Living with bipolar disorder is like riding an emotional roller coaster without a seatbelt. For nearly 40 million people worldwide, the disorder shifts between extremes of euphoria and despair, creating a complex reality that often goes unseen, misunderstood, or misrepresented. The term “bipolar” may casually get tossed around in everyday conversation, but for those diagnosed, it is a life-altering condition that requires continuous self-awareness, resilience, and adaptation.

In this feature, we explore the raw, honest experiences of individuals like Martin Hemmann and Becca Brown, who live with bipolar disorder, drawing back the curtain on what it truly means to navigate this unpredictable terrain.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). There are three main types:

Bipolar I Disorder: Defined by manic episodes lasting at least seven days or requiring hospitalization, often followed by depressive episodes.

Bipolar II Disorder: Characterized by patterns of depressive episodes and hypomania, which is less severe than full-blown mania.

Cyclothymic Disorder: Involves chronic fluctuations between mild depressive and hypomanic symptoms over two years or more.

Though often glamorized or dismissed in pop culture, bipolar disorder is far more than a fluctuation in mood—it’s a serious, often debilitating condition that deeply affects how a person thinks, behaves, feels, and relates to the world.

Martin Hemmann, a musician from Germany, describes his life with bipolar disorder as a delicate dance between opposites. “When I woke up, I felt as if there was a grey fog in my head,” he shares. This haze, a hallmark of the depressive phase, can make simple tasks like getting out of bed or brushing one’s teeth feel insurmountable.

During these lows, Martin grapples with feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, and guilt. “I’ve learned to tell people around me who I am, and how I react,” he says. Open communication and personal routines such as meditation, breathing exercises, and staying physically active help him gain control during darker periods.

But when the pendulum swings in the opposite direction—toward mania—Martin experiences a rush of energy and heightened creativity. These manic episodes, while seemingly productive, come with their own dangers: impulsivity, sleep disturbances, and risky behavior.

Becca Brown, a performer living with Bipolar II, offers a similar yet unique perspective. She describes mania as moments of hyperactivity that can feel like being on caffeine overload. “I would just decide to clean my entire house, rearrange the furniture, stay up all night writing something,” she recalls. But the aftermath is sobering. “The next day I would look at all the things I wrote and be like, none of that makes sense. None of it is good.”

The stereotype of mania as a “fun” or “creative” side of bipolar disorder is misleading. While some individuals channel their manic energy into art or work, the reality often includes dangerous impulsivity, poor judgment, and emotional volatility.

Bipolar disorder doesn’t just affect the individual—it ripples out into their relationships, careers, and communities. Martin’s former partner, Verena Heinz, explains the challenge of unpredictability. “The ups and downs, which change so fast… that was the biggest challenge.”

This unpredictability can strain even the strongest bonds. For Martin’s parents, his suicide attempt six years ago was a devastating wake-up call. “It was very difficult to understand, because Martin also has a lot of humor and a joyful side,” they share. Their confusion and guilt underscore how invisible mental illness can be, especially when the individual appears “high-functioning.”

The stigma surrounding mental health—particularly bipolar disorder—can be a significant barrier to diagnosis, treatment, and acceptance. Martin puts it plainly in his speech: “People don’t talk about mental problems. I learned that early on—at school, at the club, at home.”

Both Martin and Becca emphasize the importance of treatment and personal coping strategies. While Martin has weaned off formal medication, he relies on physical activity, cold-water therapy, and structured routines to maintain his balance. “Sport is possibly the most important means of dealing with my depression,” he explains. “It creates a balance between the body and the mind.”

Becca, too, finds healing in creativity. “One of the best things about my life is that I get to get on stage or in front of a camera and play a character or even be myself,” she says.

Their stories reveal an important truth: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing bipolar disorder. Medication, therapy, physical health, creative outlets, community support, and open communication are all pieces of the puzzle—and each person’s journey is deeply personal.

Martin has chosen to speak openly about his journey—not just for himself, but to inspire others. At a recent public event in Germany, he delivered a powerful 18-minute speech recounting his struggles, setbacks, and survival.

“I’m nervous. I’d rather swim under a sheet of ice, climb into the ring, or go climbing without a rope,” he jokes before sharing the core message: “Germany, we have to talk. I suffer from heavy depression… But now I’m talking. I’m not going to stop talking.”

His courage moved an entire audience, many of whom also live with depression or know someone who does. “Martin has given them hope,” his manager Max reflects.

Recovery from bipolar disorder is not linear. There are relapses, side effects, misdiagnoses, and emotional wear-and-tear. Just as Martin planned a 200-kilometer walk to Zwolle to symbolize his healing, he was halted by a sudden joint infection. Life with bipolar disorder is full of such detours—but also full of resilience.

“I think we’re only as limited insofar as we set ourselves limits,” Martin affirms. Even on the hardest days, when depression whispers “you can’t,” Martin insists: “But I can get out of bed. I have arms and legs.”

Why Bipolar Disorder Difficult To Diagnose?

