Bipolar She Janine Noel

Today I sit down with Tracy to learn about her struggle with anxiety and how it seemed to crop up at milestone birthdays. A self-described nervous child and lifelong "nervous wreck," Tracy didn't know what anxiety was until she turned thirty--a birthday that forced her to take a look at where her life was headed. Tracy made it through until age forty when her anxiety intensified. She could barely drive without having a panic attack and learned she hand agoraphobia.In this episode, Tracy share...

Today is an unexpected, full-circle, episode and I am thrilled. We didn't plan on this, but when Sarah learned her sister Ava had shared her journey as Sarah's caregiver, Sarah, decided to share her side of the experience as a recipient of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). Sarah, now advocate of ECT, came on this week's podcast to let us know first-hand about ECT being a lifesaving treatment, how it is performed and why it's time to speak up against its formerly "barbaric" reputation. Sa...

Today I speak with Ava about her sister, Sarah, and her struggle to find the right treatment for Sarah's bipolar disorder. Ava and Sarah are both successful physicians, and Sarah's behavior did not present with any symptoms of illness her entire life. But when Sarah is diagnosed in her mid-forties, her impressive life and career is disrupted by treatment resistant bipolar illness and she is in dire need of good care.Although Ava lives 500 miles away from Sarah, she becomes Sarah's best advoca...

Today I talk with Graham Wiseman, as he shares the story of his son Colin, who lost his battle with anxiety, ADHD, and depression at age fifteen when he died by suicide. Graham speaks about grief and the different ways he and his wife have moved through the grieving process. Together, they have focused on a singular purpose--to advocate for change in youth mental health in schools and beyond. Through the nonprofit BeingwellCA, Colin's legacy has propelled state-wide integration of wellness ce...

After a decade of pounding the pavement, Janine abandons the acting dream and heads to the desert to be a writer. Can this new identity save her from another psychotic break? Will it allow her to get a step ahead of bipolar illness? What if the key to her stability isn't a prescription, but a creature who teaches her the true value of sanity? Janine also gets real about her structured life today and how it's her best chance at staying healthy for tomorrow.Send your mental health story to Jani...

After leaving her New York acting dreams behind, Janine still has a plan for success. The instant she feels physically and mentally fit, she takes on Hollywood. Suddenly, she's cast in an LA play that's headed back to New York and may bring an Off-Broadway credit her way. At the mercy of a radical psychiatrist, Janine must keep her thrilled head on straight while the celebrity stars align and her ability to stay out of danger is put to the test.Send your mental health story to Janine vi...