The Upside of Bipolar: Conversations on the Road to Wellness

Michelle Baughman Reittinger
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Living with bipolar disorder sucks! Each week Michelle Reittinger and her guests explore tools and resources that help you learn how to live well with your bipolar. If you are tired of suffering and want to live a healthy, balanced, productive life with your bipolar, this podcast was designed with you in mind.

  1. Jun 4

    EP 87: The Hidden Dangers of Modern Marijuana: Psychosis, Bipolar Symptoms, and the THC Crisis with Aubrey Adams

    Send us a message! I sit down with marijuana harm advocate Aubrey Adams to trace how modern high-potency THC products can fuel psychosis, suicide risk, and life-altering psychiatric symptoms for users and their families. We also talk about what helps people stabilize, set boundaries, find support, and rebuild hope after cannabis-related harm.  • Aubrey’s story from Pueblo, Colorado and what marijuana commercialization changed in her community and home  • Dabbing, high-potency THC, and why today’s products are not comparable to “old school” marijuana  • Cannabis-induced psychosis and why it can be mistaken for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia  • The 2018 Farm Bill hemp loophole and how Delta-8 style THC products spread through vape shops and gummies  • Why “legal means safer” and “it ends the black market” arguments fail in practice  • Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and the hidden physical toll of chronic THC exposure  • Family boundaries during addiction and psychosis, including “be clear, be kind, be gone”  • Recovery support options for users and families, including Every Brain Matters meetings and Marijuana Anonymous  • Practical self-care tools that support mental health, including sunlight, movement, and nutrition  Links Website: Every Brain Matters Instagram: @everybrainmatters TikTok: @aubreeadamsebm YouTube: @EveryBrainMatters Bio Aubree Adams is a national advocate focused on raising awareness about the public health impacts of the modern marijuana industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Colorado State University Pueblo and is a licensed physical therapist assistant. Based in Pueblo, Colorado, Aubree witnessed firsthand the rapid expansion of the marijuana industry and its effects on individuals and families. This experience led her to direct Every Brain Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating communities through the real-life stories of families impacted by marijuana-related harm. These stories are shared through the organization’s Voices of Marijuana Harms platform, YouTube channel, and the podcast “It’s Just Pot: What’s the Problem?” Aubree has been featured on national media outlets including Dr. Phil Primetime, Fox News, and Newsmax. Her written work has appeared in USA Today and the Denver Gazette, where she addresses emerging concerns around cannabis. She has also presented her personal and professional insights before the FDA, the National Academy of Sciences, and in the documentary Chronic State, in addition to testifying in multiple state legislatures on drug policy and public health. Following her family’s recovery journey in Houston, Texas, Aubree founded Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas, an organization focused on community education and advocacy related to marijuana and THC products, including those legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. Through her work, Aubree emphasizes the need for increased awareness, prevention resources, and support systems for families facing addiction, mental health challenges, and cannabis-related conditions. She is committed to promoting informed decision-making and protecting families from the risks associated with today’s more dangerous marijuana products. FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    1h 8m

  2. May 25

    EP 86: From Hospitalizations to Healing: Why I Became a Bipolar Recovery Coach

    Send us a message! I unpack what a bipolar recovery coach is and why a diagnosis can describe symptoms without explaining what causes them. I share my path from trusting the chemical imbalance story, through worsening outcomes and hospitalizations, to learning how to identify and treat the real sources behind my mood symptoms.  • My early mood swings, the search for answers, and why the diagnosis felt like relief  • How symptom-focused care and long-term medication left me feeling worse and more hopeless  • The mindset shift that changed everything: nobody is coming to save me  • Becoming a detective in my own life, including earlier recognition and healthier support plans  • Why diagnoses can function like labels, not true explanations, using fire alarm, smoke, and fever analogies  • The research and books that challenged the chemical imbalance theory and reshaped my approach  • Why I built my book and The Upsiders' Tribe to offer a shorter route with guidance and support  • Common sources to investigate: trauma, unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, medication effects and withdrawal, micronutrient insufficiency, substance use  • What I do as a coach: help you find sources, choose tools, and get steady support without judgment   If you’re ready to move beyond symptom management and begin pursuing real healing and recovery, I would love to talk with you. Schedule a Discovery Session to see if The Upsiders’ Tribe is the right fit for your journey.  To book your complimentary Success Session email me: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    33 min

  3. May 4

    EP 85: Gaslighting Teaches You to Distrust Your Mind—Here’s How to Take It Back with Lisa Sitze

