Four Men. One Bipolar Mind

Louise Barnett spent 15 years living through extreme highs and devastating lows without knowing she had bipolar I disorder. She chased relationships, drugs, alcohol, and anything else that could quiet the noise in her mind.

Louise joins me to talk about her memoir, Tainted Love, and the four relationships that became chapters of her life. We talk addiction, mania, depression, motherhood, attachment, self-sabotage, sobriety, and what it actually feels like to live with bipolar disorder.

Check Out Louise: 

→ Website

→ Instagram

→ Facebook

→ LinkedIn

→ TikTok

→ Amazon

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On This Episode We Cover: 

→ 00:00:00 - Introduction 

→ 00:01:38 - What does living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder actually feel like?

→ 00:02:59 - How did growing up Mormon impact her life? 

→ 00:05:15 - Why did substances become a way to escape?

→ 00:11:52 - Why can relationships become chapters of our lives?

→ 00:14:49 - What makes us stay in relationships when we're afraid to be alone?

→ 00:16:23 - How did these relationships impact her mental health?

→ 00:21:01 - What happens when the highs suddenly turn into a crash?

→ 00:24:30 - How did pregnancy change her life? 

→ 00:26:39 - What does mania feel like? 

→ 00:31:24 - What was it like the first time she left Patrick? 

→ 00:34:28 - How is gratitude important for healing? 

→ 00:36:21 - What was her inpatient treatment experience like? 

→ 00:39:40 - What happened after she left inpatient therapy? 

→ 00:45:01 - What does motherhood look like while struggling with bipolar disorder?

→ 00:48:36 - What does sobriety change when you're also managing bipolar disorder?

→ 00:51:32 - Can you actually manage bipolar disorder without letting it control your life?

→ 00:55:06 - How do you find self love and challenge feelings of loneliness? 

→ 00:59:22 - Why can learning to sit with yourself change everything?

→ 01:06:29 - How do her life coaching sessions work? 

Further Listening

→ Molested By My Brother

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