Launching Bipolar and Bipartisan
Our announcement post shares why we're writing and for whom, the values that will guide our work, ground rules, our biographies, a fact about bipolar, a song recommendation, and a wellness tip.
Hello,
Our names are Collier Ferenkes and Tyler Fisher. We are bipolar. We believe in bipartisanship.
Today, we are launching Bipolar and Bipartisan. Today’s newsletter covers what we’ll write about and why over the coming months. We have one fact about bipolar, a song recommendation, and a wellness tip waiting for you at the end of this post, if you want to skip all of the noise.
Our Hope
We hope Bipolar and Bipartisan will be a community for those wrestling with bipolar disorder:
First and foremost, we hope it will be useful to those diagnosed with bipolar.
Living with this disorder is the hardest thing either of us have done; we want to make it easier for others.
We’re bipolar, too! This newsletter will also be helpful to us! Writing is therapeutic, as is helping others. At the same time, we promise to not overwhelm ourselves with this side hustle, because if our mental health is not good we can’t help others.
Second, we hope it will be helpful to those looking to support bipolar people.
For our family, friends, and colleagues, the facts about the disorder and how to support those diagnosed is as clear as mud.
If we are successful, perhaps we will reach researchers, psychiatrists, therapists, policymakers, philanthropists, activists, schools, universities, organizations, and others.
All of these individuals have an important role to play in sorting out bipolar disorder for individuals, jurisdictions, and the world.
Our Values
We have six values that will guide our writing:
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 are 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 with bipartisan support. The previous sentence is rare! 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 writing won’t.
Have a vision for the next ten years and a plan for the next six months. 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. We’re going to get started and see what the world thinks.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
We haven’t told anyone about this, so they can’t really be frequently asked questions, but here you go:
Q: How often will you publish? When we feel like it, when we have the time for it, and when we think we have something meaningful to say.
Q: How will you write? It will depend on our mood, what information we need to convey, why we’re writing, and what our readers like.
We believe in short brevity, so you’re likely to see short sentences, concise paragraphs, and lots of bullets.
Sidenote #1: Axios has lots to say on the power of saying more with less
We also love infographics, long-form opinion, videos, white papers, blogs, academic journal articles, op-eds, and any other medium that tells stories and conveys information to move minds. So, you’ll see a lot of different things!
Q: What will you write about? Anything that we think will help us and the world better understand bipolar. Here are some blogs ideas we have:
Commending Senator John Fetterman for his leadership in destigmatizing mental health challenges in politics, in America, and across the world.
Reviewing the wonderful new documentary about Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
Sidenote #2: You should watch it! Gomez is bipolar. More on Gomez below.
Comparing medicating bipolar disorder to how the Federal Reserve medicates the economy.
How friends and family can help people with bipolar disorder.
Reflecting on how Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have told their story about their mental health — and specifically how the deterioration of media and the rise of social media has impacted mental health.
Reviewing Andy Dunn’s new book: Burn Out: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. It’s a brave new story about bipolar disorder. Adam Grant says “[It is] arrestingly candid… the most powerful book I’ve read on manic depression since An Unquiet Mind”
Q: Why mix bipolar with the messy-ness of politics? Because politics matters! And we love politics! Politics matters because there’s all sorts of common-sense policy ideas to support people with bipolar — and the politics is getting in the way, at the local, state and federal level. And politics is fun: Election Night is our Super Bowl.
We both believe in bipartisanship. Bipartisanship doesn’t mean moderation, mushy-middle centrism, or picking a non-controversial topic. To us, it means leaders from different political parties finding common ground to solve problems on behalf of citizens.
We need more emphasis on mental health policy! There is a lot that elected officials can do: from parity to funding, from deregulating to new regulations, from the justice system to public education curriculum. There is also a lot our elected leaders can do to make being diagnosed bipolar easier. Policy makers should start by simply making it easier for patients to find an in-network therapist, psychiatrist, and doctor, so that those who want to help themselves can.
And, hey, maybe federal policy makers should start by auditing mental health practices at the VA, so that our veterans – many of whom struggle with PTSD and bipolar disorder – have the services they need.