Bipolar disorder remains difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms often mimic or overlap with other mental health conditions, and the cyclical nature of the illness can delay accurate identification. Experts caution against simplistic portrayals or dramatic misrepresentations; understanding the disorder requires nuance. Diagnosis is not about labeling a mood but recognizing patterns over time.

Managing and Recognizing Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Effective management doesn't aim to "fix" moods but to achieve long-term stability through consistent, personalized care. A strategic blend of medical, psychological, and lifestyle interventions is often necessary.

Awareness is the first line of defense. Identifying triggers or shifts early can prevent a full-blown episode.

Track Mood Patterns: Use journaling or digital mood tracking apps to observe changes and trends over time.

Sleep as a Signal: Disruptions in sleep—whether insomnia or excessive sleep—can precede mood shifts.

Watch Energy Levels: Notice any significant increases in energy or physical agitation, or conversely, unexplained fatigue.

Daily Life Hacks for Stability

Small, consistent habits can build a powerful foundation for mental health.

Establish a Routine: Regular sleep, wake, and meal times help regulate the body’s natural rhythms.

Build a Support System: Involvement from trusted friends, family, and peer support groups (like NAMI) can be crucial in maintaining emotional balance.

Avoid Triggers: Minimize or eliminate stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs, which can exacerbate mood fluctuations.

Treatment

Professional support is vital. A combination of therapies can offer relief and structure:

Consult a Psychiatrist: A mental health specialist can make a formal diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

Engage in Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), family-focused therapy, and interpersonal therapy are effective tools.

Adhere to Medications: Commonly prescribed medications include mood stabilizers (like lithium), anticonvulsants, and atypical antipsychotics—tailored to each patient’s needs.

Living with bipolar disorder is not about extremes—it’s about everything in between. It’s about learning to surf the waves instead of drowning in them. It’s about telling your story, even when your voice shakes. And most of all, it’s about rewriting the narrative around mental illness—from fear to understanding, from stigma to solidarity.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm, also called an arrhythmia and can create blood clots in the heart, which can increase your risk of having a stroke by five times.

When a person has AFib, the normal beating in the upper chambers of the heart (the two atria) is irregular and blood doesn't flow as well as it should from the atria to the lower chambers of the heart (the two ventricles).

In this case, the risk of developing blood clots in your heart increases, which can not only cause a heart attack but also damage vital organs such as your brain. An AFib may happen in brief episodes, or it may be a permanent condition.

Common symptoms include palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing, pounding, fluttering or like you have missed heartbeats), chest pain, finding it harder to exercise, tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness or feeling faint.

READ MORE: You Can Stop A Heart Attack With This Medicine, Cardiologist Reveals Heart Attack 101

The death rate from AFib as the primary or a contributing cause of death has been rising for more than two decades.

Over 454,000 people with AFib are hospitalized in the US each year, out of which 158,000 die of the cause. It is estimated that 12.1 million people in the US will have AFib in the US will have AFib by 2050.

Who Is At Risk Of Having AFib?

• Advancing age.
• High blood pressure.
• Obesity.
• European ancestry.
• Diabetes.
• Heart failure.
• Ischemic heart disease.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Chronic kidney disease.
• Moderate to heavy alcohol use.
• Smoking.
• Enlargement of the chambers on the left side of the heart.

Treatment for AFib includes medications to control the heart's rhythm and rate, therapy to shock the heart back to a regular rhythm and procedures to block faulty heart signals.

A person with atrial fibrillation also may have a related heart rhythm disorder called atrial flutter. The treatments for AFib and atrial flutter are similar.

How To Improve Your Heart Health

Experts recommend following the below to reduce yor risk of stroke or developing AFib and maintaining heart health:

• Don't smoke or use tobacco.
• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity (or an equal combination of both) each week. Eat a heart-healthy diet.
• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Get quality sleep.
• Manage stress levels
• Get regular health screening tests.
• Eat a fiber, nuts and fish-rich diet
• Limit salt intake
• Reduce saturated fat intake

Changes in your voice, whether in tone, volume, speed or overall quality, can act as early warning signs for a wide range of medical conditions, experts say.

Your voice is produced by the coordinated effort of your respiratory system, vocal cords (also called vocal folds), and the resonating chambers of your throat, mouth, and nose. Even subtle shifts in hormone levels, hydration status or tissue health can noticeably affect how you sound.

Recent research shows that subtle changes in speech, for example, slurring or vocal cord tremors, may be signs of disease or illness like Parkinson’s disease, depression, cardiac and mental health problems, as speech requires coordination with the brain, muscles and respiratory system.

Which Conditions Can You Identify By A Change In Voice?

