Touched with fire: A meaning behind the suffering

We’ve been talking with new PatientsLikeMe member Paul, whose debut feature-film, Touched with Fire – inspired by his experiences living with bipolar – opened last week in select theaters.  For Paul, the road to diagnosis was more like being on a rollercoaster. Years of using marijuana seemed to stimulate his creativity at film school, but… Continue reading Touched with fire: A meaning behind the suffering

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

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

The highs and lows of bipolar disorder

Since it’s still Mental Illness Awareness Week, we thought we’d share some facts on bipolar disorders, found in this dynamic infographic. Read our previous post for more information on how to get involved during this year’s awareness week – and all year long.  Did you know bipolar disorder is a worldwide condition? In Australia there… Continue reading The highs and lows of bipolar disorder

Mental Illness Awareness Week: #IAmStigmaFree

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) spends the first full week of October fighting stigma, offering support, educating the public and advocating for equal care for those living with a mental health condition. While these are a year round focus for them, this week highlights mental illness awareness and 2015 marks its 25th anniversary.… Continue reading Mental Illness Awareness Week: #IAmStigmaFree

Depression Awareness Month- What does it feel like?

Here at PatientsLikeMe, there are thousands of people sharing their experiences with more than a dozen mental health conditions, including 15,000 patients who report major depressive disorder and 1,700 patients who report postpartum depression. What do they have to say? This word cloud has some of the most commonly used phrases on our mental health forum. It gives you a feel of the many… Continue reading Depression Awareness Month- What does it feel like?

It’s time to recognize mental illness in October

Think about this for a second; according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) 1 in 4 people, or 25% of American adults, will be diagnosed with a mental illness this year. On top of that, 20 percent of American children (1 in 5) will also be diagnosed. And so for 7 days, October… Continue reading It’s time to recognize mental illness in October

PatientsLikeMe Researchers Score a Hat Trick

The term “hat trick” originated in 1858 after English cricketer HH Stephenson successfully bowled out three batsmen with consecutive bowls and he was presented with a hat to commemorate his feat. In June, PatientsLikeMe’s research team scored a hat trick of our own by publishing three new studies in scientific journals in just four days,… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Researchers Score a Hat Trick

What We’re Reading at PatientsLikeMe

Here are some of the media items that grabbed our attention recently. What Air Traffic Can Teach Us About Kidney Transplants Air traffic rules balance fairness and efficiency. Can organ waitlists do the same? Open Access Is Not for Scientists.  It’s for Patients. A guest blog post by our R&D Director, Paul Wicks, for the… Continue reading What We’re Reading at PatientsLikeMe

Mental Illness Awareness Week: Stigmas, Stereotypes and Sharing

On Tuesday, we recognized Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2-8) by sharing some of our mental health members’ vivid descriptions of what depression feels like. Today, we’ve taken a look at what else our members are sharing – or not sharing – about more than a dozen mental health conditions at PatientsLikeMe. On the site,… Continue reading Mental Illness Awareness Week: Stigmas, Stereotypes and Sharing