For Collier, one desirable outcome of our writing would be if even just a handful of elected officials raising their hand to say they are bipolar, to share their story, normalize the disorder, document how they have overcome it, and tell the world the support they need.
Political leadership does not always mean passing laws. It means using stories to impact the country. It means pursuing litigation when public sector actors are breaking laws. It means hosting town halls in districts to hear directly from constituents with mental health problems. And so much more (which we will write about!).
Some Ground Rules
We’ll take care of ourselves first. We can’t help others if we don't take care of ourselves. Writing is cathartic to us, and helping our loved ones and friends understand the disorder is a high priority goal.
We believe in science. There has been lots of research about manic depression, and we hope to share some of it with our readers. We know we’ll make mistakes, and will always make corrections — and we’ll take seriously any errors in mis-reporting the facts (please flag something to us if you think it may be wrong!).
Our readers have to do their share. Our goal is not to make money, like many other writers on Substack. Rather, our goal is to build a community that better understands bipolar disorder, and changes the way individuals who are diagnosed, their families, and their workplaces are handling management of the disorder. That means you have to do work, too! We want you to share this newsletter with others, to hear your feedback and questions, including in the comments section, so that we know what’s on your mind as you read.
Sidenote #5: For now, we do not have a “paid subscription” model like others writing on Substack. If you see payment options, ignore them for now or offer to “pledge” a subscription amount if we ever decide to offer a paid version.
Our opinions and words are ours, no one else’s. We both work for (incredible) organizations, but our commentary does not reflect their views. Anything we write is our view of the mental health “crisis”, our story, and our best understanding of the facts related to Bipolar Disorder.
Sidenote #6: Maybe let’s stop calling it a “crisis. Instead of using language that assumes that there’s something inherently wrong with people with mental health problems, let’s start talking about how they are unique, how they see the world, and how their brains work.
About Us
We wrote some biographies, so our readers know who we are:
Collier Fernekes is a research analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Digital Democracy Project. She works on issues related to technology platforms and their implications for democracy, trust and safety, authoritative information dissemination, and content moderation issues. She collaborates with platforms, civil society groups, and other outside stakeholders to create recommendations on how democracy can thrive in the digital age. Other interests include election administration policy and congressional procedure.
Diagnosed with Bipolar II in 2021, there was a sense of relief as well as anxiety about her diagnosis. It explained a great deal of the issues she struggled with for many years, but the implications of being bipolar tend to have an extremely negative connotation, especially in the workplace. After a long journey of medication adjustments, intensive therapy, and many ups and downs, she finally experiences some of the light at the end of the tunnel. Some days and weeks are harder than others, but she is still happy to be standing here today.
She is originally from Birmingham, Alabama, and received her Bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in American Government and Public Policy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She enjoys hiking, C-SPAN, and spending time with her dogs Gloria and Azula.
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 study abroad semester at Oxford University.
He lives in Denver, and enjoys all the outdoor activities: skiing, golf, volleyball, camping, hiking, bike-riding.
Bipolar Roundup
The final section of each of our newsletters will share a few tidbits on Bipolar Disorder, often starting with a fact about the disease we are both diagnosed with. We’ll share recommendations for songs, podcasts, documentaries, and movies. We’ll tell you about famous people with bipolar disorder. And occasionally we’ll share a wellness tip that everyone can use, not just those with bipolar disorder.
Today, we have a fact, song recommendation, and wellness tip.
One fact about Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar Disorder is also known as Manic Depression.
According to the Alvarado Parkway Institute, “The term ‘bipolar disorder’ was first introduced during the third revision of the DSM in 1980, when psychiatrists agreed to do away with the term ‘manic-depressive.’ Using the word, ‘manic’ often led patients to be described as ‘maniacs,’ a label fraught with stigma and judgment.”
Read more about the history of the disorder.
Sidenote #7: DSM = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals in the United States and much of the world as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. DSM contains descriptions, symptoms and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.
One song to listen to: Selena Gomez’s “My Mind & Me”
One of Collier’s favorite artists is Szelena Gomez, who has recently opened up about her battle with bipolar disorder. We recommend this song, and these lyrics resonate particularly with both of us. In writing this newsletter, we hope others who are hurting will feel a little less lost.
