Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get regular commentary and digests on bipolar disorder. Our writing covers the immense challenges and the few silver linings of being diagnosed with one of the world’s less researched mental disorders.
If you are diagnosed with bipolar or supporting someone who is, we hope this newsletter provides a home and community for you, to share ideas and connect with others who have “cracked the code” and those still figuring out the puzzle.
About
Bipolar and Bipartisan is a community for those grappling with bipolar disorder.
The goal is to serve those diagnosed with manic depression and their support system — most especially loved ones, friends, and colleagues. If we’re successful, we may also influence the broader debate about mental health “crisis” and reach other audiences, including policymakers, researchers, and philanthropists.
Our content will be in a variety of formats and cover a wide range of topics: from culture to academia; hospitals to homes; “normal people” like us to celebrities; and, of course, politics.
The publishers – Collier Fernekes and Tyler Fisher — know how much it matters what policies local, state, and national governments adopt. We also know how bad politics can get in the way of good policy, and that bipartisanship and political leadership will ultimately be required to deliver full mental health to individuals, communities, and countries.
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Biography
Tyler Fisher is diagnosed with Bipolar I — the more severe form of manic depression. He was diagnosed in March 2019, and since then has been taking medication, and (too) slowly transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. He has experienced two manic episodes and was in a deep depression for about a year.
Tyler is the Sr. Director of Policy and Partnerships at Unite America, a movement of Democrats, Republicans, and independents working to put voters first by fostering a more representative and functional government. Prior to Unite America he worked for IBM, was a summer fellow at the R Street Institute, interned on Capitol Hill, conducted research on a broad range of topics, and failed at numerous political reform projects.
Tyler is a Canandaigua Brave and George Mason Patriot with undergraduate degrees in Government and Economics. He studied the European Union extensively, especially during a memorable fall semester in Oxford.
He lives in Denver, and enjoys all the outdoor activities: skiing, golf, volleyball, camping, hiking, bike-riding.
Our Values
Bipolar people come first. Whatever we do will serve them — and we hope our work can serve others, especially those with other mental disorders and people providing support to those with mental disorders. If we reach policymakers, researchers, activists, schools, celebrities, philanthropists, and others that’s wonderful, but they are not our primary audience.
Stories Matter. A quick google of “Bipolar Disorder” returns all sorts of medical websites with causes, symptoms, medications, and research updates. What’s missing is stories of real people and lessons learned on what to do (and not do) in a bipolar life.
Policy, Politics, and Leadership Matter. We both are working on reforming American democracy on a bipartisan basis, words that rarely go together. We know that public policy matters to solve the mental health “crisis” we are in. We also know politics often gets in the way of good policy, and that elected officials demonstrating leadership — which does not always mean passing laws — can often matter more.
We can only help others if we help ourselves. If we’re having a busy week or month, you may not hear from us. If we get into a bad mood, we may go silent. Writing and research will be therapeutic to us; pressure to publish more won’t.
Medication is not a silver bullet. Medication is scary; we should meet people where they are at, start them on a dose they can agree to take, and do everything else for them — play board games and do puzzles, read books, drink water, limit coffee and alcohol, see a therapist, spend time with the people they love, and more.
Have a vision for the next ten years and a plan for the next six. Planning is key, plans are worthless. We don’t know where this newsletter may take us, but we’re open minded and curious what our readers think. But, we’re going to get started and see what the world thinks.
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