I sure hated myself when I overlooked the last mania episode warning sign: delusions. Your brain is like a filling cabinet. It stores information and when you see similar object, it searches your cabinet to identify the object. When delusions hit, it’s as if somebody just messed up all the files in your cabinet and [...]

So we’re up to warning sign #4 for mania episodes. I’ve been behind in blogging but I’m back. The main and easiest way I can tell that a severe or even a mild episode is heading my way is by examining my sleep schedule. Regular sleep for Muslims with Bipolar is super important and here’s why: Think [...]

“Did you see him flirting with those girls? And he has a beard!” “What pants! Her jeans seemed like they were painted on! She gives us hijabis a bad rep.” And on and on the comments run. Hypersexuality is the toughest and trickiest warning signs I’ve had to deal with in my 6 years with Bipolar. [...]

So it’s been exactly 2 weeks since I last blogged. And I usually blog every week. And this takes me to my second warning sign of a mania episode – taking on too much. With the grandiose thoughts that mania brings, we start thinking we’re a god. We make gigantic promises and fail to look [...]

When I make chai, I sometimes forget it on the stove and of course it boils over, leaving a crusty residue. And if I become lazy and leave the mess, it just gets harder and harder to clean later. So after countless accidents, I either watch the tea or if it does spill over, I [...]

Hi! I’m a Bipolar episode. People think I’m really rude because I just show up anytime and leave a big mess behind. But that’s not true. I hardly come uninvited. When I see you messin’ around with stress and neglect, that’s my cue to pay you a visit. But don’t get me wrong. I don’t [...]

I blog about what we – the Muslims with Bipolar – need…a lot. And I’ve ignored an important part of we: our support team, our families, siblings, spouses and parents. During the Bipolar bash, we commit a lot of sins against our support team. Some are done because of Bipolar. OK. Not great but OK. Then [...]

Sometimes I feel completely normal and the next second I hear voices that I know are not my own. Last time this happened, I became very scared. My sister tried to help but no luck. That’s when I grabbed the thickest blanket in my house and just wrapped it all around me. Then I laid [...]

Many people think the extreme mood shifts in Bipolar are like erratic winds. There’s no telling when the person with Bipolar will blow up or bury down. I also had that view once upon a time. Now, I’m learning Bipolar has predictable triggers. A mania or a depression episode doesn’t just fall out of the [...]

I sit on my bare carpet, sifting through the confidential documents. My eyes scan the crisp white sheets for the dates of my recent episode. I suddenly stop when the word ‘mania’ jumps in the notes section. My pulse increases with reading of each letter. My eyes bring the heavy lids down. I drop my head as the salty fluid gushes beneath my [...]