Bipolar Disorder: Understanding, Coping, and Thriving

What is Bipolar Disorder?  An estimated “4.4% of U.S. adults experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bipolar disorder, formerly referred to as manic depression, is a mental disorder where people experience extreme mood swings. Most people with bipolar experience extremely high highs (known as… Continue reading Bipolar Disorder: Understanding, Coping, and Thriving

Parenting with bipolar II: Alysia’s story

Meet Alysia, a member of the 2018 PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors who’s living with bipolar II disorder. Here’s what she had to say about parenting with a mental health condition, learning to adapt and how she “defies the odds.” When I was younger I wrote stories about my alter ego who had kids. I lived almost… Continue reading Parenting with bipolar II: Alysia’s story

Meet Lindsay from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

  Meet Lindsay (Shyandspicy), a member of the PatientsLikeMe 2016-2017 Team of Advisors living with bipolar II, fibromyalgia and diabetes. We recently caught up with Lindsay to learn how she finds purpose in her relationships with her family, her faith and helping others.  Keep reading to get to know her story and how she tackles… Continue reading Meet Lindsay from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

Patients as Partners: Allison shares her insight on teaming up with organizations

This year’s Team of Advisors has been sharing how they use the Partnership Principles in their health journeys. Today, we hear from Allison, who’s living with bipolar II. Allison is a volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Dallas and also runs support groups for the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). See… Continue reading Patients as Partners: Allison shares her insight on teaming up with organizations

Patients as Partners: Cyrena talks empathy and assertiveness

We’ve been talking to 2015-2016 Team of Advisors about the Partnership Principles they put together and how they use them in their personal health journeys. Next up is Cyrena, who’s living with bipolar II and lupus and recently completed her PhD in pharmacology. Below, she talks about managing multiple conditions, getting on the same page… Continue reading Patients as Partners: Cyrena talks empathy and assertiveness

Meet Cyrena from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

  Say hello to Cyrena, another member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors. Cyrena is living with bipolar II and lupus, and currently a PhD candidate in pharmacology. Cyrena describes some days with her conditions as “swimming through a vat of molasses” — which makes managing her intensive student workload along with her health a… Continue reading Meet Cyrena from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

Allison’s story

Last month we introduced Allison, a member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors living with bipolar II. She recently opened up in a video about how sharing her data on the site helped her recognize when she might have an episode, and partner better with her doctor to prevent new episodes from happening. You can… Continue reading Allison’s story

PatientsLikeMe Encourages Sharing of Health Data for Good with 2nd Annual “24 Days of Giving”

The Gift of Health Data Can Help Others, and Advance Research CAMBRIDGE, MASS., December 1, 2015—On this #GivingTuesday, PatientsLikeMe is once again celebrating “the new tradition of generosity” by encouraging people to donate something unusual but vital: their health data. Starting today and continuing for #24DaysofGiving, PatientsLikeMe is asking anyone who is living with a… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Encourages Sharing of Health Data for Good with 2nd Annual “24 Days of Giving”

Meet Allison from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

Meet Allison, one of your 2015-2016 PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors. Allison is living with bipolar II, has been a PatientsLikeMe member since 2008 and is a passionate advocate for people living with a mental health condition. Refusing to let her condition get the best of her, she partners with her family to self-assess her moods… Continue reading Meet Allison from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

PatientsLikeMe Names 2015-2016 Team of Advisors, Sets Focus on Redefining Patient Partnerships

Cambridge, MA, October 19, 2015—PatientsLikeMe has named 14 members to its patient-only 2015–2016 Team of Advisors and challenged them to work through an issue that’s central to everyone in the healthcare system: how to redefine patient partnerships. The team will be focused on rethinking what it means for patients to be partners, and on establishing… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Names 2015-2016 Team of Advisors, Sets Focus on Redefining Patient Partnerships