My name is Oliver Seligman. I am the author of Befriending Bipolar: a patient's perspective. Befriending Bipolar is a book that has helped many people understand bipolar disorder better and provided hope and inspiration that it is possible to live a good life alongside a serious mental illness. I am not medically qualified but wrote my book as someone who has lived with bipolar disorder for over 30 years and had a variety of experiences of this illness. I also have a Youtube channel called @livingbetterwithbipolar. I am very passionate about making videos that offer a unique perspective on not only surviving but also thriving with bipolar disorder. My videos focus on many topics around bipolar. In some I discuss my positive experiences with the ketogenic diet as a way that I manage bipolar symptoms. See the video below to learn more about my keto journey and how the ketogenic diet calms my mind.
In other videos I dive into the psychology of bipolar. How have episodes affected my life? How has bipolar interfered with my relationships? How can we contextualise a serious mental illness that can completely change our life. I also focus on the various strategies I use to manage the illness better. Finally, I make positive (but realistic) videos on the silver linings that can be found when living with a serious mental illness. Living with bipolar is not something anyone wishes for, but to find the best in it and live a good life is possible. If you would like to receive monthly emails with my latest videos please sign up below:
Bipolar has taken its toll on my physical and mental health over the years. Having been an inpatient in 4 mental hospitals in Norway, Scotland and Australia, I have had many experiences of how different countries treat mental illness. In may search for better solutions to bipolar I have tried many, many strategies to improve my mental and physical health and improve my standard of living. Some have worked very well for me (e.g. the ketogenic diet, carnivore diet, meditation and finding purpose and meaning in life).
I also have a podcast where I interview brave men and women who have faced and overcome enormous challenges presented by bipolar disorder. I dive deep into their ups and downs, the strategies they use to live well with bipolar, the lessons they have learned, and what they think about many contentious mental health topics (see the video below to watch episode 1 where I am interviewed about my journey).
Some strategies have not worked so well for me personally (homeopathy and certain supplements). However, just because a strategy works (or doesn't work) for me, doesn't mean it won't work for someone else. I believe that we are all individual and react differently to different things. Therefore my videos are not prescriptive but encourage people to find out what works for them. I am not medically qualified so do not give advice. However, by sharing my own experiences I hope to spread hope, insight and possibilities to those who want to live better with bipolar disorder, or are curious about the illness and what it is like to live with. If you are interested in my experiences of the ketogenic diet to support bipolar disorder, please check out the video below to see how the ketogenic diet supports me:
My book, Befriending Bipolar: a patient's perspective, describes my thirty-three year journey with depressions, manias, mental hospitals, psychoses, medication side-effects and living better with bipolar. It reveals the silver linings, and how I learned to accept and thrive despite this serious mental illness. I have had much positive feedback about this book and it continues to sell well.If you are a writer or a budding writer, please check out the video below to learn more about how I wrote my book Befriending Bipolar: a patient's perspective.
To order a copy of Befriending Bipolar:
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