I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year, I have put my decorations up already and my house looks great. Christmas can be a magical time of year but it can also be a difficult time, especially for those who do not have family, relatives and friends or do not have money to spend. 

Just to let you know you shouldn't drink too much coffee, tea or energy drinks  as it can affect your lithium levels. I know it's difficult, but try to cut down or stop if you can.

I have had covid over the last few weeks. I still sound 'bunged up'. I actually had a very bad panic attack at the same time as having covid which was an awful experience. I really thought I would never catch covid, but it must have been a new strain which got me..

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If you are in crisis or just need a little support you can now phone the NHS mental health helpline on 111. This is a new service. You are not alone.

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My life story is live on my site. Be sure to check it out!

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Starting to get a few more hits on my website. I hope I'm lending a helping hand. The website is aimed at bipolar / schizoaffective disorder sufferers who may be new to the disorder. Best wishes

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Really enjoying the Olympics. Can't wait for the climbing on Monday at 9am. Enjoy!

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No panic attacks for the last five or six weeks. I'm really making a lot of progress..

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Glastonbury 2004 - The rain, the mud, all day breakfast in a can and baked beans, getting crushed during the Oasis gig, seeing Ben Harper and Paul McCartney, beer, losing my tent, daring to go to the toilets, peeing in a bottle! Wish I could go to Glastonbury this year!

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Sad Ukraine got knocked out of the Euros. I hope England are in better shape for their next game against Slovakia.

Everyone should listen to this album - Ancora by Flook. The most chilled out album if you like folk https://www.flook.co.uk

Finally the sun has come out and it feels like summer. The sun always makes me feel better. Going to a big barbecue today, I actually have to be sociable!

My friend gave me a free Tidal membership. If you don't know what Tidal is, it's a rival to Spotify and Apple Music. One amazing thing - all 100 million songs are of the highest quality. You can really tell the difference.. https://tidal.com/try-now

All this amazing sport this summer. I'm enjoying the Euros but think I will like to watch Wimbledon more. Then it's Tour de France and the Olympics. It couldn't get any better...

Huge update to my website has landed. You can navigate much better now and the tiles are better.

Here is what you'll find on my main blog:

✔Hypomania 

✔Hypermania with psychotic mania 

✔Severe / major depression 

✔Mixed states  

✔Recreational drugs and alcohol 

✔Medication 

✔Mental health services 

✔Social anxiety disorder

✔Contacts 

✔Distraction and grounding techniques 

✔Activities to do 

✔ADHD

✔Spirituality 

✔The general election

✔Panic attacks

✔Childhood mental health issues 

✔Insomnia

✔Computer games for self-help 

✔Schizoaffective disorder

✔Electroconvulsive therapy

Election 2024 manifestos are out regarding mental health. Check out my main blog. Who will you vote for?

Welcome to Arise, a friendly place for those people who are struggling with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. I am a bipolar one sufferer with psychotic mania. I have so much empathy for anyone going through a mental health crisis. Take a look at my main blog. Feel free to write a comment. Take care

Have watched Michael Palin on Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole and Full Circle. What an amazingly brave person to do what he did. He's such a genuinely nice person. I would love to meet him. His new tv shows in North Korea and Iraq are just as good.

When manic I used to phone my friends up at 2am. My friend had to run quickly and get the phone before his dad picked it up in the middle of the night..

I'm playing Flight Simulator on my Metaquest 3. It's as if you're in a real plane, e.g. you can look outside the windows. Sometimes it's just too scary for me!  I'm also playing Skyrim vr edition. It's breath-taking. One day lets hope they release Starfield in vr. In fact you can play Starfield in vr, if you play Microsoft Game Pass on Metaquest. There are 200 games to choose from including triple A titles. Incredible..

Had a go on my Fender Telecaster. It's still in tune amazingly after 10 years. Now just need to get out my usb mic and have a jam. Feeling great at the moment. No panic attacks and no mania or depression. Love my new place, I'm having a really nice time. 

Have just re-strung my guitar for the first time in in 10 years. The last time I did it I played a solo set for my friend for his wedding. It was really cool being asked to do it. I'm going to work on writing some songs and then hopefully post them up here. Who knows...

Love such an amazing schedule of sport this summer. Roland Garros tennis, Euros Football, Wimbledon, Tour de France and Paris Olympics. So excited…

Bought a Metaquest 3 six months ago. An amazing piece of kit. Enjoying playing Microsoft Flight Simulator in virtual reality. You can look out of the window, incredibly scary! 3d videos are amazing too - similar to watching an IMAX film except it’s in your head. 

I hope you like my main blog. I haven't finished it yet, there's loads more to come...

I was going to publish my memoirs yesterday. I wrote 5000 words about my ridiculous life. However, I soon came to the conclusion that they are way too personal. They go way too deep. I've been on a difficult bipolar trajectory for 22 years...

I was in three psychiatric hospitals from 2018-2021. I then moved to a supported living property. It was tough because I had hallucinations and panic attacks every few days. However, life is good now. I moved to my own place in April 2024. Since then, my quality of life has skyrocketed. I have two great support workers helping me for six hours a day. I've had a few panic attacks but they don't scare me too much. At the moment my voices are sort of kind. 

I haven't seen my university friends for at least six or seven years due to my terrible bipolar. I think I will get a chance to see them this year. I don't drink anymore and I don't miss it at all. Can't wait...

I dont seem to have so many panic attacks recently. I had really scary panic attacks since 2017. There is no real way of stopping them, except perhaps playing a game on your mobile phone. I play a quiz game on Apple which is really cool. I also play a driving game on XBOX. Make sure you choose a simple game..