Even though they share a name, they are completely different. With bipolar 1, you are diagnosed when you experience a manic episode. When that happens, you will experience an extreme increase in energy and mood swings, including feeling extremely happy or uncomfortably irritable. With bipolar 2, someone will experience hypomanic episodes. They will still have out of character behavior, but it’s not as extreme as bipolar 1. Keep in mind that bipolar 2 is not a milder form of

Matthew, it’s been one year since you passed away and there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t thought about you. Life wasn’t easy for you. There were things that you were struggling with that I don’t wish on my worst enemy. You dealt with not only addiction, but severe health issues that almost cost you your life. You tried for so long to conquer your demons and to be able to live a life without addiction. You fought for so many years. Addiction is a struggle that not many of

Kids are smart to understand that if they are struggling with mental health and anxiety, but they just don’t know how to express it. They don’t have the words to tell you that they are having a hard time. If you have a child in your life, telling them that it’s okay for them to be feeling the way they do. It’s okay to go to an adult and tell them that they are having a hard time. Everyone has dealt with some sort of anxiety. Kids should know that there are ways to take contro

Growing up in a house with people who don’t give you what you need in life can leave an impact on you. It can last a lifetime and in most cases, an adult will do anything to erase that part of their life. They will hide behind drugs and alcohol to cover up the lasting effects of their childhood, but there are also people who will learn from their past and break the cycle. They promise themselves that if they were to have kids, they won’t treat them the same way. Having relati

ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and it can look a lot like Autism. When someone has one or the other, they can have difficulty focusing, they can also be impulsive and have a hard time communicating. Both ADHD and Autism are two different conditions. Autism is related to developmental disorders. Language skills, behavior, socializing and the ability to learn are affected. People with autism have a hard time connecting with people and making friends, wherea

There’s a lot that goes into playing sports, even if it’s just a hobby or if you’re a professional. Some people take the game seriously to the point where it becomes their whole life. One of the downsides of professional sports is the injuries that come along with playing. Depending on the sport, there’s a lot of physical contact. Football has a lot of head injuries due to tackling. Hockey as body checking. Baseball as arm injuries due to the constant throwing and hitting. Ov

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in the military is very common. Originally, it was called Shell Shock. It was called that because soldiers were seen as a reaction to the explosion of artillery. Originally, shell shock was thought to be the result of hidden damage to the brain that was caused by the impact of the big guns. Treatment back then was giving the soldiers just a few days of rest. When you are in combat, you see and do things that a civilian never gets to witn

School should be a safe space for kids. They should be able to go to school and know that they are supported and cared for, but for some kids, being at school is worse than being at home. Kids who struggle at home will bring that to school. Going to school is sometimes a child’s escape. Teachers should be aware of how a child is acting. They see the same kids every day and if there’s a shift in their personality then the teacher should be able to step in and be the person tha

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD can come in many forms, and it can go on for years without you knowing that you have it. Sometimes it can interfere with your daily lives and your relationships, but the good news is that OCD can be treated. Family and friends will notice a change and will step in and help you the support you need. You may not be aware that you have OCD until someone mentions it. What is OCD? It’s a disorder that involves unwanted instructive thoughts th

It’s hard to break habits and routine, especially when you’ve been doing them for so long, but there comes a time when you need to figure out what habits you need to break for you to have a successful future. Some habits are harder to break since people are accustomed to them and its “helps” them to live. When it comes to trying to step away from bad habits, especially when it comes to addiction. A lot of the time, someone doesn’t know that their habits are harming them or ca

It’s okay to say that you're struggling, it’s okay to admit that you need help. The more open you are in working on your mental health, the better chance that you will find ways to help you live with it. If you are willing to go to the dentist and get your teeth taken care of then it’s okay for you to ask for a mental health check in. If you know that there is something going on, reach out. There’s no shame in telling someone that you are struggling. Someone is always there t

You would think that Halloween is a rough time of year for someone who is on the autism spectrum, but depending on the person, Halloween can be the person’s favorite holiday. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, even if I don’t do anything to celebrate it. I don’t do much in the month of October. I would love to be able to do all things Halloween, but there’s nothing much you can do when you spend a lot of time by yourself. I’ve been going trick or treating just to