    Send us a message! We talk with Lisa Sitze (#1 international bestselling author) about growing up with a mother later diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and how gaslighting teaches a child to distrust their own mind. We break down what actually helps you heal: naming the pattern, setting real boundaries, and choosing responsibility without slipping into shame or victimhood.  • Lisa’s story of a late NPD diagnosis and how it reframes a lifetime of confusion  • Why narcissism is a buzzword and how NPD differs from everyday narcissistic tendencies  • How manipulation can fool authority figures and deepen self-doubt  • Golden child and scapegoat dynamics and how they affect feedback, trust, and identity  • Why healing requires holding both the negative and the positive  • Boundaries as actions we control and why an information diet can be necessary  • The risk of labels becoming excuses and how agency prevents codependency  • “Demons” as limiting beliefs built to protect us and how to let them go safely  • RAD tool: Recognize, Acknowledge, Decide  Links: Instagram: lisa_sitze Facebook: Alyssia Rhys LinkedIn: Lisa Sitze Email facingyourdemonsbook@gmail.com Website facingyourdemonsbook.com Bio: Lisa is a writer, mother of five grown children and granny to seven grandchildren. Her favorite hobbies are playing Enshrouded, exercising, sewing, and gardening. She homeschooled her five children for sixteen years and ran a successful homeschool group for three of those years. She has been life coaching since 2021, being certified through Dr. Sears Wellness Institute. Lisa’s individualized program, to help people do deep dives into themselves, teaches clients how it is possible to use their agency to create their life their way while still respectfully balancing the needs of others. FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    1h 5m

  4. Apr 27

    EP 84: Your Bipolar Diagnosis Is Hiding the Real Problem: Why the Chemical Imbalance Myth Blocks True Recovery

    Send us a message! A bipolar diagnosis can feel like an explanation, but we argue it often labels symptoms without identifying a root cause. We challenge the chemical imbalance narrative, question medication-first assumptions, and point toward curiosity-driven healing based on underlying sources of distress.  • bipolar as a symptom cluster rather than an etiology  • how the DSM is built and why that matters  • concerns about conflicts of interest and medication marketing  • trial-and-error prescribing plus polypharmacy risks  • why the chemical imbalance theory is disputed  • how treatment can reinforce the belief that bipolar is incurable  • validating that symptoms are real and disruptive  • why abrupt medication stopping is dangerous and why guided tapering matters  • potential root drivers: micronutrient insufficiency, ultra-processed food, iatrogenic medication effects  • other contributors: substances including high-THC marijuana, trauma, learned coping patterns  • recovery as resolving causes, not just suppressing symptoms  FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    36 min

  5. Apr 14

    EP 83: Symptoms Aren’t the Problem: Janey Nelson on Trauma, Triggers, and Real Healing

    Send us a message! We talk with trauma therapist Janey Nelson about why symptoms are not proof you’re broken and how healing can happen when we stop judging emotions and start getting curious about their roots. We dig into Accelerated Resolution Therapy and Critical Memory Integration as practical tools to reduce triggers, resolve trauma responses, and rebuild safety in the body and in relationships. • Janey’s path into therapy through foster parenting, cancer, and building Healthier U Counseling Center • What ART is and how bilateral stimulation can reduce sensations and emotions tied to trauma • Why ART can feel faster and less destabilizing than EMDR for some people • How CMI traces today’s triggers back to core childhood wounds and unmet needs • A firefighter example of anger dissolving after connecting with a younger self • Why diagnosis and symptom labels can kill curiosity and slow recovery • How CMI can work in groups and retreats to reduce isolation and increase hope • Why talk therapy alone can keep you stuck in the “logic brain” • The clinic philosophy of safety, peace, and trauma proficient care across modalities • How strong intake questions about trauma, sleep, diet, and story reveal the real problem • Boundaries explained as internal vs external and why boundaries are not rules • How we decide when individual work supports couples work and vice versa • Tips for finding best practice trauma treatment and researching modalities safely LINKS: INSTAGRAM: healthieryoucc FACEBOOK: Healthier You WEBSITE: www.healthieryouc.com BIO:  Janey is the owner and Clinical Director of Healthier You Counseling Center and has been a therapist for about 20 years. In 2024, she trained in Critical Memory Integration (CMI) and is on the CMI Training Leadership team. Janey was one of the first Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) practitioners in Utah, being trained in 2017 and master trained in 2019. One of her passions is helping others discover their best selves. She does this by creating healthy relationships with clients in individual, marriage, family, and group therapy. Janey helps facilitate empowerment retreats for women and couples. Due to marriage and family being so important to her, she runs Gottman and Layers of Love relationship groups. Additionally, Janey facilitates other groups as the need arises. One of the things she is working on for the CMI Team is to develop CMI for groups. Her greatest beliefs is that it is important to love everyone, no matter the circumstances. She shows love by practicing kindness, which she believes is honest, assertive, respectful, and loving. It is this belief that helps Janey connect with her clients and develop the bonds of trust that allow them to grow. FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    53 min

  6. Mar 31

    EP 82: Why You’re Still Struggling: Root Causes, Habits, and Bipolar Recovery

    Send us a message! I explore why real recovery from bipolar symptoms takes two kinds of work: treating the underlying causes and changing the coping patterns built to survive them. I share practical ways to rebuild emotional health so you can feel deeply, respond wisely, and create relationships with clearer boundaries. • pathologising human suffering and how labels can end curiosity • treating symptoms versus identifying root causes of bipolar symptoms • common drivers like micronutrient insufficiency, medication effects, THC-related psychosis, and trauma • why you can’t change habits without addressing causes and can’t heal causes without changing habits • dissociation habits like TV and doomscrolling and how they persist after stability • mindfulness meditation, breathwork, yoga, and therapy as habit-rewiring tools • changing negative self-talk with mirror talk and using AI to draft a daily script • relationship “dance” patterns, repair after reactivity, and the work of building new norms • boundaries as personal responsibility rather than control of others • choosing sustained effort over quick fixes and building a supportive environment If you have any questions about anything I've talked about, I hope you'll send me an email. I would love to hear from you. If you haven't read my book, I encourage you to get a copy of it, The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder.  FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    41 min

