Episodes

Infidelity during a manic or hypersexual episode leaves partners with a brutal question: was that really him/her, or was it the illness? In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, we dig into the connection between bipolar disorder and cheating — why impulsivity and hypersexuality during mania can drive infidelity, how it differs from "ordinary" cheating, and how partners and caregivers can process the betrayal without losing themselves in the process. If you're navigating trust, boundaries, ...

Bipolar disorder and codependency often feed each other in ways most caregivers never see coming. This episode of The Other Side of Bipolar breaks down the self-destructive cycle that forms when we stay: staying erodes self-esteem, and as self-esteem crumbles, codependency dee pens — making it even harder to leave. It's a spiral that feeds itself from the inside out. This episode traces how that cycle forms, why it's so hard to break, and what it really means to unknowingly create our own misery...

When someone you love is manic or hypomanic, it can look a lot like narcissism — the grandiosity, the impulsivity, the lack of self-awareness in the moment, the way everything suddenly seems to revolve around them. It's one of the most confusing and painful overlaps for partners and caregivers to sort through. In this episode, I break down where bipolar mania and narcissistic traits actually diverge, why the mania mimics NPD so convincingly, and what this distinction means for the people loving ...

Many partners of people with bipolar disorder torture themselves with the same question: "If we'd just cut out the drinking, the smoking, the cruises — would we still be together?" This episode releases that guilt by confronting a harder truth: setting boundaries around triggers doesn't guarantee stability. Often, the person either ignores the boundary or leaves. This is for anyone carrying the weight of "what if I'd done something different" — you didn't fail. The disease often makes that outco...

You know they hurt you. You know it was cruel. And you still want them back — here's why that's not weakness, it's a pattern. In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, we go deep into the discard phase of a bipolar relationship: the confusion, the trauma bonding, and the almost universal pull to reach back out to someone who devalued or discarded you. We talk about why this happens, why it's so common among partners and caregivers of people with bipolar disorder, and what it actually means ...

Loving someone with bipolar disorder means holding contradictions most people never have to face — deep love, real anger, exhaustion, and genuine care for their wellbeing, sometimes all within the same hour. In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, I talk honestly about what it's like to love, resent, and be emotionally exhausted by a partner with bipolar disorder — both during the relationship and after leaving. If you're a partner, spouse, or caregiver of someone with bipolar disorder, th...

Please understand in this episode I'm really emotional. Everyone talks about the person living with bipolar disorder—but almost nobody talks about what happens to the partner who lives through years of mania, psychosis, infidelity, emotional abuse, hospitalizations, and constant unpredictability. Many caregivers develop symptoms that look remarkably like PTSD: hypervigilance, anxiety, insomnia, intrusive memories, panic, and the constant expectation that the next crisis is just around the corn...

If you've ever loved someone with bipolar disorder, you've probably heard the same advice over and over: "Just move on." "Quit looking back." "Get over it." The problem is, those words usually come from people who have never lived through the chaos, trauma, grief, hope, and heartbreak that bipolar disorder can bring into a relationship. In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, I talk about the profound loneliness that caregivers and partners experience. Why is it so hard to find someone wh...

In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, I talk about a kind of loneliness that's hard to explain to anyone who hasn't lived it — lying next to someone you love and feeling a world away from them. This isn't about narcissism. I explore how medication side effects and the progression of the disease itself can blunt empathy and emotional expression, leaving partners starving for connection with someone they love deeply. If you've ever felt profoundly alone inside a relationship where the love...

In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, I dig into something partners and caregivers rarely hear addressed directly: the near-total lack of accountability and the inability to say "I'm sorry." I break down why controlling behavior often isn't about power for its own sake — it's frequently a response to internal chaos, an attempt to manage a mind that feels unmanageable. If you've ever wondered why your partner can't own their actions or apologize, this episode offers a caregiver's perspect...

"One year ago, I left a 10-year relationship with a partner living with Bipolar 1 Disorder and psychosis. In this short episode, I reflect on what's changed — for me — and what I've learned about caregiving, boundaries, and healing on the other side. If you're a partner, spouse, or caregiver of someone with bipolar disorder or psychosis, this one's for you.

Some days they're the person you fell in love with. Other days, you don't recognize them at all. In this episode, we talk honestly about how bipolar disorder can worsen over time — more frequent cycles, sharper mood swings, and the emotional whiplash of living with someone who can be furious one moment and loving the next. If you've been wondering whether it ever gets better, or whether the patterns you're seeing are part of the illness itself, this episode is for you

If you're living with or loving someone with bipolar disorder, one of the most devastating experiences you may face is the bipolar discard — when your partner suddenly ends the relationship, often with no warning, no closure, and no apparent remorse. But is it really without warning? In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, we look at the discard from the partner's perspective — the subtle and not-so-subtle signs that something is shifting before the bottom drops out. From emotional withdr...

