holds-barred chat with Kevin Hines, three insightful posts to stock your bipolar toolbox, and easy ways to double your impact with CAMH and MHA. Wherever you are on your journey — seeking insight, solidarity, or simply a spark of hope — I hope something here speaks to you.

• 📖 A brand new excerpt from my upcoming book, Bipolar Rules! Hacks to Live Successfully with Bipolar Disorder
• 🎧 A raw and real conversation with Kevin Hines on his podcast, HINESIGHTS.
• ✍️ Writings to inspire you along your bipolar journey focusing on the way depression warps memory, salt and sadness, and why we all feel so lonely
• 🎗️ World Semicolon Day thoughts
• 🌷 May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Let's dive in!

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📖 Third Sneak Peek of Bipolar Rules! — How to Stop Insulting Yourself

In the latest sneak peek from Bipolar Rules! Hacks to Live Successfully with Bipolar Disorder, I tackle a painful but common experience: insulting yourself, especially during depression.
 

I share what it’s like to live with a constant inner critic — and, more importantly, how you can start breaking that cycle.

If you’ve ever beaten yourself up with harsh words you’d never say to anyone else, you’re not alone.
 

👉 Click here to read the new excerpt.

Bonus: When you subscribe for Bipolar Rules! updates, you’ll be entered to win a free, signed copy of the book! Join the Bipolar Rules! mailing list here →

You Can’t Outthink Bipolar – My Conversation with Kevin Hines

I sat down with mental health advocate and suicide survivor Kevin Hines on the HINESIGHTS podcast. We talked openly about my personal journey through bipolar disorder — my early struggles, misdiagnosis, treatment breakthroughs, and the practical advice that inspired my upcoming book, Bipolar Rules! Hacks to Live Successfully with Bipolar Disorder.

🎧 Listen here and discover what really works when living with bipolar.

Your April Bipolar Toolbox: Reads to Educate, Empower, and Spark Conversation

I’ve been busy on the blog these past few weeks, covering everything from self-talk fixes to surprising diet research. I hope something here informs, encourages, or simply reminds you that you’re not alone on this journey.

• How Depression Hijacks Memory — and Why You Can’t Recall Feeling Happy
  State-dependent and mood-congruent recall tricks your brain into “forgetting” joy. This updated explainer marries my personal experience with neuroscience to show how depression rewires emotional memory — and how specific stimuli can still punch through the fog. 👉 Read the full piece
• Is Salt Making You Sad? What Cutting Sodium (and Other Diet Tweaks) Can Do for Mood
  Two new studies link high salt intake to higher depression risk, while Mediterranean-style and even keto eating patterns show promise for lifting mood. If you’ve wondered whether food could boost treatment, start here. 👉 Read the science-backed breakdown
• Why Mental Illness Feels So Lonely — You’re Not Alone with Depression or Bipolar
  Mental illness loves to whisper, “No one else feels like this.” Depression, bipolar, and other mental illnesses warp our sense of connection. Here, I share evidence — and reader voices — that prove those thoughts of isolation are lies, plus concrete ways to fight them. 👉 Read the article

• 📚 More from Bipolar Burble
• 💥 My work on HealthyPlace, Breaking Bipolar
• 📝 My articles for Health Union
• 🎥 Videos for bpHope

"Today is World Semicolon Day.

It’s a day for stories that didn’t end.
I’ve attempted suicide. I didn’t want to keep going — but I did.

My story is still being written.

To anyone who feels like they can’t go on:
You are not alone.
You are not broken.
You are not beyond help.

Your story matters.
Your pain is real.
And you’re still here — and that’s everything.

Don't give up. You've got this."

• Donate and double your gift (May 5-11) to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) here
• Donate and double your gift to Mental Health America (MHA) here

As we step into Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m reminded that knowledge and community are two of the greatest tools we have against stigma. Whether you’re living with bipolar disorder, supporting someone who is, or simply learning how to be a better ally, your presence here matters. Every article, every conversation, every small moment of self-kindness chips away at the myths that keep people suffering in silence. My goal this month — and every month — is to offer you honest insights, practical strategies, and a reminder that you are never alone on this road. Let’s keep turning awareness into action. And remember,

"There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”
— John Green, Turtles All the Way Down