What Is Happiness When You Live With Bipolar Disorder?

About this episode

What does happiness actually feel like when you live with bipolar disorder? And how do you know when feeling really good is healthy happiness instead of hypomania or mania? In today’s episode, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar) and Dr. Nicole Washington tackle a deceptively complicated question: Are people with bipolar disorder allowed to chase happiness and excitement, or should they be focused on stability and contentment instead? The conversation gets especially important for people with bipolar disorder who have learned to fear feeling good. If you're used to wondering, “Am I happy, or am I becoming manic?” ordinary excitement can become confusing for you and the people who love you. Listeners Will Learn: Why contentment may matter more than constant happiness How to tell happiness from hypomania or mania Why excitement isn't automatically dangerous Why finding your own definition of happiness matters Bipolar disorder shouldn't mean giving up the fun parts of life. It means learning what happiness looks like for you, recognizing when it may signal something more serious, and finding a healthy middle ground between depression and mania. Listen Now! “I thi