News has come out saying that there have been 5 people charged in the death of Matthew Perry. It has come to light that within the last couple of months of Matthew’s life, he was giving ketamine outside of what was originally given to him. His assistant who he had known for 30 years had played a big role. He admitted that he was the one that injected Matthew with the fatal dose on the day he passed. Over the weeks leading up to the last day, Matthew was given 20 or more vials

I grew up watching Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin, Patch Adams, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society and many more. I was and still am shocked to hear that he passed away. Everybody knew him as an energetic and talented man, but we never knew that he had his struggles. A lot of people use humor as a way to hide the pain they have. Robin had been struggling with drugs and alcohol for years and that was his way of coping with whatever thoughts he had going

The 27 Club consists of actors and musicians who passed away at the age of 27. The cause of death either was from an overdose, accident or under mysterious circumstances. Some of the members of the club are well known, some others are people who may have had a couple of hits or a short lived career and just got ahead themselves and lived like they were a HUGE deal in the industry. If I’m being honest, I haven’t heard about some of the people and I’m like a music whisperer. I

Recovery for drugs and alcohol is lifelong. There’s always a chance that you will relapse, there’s always a chance that something is going to trigger you and you will find a way to make that feeling go away. When it comes to knowing the signs of addiction, there are things to look out for. It can vary from person to person as it can affect people differently. People can function on drugs; they can do their everything tasks without coming off as an addict. They hide behind the

When Los Angeles Attorney, Fred Horowitz was looking into building the Chateau Marmot, he hired Arnold A Weitzman and William Douglas Lee as the architects. The architecture for the Chateau Marmont was inspired by the Chateau d’Amboise in the Loire Valley, France. The Chateau was to be built on the northwest side of Sunset Boulevard and Marmont Lane in West Hollywood. It was to be constructed with an earthquake proof combination of concrete and reinforced steel. On the outsid

Having an assistant in Hollywood is common and it’s no surprise that eventually those assistants will start using. With the job being so demanding and always being on the go. It’s easy for someone to rely on something to keep them going and awake. Sometimes people are brought in to keep an eye on a celebrity while they are in detox or in rehab to make sure that they don’t relapse, but over time those responsibilities start to take their toll on your mental and physical health

Moving is hard just by itself, but the real challenge is deciding if moving out of town is the right move. Starting over is scary for anyone, even for the most confident person. I’ve been wanting to move for a while. After spending some time living in an apartment, I’ve decided that I want to get out of apartment living. At first, an apartment was the right choice. Since I’m by myself, single, I hardly, if ever socialize or have people over, living in an apartment felt right

When you think of Hollywood, what comes to mind? Palm trees, the weather, celebrities, but what if I told that Hollywood has a completely different side, a different personality. Among the houses with the views and the million-dollar cars and the endless amount of movies and TV shows that are constantly being made, there is a dark side to the town we all come to know and love. Being in Hollywood may be the place where you hope to find fame and fortune. A place where there are

Childhood trauma can be a trigger for celebrities. As they get older and understand what happened to them as a child can make them want to forget so they use and drink to make those memories go away and it’s hard for them to stop. They blame their experience for their addiction and not get the help they need to overcome the trauma. Being a celebrity and playing different characters helps them deal because they get to be someone other than themselves. They had a script to hide

Mental health could be something that can be passed down from parents. People use drugs as a way to self-medicate. People don’t know how to deal with their diagnosis because they don’t want to believe that there is something wrong. They are undiagnosed or are ashamed to go seek so they turn to drugs to help them cope. Drugs can also affect your physical health. People rely on drugs for fuel, and it takes a toll on your body. It can make you lose weight to dangerous levels. Yo

There are rumours and speculations on Matthew Perry’s past about not respecting women and I have some thoughts about the whole thing. Since his passing, I’ve gained more respect for Matthew and how open and honest he was about his struggles with addiction. He wanted to help people and be remembered for it. In recent news, there’s been speculation that he was emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive towards women, in which I don’t believe that he would do that. It’s also

Matthew Perry wanted to help people. He wanted to spend the rest of his life wanting people to get the help that they need to overcome their addiction. If someone came up to him and asked him for help, he would drop everything and do it. The Matthew Perry Foundation was set up after we lost Matthew. Its mission is to “help others struggling with the disease of addiction.” Matthew wanted to make a difference. I know just talking about having an addiction is the first step. I