Bipolar disorder causes unusual changes in mood and behavior. While everyone has natural highs and lows, with bipolar disorder the highs and lows are extreme, impacting folks’ ability to function in their day-to-day lives through shifts in mood, energy levels, sleeping and eating, and the ability to think clearly. To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must have experienced mania or hypomania (extreme highs) in addition to depression. In between episodes, people with bipolar disorder can be completely symptom-free. Like all mental illnesses, bipolar disorder shows up differently for each person. For example, some people could be in either a manic and/or depressive state almost all the time, whereas for others it could be years between episodes. Bipolar disorder is treatable.

Each person is unique, and should explore their options and select for themselves the most effective coping mechanisms for dealing with bipolar disorder. That being said, many people have found successful treatment for bipolar through things like psychotherapy, medication, exercise, spiritual and indigenous approaches to healing, and/or self-care techniques such as sticking to concrete daily routines or keeping a journal to track symptoms.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) causes dramatic changes in someone’s moods, behaviors and relationships. Often, people with BPD have a strong desire to be close with someone, but also have an inability to trust that person, so their relationships can be a constant push and pull of “please stay here with me” and “get away from me.” Because people with BPD have a hard time regulating their emotions, they can take impulsive actions driven by extreme shifts in mood, from anger to depression to elation, which can occur within just a few hours. Borderline personality disorder is treatable.

Each person is unique, and should explore their options and select for themselves the most effective coping mechanisms for dealing with BPD. That being said, many people have found successful treatment for borderline through a combination of things including psychotherapy (especially Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or DBT), medication, trauma-sensitive work, spiritual and indigenous practices, and family and partner support. Sometimes extreme stress, leading to a lack of impulse control, can require a person with BPD to take care of themselves by checking into the hospital for safety and support.

Depression causes severe, negative changes in the way you think and feel which makes it difficult to manage day-to-day tasks and activities such working, sleeping, and/or eating. Many people with depression feel numb, sad, alone, and/or like life has no meaning. Some people will only have one depressive episode in their lifetime, but for many people depression recurs and episodes can last up to several years if untreated. Episodes of depression may occur with or following stressful events, physical illnesses, trauma, loss, major transitions and financial stress. They can also happen for no discernable “reason.” It can be constant, or it can come and go with time, events, or seasons. Depression is treatable.

Each person is unique, and should explore their options and select for themselves the most effective coping mechanisms for dealing with depression. That being said, many people have found successful treatment for depression through things like support groups, medication, psychotherapy, exercise, spiritual and indigenous approaches to healing, and herbal supplements.

Eating disorders are a group of conditions that cause serious emotional and physical problems, involving extreme food and weight issues. There are many types of eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, etc.), and while they vary greatly in what they look like, they all point to an unhealthy, and sometimes dangerous relationship to food. Eating disorders are treatable.

Each person is unique, and should explore their options and select for themselves the most effective coping mechanisms for dealing with an eating disorder. That being said, many people have found successful treatment for ED through things like psychotherapy, support groups, medication to treat depression or anxiety if co-occurring, nutritional counseling, family-based treatment, and/or spiritual and indigenous approaches to healing.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a specific form of anxiety characterized by repetitive, unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions). For some people, the compulsive behavior comes from trying to reduce anxiety or obsessions. Genetics tend to play an important role; if you, your parent or a sibling have OCD, there is almost a 25% chance that another family member will have it.

OCD can look different for different people; for some, it involves cleaning self and spaces compulsively; for others, the OCD might present in the form of counting, tapping, or something numeric, or a myriad of other forms.

Each person is unique, and should explore the options and select for themselves the most effective coping mechanisms for dealing with OCD. That being said, many people have found successful treatment for OCD through things like psychotherapy (specifically a form of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention delivered one-on-one or in group settings), medication, exercise, and/or spiritual and indigenous approaches to healing.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a response to a traumatic event or series of events. Something that is traumatic for one person might not be traumatic for another, but what matters is how that experience stays with the person. It can include flashbacks to the traumatic event, uncontrollable movements and thoughts, anxiety and hypervigilance, physical and emotional triggers, among other symptoms.

PTSD is most commonly found amongst survivors of sexual violence, as well as war veterans, survivors of abuse or natural disasters, and witnesses to violence. Not all traumatic experiences lead to PTSD and there are many factors that affect the severity, such as the number of other traumatic experiences in a person’s life, their reaction to the event, and the kind of support they received after.

It is extremely important to take your feelings seriously and learn to treat and manage symptoms. There are a lot of approaches to working with PTSD, including psychotherapy (an approached specifically designed to work with trauma is EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), medication, sharing in community, support groups, somatic interventions around triggers, and spiritual and indigenous approaches to healing.

Substance abuse refers to the harmful use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and drugs. Substance use can lead to addiction and dependence, creating a condition in which the body requires a drug in order to function without physical and psychological reactions to its absence. Persistent and repeated substance use typically leads to a strong desire to take the drug, difficulty in controlling its use, and persisting in its use despite harmful consequences.

People can experience addiction to substances, as well has behaviors such as gambling, sex, or engaging in extreme situations. Addiction can quickly take over a person’s life and can become more important than the need to eat or sleep, replacing things that the person used to enjoy. There is a strong correlation between substance abuse/addiction and mental illness, often referred to as a Dual Diagnosis. More than half of the people with addiction issues also experience mental health issues, as they affect the same parts of the brain.

Treatment approaches vary, and choosing the appropriate type depends on the severity and addiction itself. Treatment can include support groups, harm reduction and safer use, psychotherapy, medication, spiritual and indigenous practices, and holistic approaches.

Suicidality can be experienced by anyone, and it could be part of mental illness diagnosis or not. Approximately 90% of individuals who die by suicide experience a mental illness, making it an issue closely tied to what we do here at Art With Impact. There are infinite reasons why someone might feel like killing themselves is the only option. There are a number of factors that may put a person at risk of suicide, including: substance abuse, chronic medical illness, oppression due to an identity (such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.), history of trauma, isolation, sleep deprivation and age (under 24 or above 65 are at a higher risk).

To reduce the risk of suicide, psychotherapy and medication can be used to help recognize unhealthy patterns of thinking and teach coping skills to deal with problems. Seeking treatment for underlying depression and anxiety through doctors or health professionals is essential, as is building social and peer support networks. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone, and help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

If you are concerned about someone, talk with them and ask them directly if they are thinking about suicide and if they have a plan to end their life. If this is the case, connect with a crisis service and stay with the person, listening without judgement and telling them they are important and you care about them.

Schizophrenia is an umbrella term for a wide range of conditions where a person’s experience of reality doesn’t line up with the experiences of the people around them. In the Western world, this is typically referred to as delusions or hallucinations, which are often auditory but sometimes visual or tactile. These tend to interfere with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to other people. Depending on whether the individual is receiving treatment, symptoms can range from severe to hardly noticeable.

Some cultures refer to these experiences as spiritual emergence, or a connection with a divine world, rather than an experience that is non-rational or separate from “actual” reality.

Each person is unique, and should explore their options and select for themselves the most effective coping mechanisms for living with schizophrenia. Treatment for schizophrenia in the Western world focuses primarily on eliminating and/or managing the symptoms of the illness, through antipsychotic medications, psychotherapy, peer support groups, family support, and spiritual and indigenous practices.