Each day at IBPF we work to educate the world that mental health matters to us all throughout our lives. We share the importance of understanding our mental health and caring for our minds as we do our bodies. We thank you for engaging in conversations through our social media and within your communities to bring us closer to this balance, as fundamentally we must treat both to thrive.

Thank you for making a difference!

Best wishes,
Debbie Brown
Director of Operations

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Read Ivy's blog from South Africa
Combating Stigma With Compassion in South Africa

"My name is Ivy Matloga and I am a public servant and an author. My brother lives and copes with a mental illness. I just released a novel, a work of fiction, inspired by my brother's illness and the observations I have made, as well as opinions formed as I grew up around my brother and fellow villagers who lived with various forms of mental illness. I live in South Africa and my novel book is titled Madness in Duggart." Read the rest of Ivy's blog here.

Register For Our Next Live Lecture!

Register for our Upcoming Webinars!

Watch Our Latest Webinar Recording!
Marriage and Bipolar Disorder
What One Couple Has Learned by Staying Together

Mark and Giulia Luckach talk about their personal journey together. They met at 18, were married at 24, and they share how they have learned to make their marriage thrive.
Mark is a teacher and the author of the bestselling memoir My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward. He also has written for the New York Times Modern Love column and again in a piece for Pacific Standard Magazine, which happened to be the magazine's most-read article in 2015. Guilia is marketing director at an American Corporation and lives with bipolar. They are mom and dad to their son, Jonas.
Watch the latest in our Psych Byte Series!
Psychotic Mania: The Dark Side of Being "Up"

Psychotic mania is like living in a techni-colour dream that can turn into a lurid nightmare within a blink of an eye - it is furiously wondrous and frighteningly deadly. Sally has been psychotically manic twice and shares her experience of vivid hallucinations and grandiose delusions, and how being hospitalised for psychotic mania saved her life.  
 
 
To be the first to access webinar recordings, follow us on social media!
Featured Vlog
Introducing our newest vlogger, Megan Malfi! 

Check out her debut vlog:

Featured Blogs
by Allison Strong
Ask the Expert
Your questions answered by the scientific community

This month's expert: 
Dr. Lisa Eyler
Question: Is it true that bipolar disorder may cause individuals to age earlier and, if so, is there anything we can do about it?"
 
Answer: 
Yes, people with bipolar are more likely to suffer from many age-related conditions and have an earlier age at death due not only to unnatural, but also natural, causes. This suggests that bipolar should be considered not just as a brain disorder but as a condition that affects many systems in the body. To prevent or minimize premature or accelerated aging, treatments should focus both on dampening mood swings and increasing overall health and wellness. Providers, family members, and patients can work together to incorporate positive lifestyle changes like healthy diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, and stress reduction, all of which may lead to a better outcomes for those living with bipolar disorder.

Dr. Eyler is currently co-director of the Neuroimaging Unit of the MIRECC and Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD.
Want to hear more on this topic? Check out our webinar here and  http://www.bipolar-aging.com/  
 
For more answers from our experts, visit our Sharecare page.
Young Adult Fiction Summer Reading List!
By  Amanda MacGregor, Jaina Shaw, Dr. Frank Fortunati, and Author Karen Fortunati

Because so much of mental health is still surrounded by silence, shame, and stigma, young adult stories that focus on authentic representations of mental health illness and positive portrayals of treatment are critical. These books foster dialogue, decrease stigma, educate about mental illness and illustrate that help exists. These stories may be only place that teens see themselves. Check out the full list here!:

Mental Health Books

 


The Mind of God: Neuroscience, Faith, and a Search for the Soul
by Dr. Jay Lombard










Homeostasis: The Journey of a Manic - Depressive 
 












Just a Label - Until Landin
 
by   Linda Osifat












Find more mental health books here.


PayPal Giving Fund

Donate using  PayPal Giving Fund, there are no fees and we receive 100% of your  donation!  Donate here.  

Are you an eBay seller? You can donate a percentage of your sales to IBPF through eBay for Charity, more details here
AmazonSmile
Do you shop on Amazon? At no cost to you, give back to IBPF using AmazonSmile to have a percentage of your purchases donated to IBPF. 
Get started  here

About International Bipolar Foundation

International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization based in San Diego whose mission  is to improve understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder through research; to promote care and support resources for individuals and caregivers; and to erase stigma through education. 

International Bipolar Foundation is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or received from International Bipolar Foundation.

Visit us online for more information: www.ibpf.org

Support our mission with a tax deductible donation!


Support mental health awareness through our educational programs with your donation. 
Want to double your donation's impact? Check here to find out if your employer offers a donation match program! 
STAY CONNECTED: