Emily Mendez

Website

Emily Mendez Emily Mendez is a former therapist, WebMD author, and mental health writer living with bipolar disorder.

On this page, you'll find honest stories and research-backed strategies to help you navigate life with bipolar šŸ’™

09/20/2026

The Sunday Scaries are a little different over here. šŸ˜¬

Anyone else?

Are you a night owl? šŸ¦‰ I definitely am.Thereā€™s an interesting connection between bipolar disorder and being a night owl....
09/16/2026

Are you a night owl? šŸ¦‰ I definitely am.

Thereā€™s an interesting connection between bipolar disorder and being a night owl. Studies have shown that 1 in 4 people with bipolar disorder have a late evening preference or are ā€œNight Owls.

So, why is that? It has to do with our circadian rhythms, or internal body clocks.

Research suggests that circadian rhythms can be shifted later in people with bipolar disorder. These rhythms help regulate when we feel sleepy and awake. They are also connected to things like daily activity and mood.

The mood connection has been shown in studies as well. In one study of adults with bipolar I or II, people who identified as ā€œnight owls,ā€ or having late chronotypes, were more likely to experience depressive symptoms over 5 years.

This doesnā€™t mean being a night owl causes depression. But it adds to growing research showing how closely circadian rhythms, sleep, and bipolar disorder are connected.

I have a delayed sleep schedule myself, so this research really caught my attention. I naturally fall asleep and wake up much later than most people.

What about you: šŸ¦‰night owl or šŸ¦ early bird?

Sources:
Melo et al., J Affect Disord. (2020)
Vidafar et al., Int J Bipolar Disord. (2021)

09/14/2026

We tell people to go to therapy. Take care of your mental health. Take your medication. The conversation can sound very different when a person has a psychotic disorder or something other than anxiety or depression. Both of those things are important. Iā€™m not diminishing either of them.

BUT, at the same time, psychotic disorders need the same advocacy and care. Taking an antipsychotic doesnā€™t make someone dangerous or unstable. Yet, I have seen recent videos on YouTube where people with psychotic disorders are referred to as ā€œBatsh*t Crazy.ā€

We canā€™t say we support mental health treatment while continuing to stigmatize some of the treatments people need.

Have you noticed the stigma around antipsychotics or psychotic disorders in general?

09/13/2026

Money canā€™t buy happiness, but it can buy a psychiatrist who knows how to adjust the mood stabilizers.

09/10/2026

The last time I was hospitalized, I ran right into a former colleague I worked closely with in the past. I was in a full manic state, racing thoughts, talking a mile a minute. I was a different person compared to my normal professional self.

In the moment, he was nothing but kind, patient, and nonjudgmental. But the moment I was discharged and the mania cleared, the panic set in.

What did he actually think when he saw me like that? Was he quietly judging me? Did he tell other people we worked with what had happened?

In mental health, there is a culture of silence around our own struggles. We are trained to be the calm in the storm, making it feel almost forbidden to be the one needing help. Being seen in that state by someone who knew me as polished and steady felt very uncomfortable.

Iā€™m not a therapist anymore, but Iā€™m still unlearning the myth that having a crisis doesnā€™t make you less competent.

If you are in the mental health or medical field, comment if you have felt this too.

09/09/2026

There are parts of a severe manic episode that are hard to explain unless youā€™ve lived through one. And then thereā€™s the aftermath: slowly remembering what you said, what you did, who you talked to, and trying to make sense of it all.

Some of these make me laugh now. Others were much harder to come to terms with.

What would you add to this list? šŸ–¤

09/07/2026

Apparently I just havenā€™t tried the right supplements yet. šŸ™ƒ

Iā€™ve had people tell me that if I heal my gut, I wouldnā€™t need meds anymore. Lifestyle changes and nutrition absolutely matter when it comes to bipolar. But they are not replacements for evidence-based treatments.

Does anyone else get tired of hearing about these ā€œcuresā€

08/31/2026

Every time someone asks how old I am, I just think: Iā€™m this old.

Old enough to have survived childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood without Googleā€¦ and somehow lived to tell the tale. šŸ˜‚

Gen Xers, what do you remember about the 80s?

Address

Indianapolis, IN
46203

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Emily Mendez posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category