If you've been betrayed by a partner with bipolar disorder, you're not alone — and you're probably desperate for answers that make sense of what happened. On The Other Side of Bipolar, we go where most conversations won't: the painful reality of hypersexuality, impulsivity, and emotional affairs that can accompany manic and hypomanic episodes, and what that means for the partner left trying to pick up the pieces. This isn't about excusing the behavior — it's about understanding the neurological ...

One of the most frightening things a partner or caregiver hears after a bipolar disorder diagnosis is that it only gets worse — but is that actually true? In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, we take an honest, research-informed look at bipolar disorder progression, what the science really says about long-term outcomes, and why the "it only gets worse" narrative can be both misleading and deeply damaging to relationships. Whether you're loving someone newly diagnosed with bipolar I or b...

What does it actually mean to live with bipolar I disorder and psychosis — inside a 30-year marriage? In part two of this conversation, our guest goes places most people never go publicly. She breaks down what bipolar mania really feels like from the inside — and what she wishes every partner of someone with bipolar disorder understood about it. She walks us through how she personally navigates bipolar depression, not just survives it. She speaks openly about suicidal thoughts — what they are f...

Thirty years. That's not luck — that's a decision, made over and over again. Shari] lives with Bipolar 1, psychosis, and a history of suicide attempts. She's also one half of a marriage that has outlasted the odds, the hospitalizations, and the hardest nights. This conversation is for every partner who wonders if it's possible. It is. Here's how.

Bipolar mania triggers are everywhere — and most partners and caregivers don't see them coming. In this episode of The Other Side of Bipolar, we talk about how common activities like cruises, gambling, drinking alcohol, smoking, and marijuana use can quietly push someone with bipolar disorder deeper into a manic episode. Bipolar disorder and alcohol are a dangerous combination. So are the sensory overload of a cruise ship, the dopamine rush of a casino, and the lowered inhibitions that come wit...

– The Unexpected Gift Nobody Asked For: Growing Through the Bipolar Discard If you've been on the receiving end of a bipolar discard, you know the devastation. The confusion. The silence where a relationship used to be. It feels like pure loss — and in many ways, it is. But here's what nobody talks about: you may be coming out of this a fundamentally different person. A better one. In this episode, I get honest about something I've lived through myself — the quiet, almost invisible growth tha...

Cheating, Bipolar, and Hypersexuality: Why It Happens Again If You Don't Hold the Line Let's talk about something nobody in the caregiver space wants to say out loud — but everybody needs to hear. When your partner cheats, and they also have bipolar disorder with a history of hypersexuality, you are not dealing with a simple relationship problem. You are dealing with a perfect storm. And if you don't understand the storm, you will keep getting hit by it. Here's what's actually happening. Hy...

Your Get Out of Jail Free Card Medication alone isn't enough. If your partner or loved one is living with bipolar disorder but still drinking, gambling, using THC, smoking, or putting themselves in overstimulating environments like cruise ships — environments that are well-known triggers for mood dysregulation — they are not doing their part. And when they're not doing their part, they're unstable. And when they're unstable, the person who pays that price is you. This episode is my get out of ...

The Other Side of Bipolar A Podcast for the Partners, Caregivers, and Loved Ones Who Stay Imagine a spinning top. When it's moving fast enough, it looks almost still. Almost stable. You'd be forgiven for thinking it had finally found its balance. But it hasn't — it's just moving too fast for you to see the wobble. And the moment it starts to slow down, you see what's always been true: it's never really been standing still at all. That's what it feels like to love someone with Bipolar I. You...

In this podcast, we pull back the curtain on the turbulent reality of loving someone through Bipolar I with psychosis, exploring the unique dynamic where 10 to 20% of the relationship is defined by pure, unadulterated chaos. While the majority of your time together might be built on deep connection and stability, we dive into those high-stakes chapters of mania and breaks from reality that can suddenly upend your world. Through raw storytelling and shared experiences, we discuss how to navigate ...

The Other Side of Bipolar Living with someone who has bipolar disorder means living with a clock you can never quite read. On the surface, life can look completely normal — even beautiful. But underneath, there is always a current of uncertainty, a quiet awareness that the ground beneath you is never fully solid. You learn to read the room before you read the morning. You learn to measure your words, your tone, your timing — because you never know which version of the person you love will meet ...