  7. Mar 16

    EP 81: Dissociation, Trauma, and Real Healing: Eddie Shin, LMFT on Neurofeedback & Accelerated Resolution Therapy

    Send us a message! We talk with therapist Eddie Shin, LMFT about dissociation, trauma, and why a “cope forever” approach can leave people exhausted and stuck. We explore neurofeedback and Accelerated Resolution Therapy as practical tools that build safety in the brain so deeper healing can happen.  • Eddie’s path into marriage and family therapy through residential treatment work  • Why coping skills help short term but can feel crushing long term  • How trust and connection unlock progress with highly traumatized teens  • Neurofeedback explained as physical therapy for the brain  • How neurofeedback supports emotional regulation and stability  • What ART is and how it compares with EMDR  • Why a directive trauma modality can be safer with dissociation  • Dissociation on a spectrum from zoning out to severe disorders  • What dissociative identity disorder actually is and why media portrayals miss  • Integration defined as internal cooperation rather than erasing parts  • What helps clients feel hope from the first session  • How people find specialized help and what readiness looks like  LINKS Website: www.healingground-counseling.com/ Instagram: @healingground_counseling Facebook: Healing Ground Counseling BIO Eddie Shin is a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Healing Ground Counseling located in Orem, UT. Eddie is passionate about helping people find healing through researched modalities tailored for each individual. His mission is to help people find healing from childhood trauma, trauma of any form, and dissociative disorders, such as dissociative identity disorder (DID). Eddie has worked in private practice for about 4 years and previously worked in a residential treatment center for about 6 years. Eddie graduated with his BA in psychology from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA and his MS in marriage and family therapy from Capella University, an online university located in Minneapolis, MN. Eddie grew up in Orange County, CA and loves the beach, the redwoods, and the outdoors. Eddie has two wonderful kids and a beautiful wife.  FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    56 min

  8. Mar 5

    EP 80: From “Treatment-Resistant” to Recovery: Angie Peacock’s Story of Courage and De-Prescribing

    Send us a message! We trace Angie Peacock’s (MSW, CPC) journey from combat trauma and antibiotic injury to a maze of labels and polypharmacy, and how trusting her inner voice led her out of withdrawal and into advocacy. We unpack iatrogenic harm, challenge the illness lens, and offer grounded steps toward safe tapering and real recovery. • combat stress, gut injury, and hypervigilance as clear causes of distress • first benzo, rapid med stacking, and adverse effects misread as illness • labels multiplying after 10‑minute consults and the “treatment-resistant” trap • medical retirement, loss of identity, and the cost of gaslighting • a VA doctor questions polypharmacy and begins careful de-prescribing • months to years of withdrawal, terror-level anxiety, and protracted recovery • finding community, evidence, and language for iatrogenic harm • coaching pillars: safety, simplicity, pattern spotting, and holding hope • severity tiers and adapting supports to sensitization • boundaries, grief, and choosing a restorative break without shame • practical courage: let the inner voice lead next steps LINKS Website: www.angiepeacock.com YouTube: Angie Peacock TikTok: @angiepeacockmsw Instagram: @angiepeacockmsw Facebook: @angiepeacockmsw BIO Angela Peacock, MSW, CPC is a U.S. Army combat veteran, psychiatric drug withdrawal consultant, and healing coach. After surviving years of overmedication and polypharmacy following trauma from her military service, she now educates individuals, families, and organizations on harm reduction and safe deprescribing of psychiatric medications. Her story is featured in the award-winning documentary Medicating Normal (2020), which explores the risks of long-term psychiatric drug use and the challenges of recovery. Angela’s past advocacy roles include Legislative Policy Fellow for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Student Veterans of America, Military Veteran Liaison for the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, team member for The Withdrawal Project and Social Impact and Outreach for Medicating Normal- the film. In 2022, she founded HeartCore Collective, supporting individuals healing from psychiatric drug injury and reclaiming their autonomy outside of the system. FREE Mood Cycle Survival Guide: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/free/  The Upside of Bipolar: 7 Steps to Heal Your Disorder: @upsideofbipolar | Linktree website: https://theupsideofbipolar.com/ email: michelle@theupsideofbipolar.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar/ TikTok: theupsideofbipolar (@theupsideofbipolar) | TikTok Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theupsideofbipolar/

    1h 1m
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Living with bipolar disorder sucks! Each week Michelle Reittinger and her guests explore tools and resources that help you learn how to live well with your bipolar. If you are tired of suffering and want to live a healthy, balanced, productive life with your bipolar, this podcast was designed with you in mind.

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