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A bipolar diagnosis can change how you see yourself, how your family sees you, and what you believe is possible. But is it mentally healthy to grieve the person you thought you were?
In this episode, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Nicole Washington explore the complicated relationship between grief, denial, acceptance, identity, and recovery after receiving a bipolar disorder diagnosis. They discuss why some people need time to question a diagnosis, why learning about bipolar disorder is essential to understanding what you're actually accepting, and how stereotypes about mental illness can quietly become part of your identity.
Listeners will learn:
- how diagnosis can change your identity
- why grief isn’t the same as denial
- when questioning a diagnosis can be useful
- how stereotypes can limit recovery
Throughout the episode, Gabe shares what happened after his own diagnosis in 2003, including the loss of his home, marriage, career stability, and how he was treated by the people around him. They also examine what happens when bipolar disorder gets blamed for everything that goes wrong, why some losses may simply be part of life, and why a diagnosis doesn't automatically determine what you can accomplish. Listen now!
Quote:
"Grieving the identity that bipolar took from us -- that’s a real thing. Being angry, that’s a real thing. Some people think that it's nothing but denial, but they are wrong." ~Gabe Howard, Host
Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.
Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX.
Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.”
Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.
Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa.
Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.
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