• Diabetes: High-pitched, raspy voices or vocal strain can be linked to diabetes, with AI studies showing up to 75% accuracy in prediction.
• Cardiovascular Disease: Voice analysis can detect high, fluttering voices associated with coronary artery disease, caused by stress or fluid changes in the vocal cords.
• Hypothyroidism: A deeper, softer, or huskier voice can indicate thyroid dysfunction.
• Respiratory Illnesses: Conditions like COVID-19 or COPD are often associated with a breathy voice, coughing, and short, interrupted sentences.
• Throat Cancer: Persistent hoarseness and raspy voice, especially lasting more than 2-3 weeks, can indicate laryngeal cancer.
• Parkinson’s Disease: Identified by a monotone voice, reduced volume, increased breathiness, and vocal cord tremors.
• Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia: Characterized by slower speech rates, hesitation, frequent pauses, and simplified vocabulary/sentence structure.
• Stroke or Brain Injury: Indicated by slurred speech or difficulty finding words (global aphasia).
• Cerebellar Disorders (caused by damage to the nerves in the brain's cerebellum): Manifest as loud, staccato speech (bursts of broken sounds).
• Depression: Linked to a flatter, softer, and more monotone voice with a reduced pitch range.
• Anxiety/Stress: Often presents as a higher-pitched, faster, and more tremulous voice.
• Schizophrenia: Indicated by monotone, disorganized speech.

What Else Can Affect Your Voice?

Apart from serious medical conditions, voice changes may also be linked to aging and lifestyle factors. Fluctuations in testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormone levels may also influence the structure and function of the vocal cords.

Dehydration is one of the most common causes of voice problems, as cords need adequate moisture to vibrate efficiently. Aim for at least 64 ounces of water daily, and more if you use your voice professionally or live in a dry climate.

Smoking irritates and inflames the vocal cords, causing chronic hoarseness and increasing the risk of vocal cord cancer. Even secondhand smoke and vaping can affect voice quality.

Diet also plays a role in vocal health. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics that can dehydrate your vocal cords. Spicy foods and acidic beverages may trigger reflux, irritating the throat.

Dairy products can increase mucus production in some people, affecting voice clarity. Voice overuse or misuse, common in teachers, singers, and public speakers, can lead to vocal fatigue and damage. The following table compares how different lifestyle factors impact your voice.

How Can You Take Care Of Your Voice?

Whether the cause is hormonal changes, medical conditions, aging, or lifestyle factors, most voice problems can be improved with proper diagnosis and treatment. Here are some things you can do to take care:

• Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day and using a humidifier in dry environments
• Warm up your voice before extended speaking or singing with gentle humming or lip trills
• Avoid shouting or whispering, both of which strain the vocal cords
• Take voice breaks during prolonged speaking to prevent fatigue
• Manage stress through relaxation techniques, as tension affects voice quality
• Treat allergies and sinus problems promptly to reduce postnasal drip
• Maintain good posture to support optimal breathing and voice production

Living under constant psychosocial stress can significantly raise the risk of developing dementia and a stroke, a JAMA Network study suggests.

Psychosocial stress is a type of stress related to our relationships with others, usually arising from feeling judged, excluded, or not enough in others' eyes. It can also put a person in fight-or-flight mode, causing both mental and physical symptoms.

According to Chinese researchers, people who experience this form of stress in childhood as well as adulthood face more than a threefold higher risk of developing dementia compared with those in other groups.

Similarly, young people experiencing stressful situations in their adulthood had a significantly higher risk of stroke incidence that their counterparts.

Based on these results, the study highlights that early identification of psychosocial stressors, combined with effective mental health support and depression prevention, may reduce the long-term burden of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disease.

What Did The Study Find?

The scientists defined adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as traumatic exposures occurring during childhood, typically grouped into 3 categories: household dysfunction, social dysfunction and family death or disability.

On the other hand, traumatic exposures occurring during adulthood were defined as adverse adult experiences (AAEs), which include events such as the death of a child, lifetime discrimination, ever being confined to bed, ever being hospitalized for a month or longer and ever leaving a job due to health conditions.

While analyzing the data they collected from the participants, the researchers also found that depression partly explained the links in all major relationships as it accounted for more than one-third of the connection between childhood adversity and dementia, and about one-fifth of the link between adulthood adversity and both dementia and stroke.

READ MORE: Avoid Doing These 3 Things Prevent Dementia, According To Neurologist

These findings suggest that long-term psychological stress may lead to brain and blood vessel diseases by causing ongoing emotional distress, unhealthy behaviours, and biological changes like inflammation and abnormal stress responses.

Psychosocial Stress: An Unseen Form Of Stress

Psychosocial stress can trigger physiological responses like increased heart rate, cortisol secretion, and inflammation, significantly increasing risks for hypertension, cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders.

This kind of stress can affect men, women, and people of all genders differently, but many of the symptoms are still the same. Common symptoms include:

• Sweating
• An increase in blood pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Nausea and digestive problems
• Strong emotional reactions such as sadness or irritability
• Drug or alcohol abuse

These symptoms can be acute or chronic, meaning for some people they go away, and for others, they persist over a long period of time. Meeting with a therapist is often recommended for those living with chronic stress.

Experts typically suggest developing coping mechanisms include building support networks, utilizing relaxation techniques, and, in cases of severe mental impact, seeking professional support to help deal with psychosocial stress.