“It's hard to talk and feel heard when you always feel like a burden
Don't wanna add to concern, I know they already got
But if I pull back the curtain, then maybe someone who's hurtin'Will be a little more certain, they're not the only one lost”
One wellness tip: Try to start each day with a walk.
10 minutes will do. Leave your phone at home.
Writing about the science of sleep, Dekala notes: “The human body has been made in a pattern and conditioned to wake up as the sun rises and provides light.” For thousands of years, human beings woke up to sunlight. It’s also how nearly every other animal on the planet wakes up.
Then, all of a sudden, we started waking up to alarm clocks. Then, even more quickly, we all started waking up to our phones. That’s not good, because it’s now how our brains are wired to work. We’re supposed to wake up to the sun, not a loud alarm that we press snooze on.
We can fix this problem! Doing so can help everyone’s mental health, not just those with bipolar disorder. Getting a walk in each morning can help you wake up like humans supposed to. Of course, modern life does require that we wake up on time occasionally.
Read the Dekala article to learn more and see four options of alarm clocks that wake you up with light, not sirens.
The End
If you made it this far, thank you! We appreciate you reading along. If you found the content informative, let us know in the comments below and let someone in your life know to subscribe.
Sincerely,
Collier & Tyler
nt to skip all of the noise.
Our Hope
We hope Bipolar and Bipartisan will be a community for those wrestling with bipolar disorder:
First and foremost, we hope it will be useful to those diagnosed with bipolar.
Living with this disorder is the hardest thing either of us have done; we want to make it easier for others.
We’re bipolar, too! This newsletter will also be helpful to us! Writing is therapeutic, as is helping others. At the same time, we promise to not overwhelm ourselves with this side hustle, because if our mental health is not good we can’t help others.
Second, we hope it will be helpful to those looking to support bipolar people.
For our family, friends, and colleagues, the facts about the disorder and how to support those diagnosed is as clear as mud.
If we are successful, perhaps we will reach researchers, psychiatrists, therapists, policymakers, philanthropists, activists, schools, universities, organizations, and others.
All of these individuals have an important role to play in sorting out bipolar disorder for individuals, jurisdictions, and the world.
Our Values
We have six values that will guide our writing:
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 are 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 with bipartisan support. The previous sentence is rare! 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 writing won’t.
Have a vision for the next ten years and a plan for the next six months. 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. We’re going to get started and see what the world thinks.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
We haven’t told anyone about this, so they can’t really be frequently asked questions, but here you go:
Q: How often will you publish? When we feel like it, when we have the time for it, and when we think we have something meaningful to say.
Q: How will you write? It will depend on our mood, what information we need to convey, why we’re writing, and what our readers like.
We believe in short brevity, so you’re likely to see short sentences, concise paragraphs, and lots of bullets.
Sidenote #1: Axios has lots to say on the power of saying more with less
We also love infographics, long-form opinion, videos, white papers, blogs, academic journal articles, op-eds, and any other medium that tells stories and conveys information to move minds. So, you’ll see a lot of different things!
Q: What will you write about? Anything that we think will help us and the world better understand bipolar. Here are some blogs ideas we have:
Commending Senator John Fetterman for his leadership in destigmatizing mental health challenges in politics, in America, and across the world.
Reviewing the wonderful new documentary about Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
Sidenote #2: You should watch it! Gomez is bipolar. More on Gomez below.
Comparing medicating bipolar disorder to how the Federal Reserve medicates the economy.
How friends and family can help people with bipolar disorder.
Reflecting on how Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have told their story about their mental health — and specifically how the deterioration of media and the rise of social media has impacted mental health.
Reviewing Andy Dunn’s new book: Burn Out: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. It’s a brave new story about bipolar disorder. Adam Grant says “[It is] arrestingly candid… the most powerful book I’ve read on manic depression since An Unquiet Mind”
Q: Why mix bipolar with the messy-ness of politics? Because politics matters! And we love politics! Politics matters because there’s all sorts of common-sense policy ideas to support people with bipolar — and the politics is getting in the way, at the local, state and federal level. And politics is fun: Election Night is our Super Bowl.
We both believe in bipartisanship. Bipartisanship doesn’t mean moderation, mushy-middle centrism, or picking a non-controversial topic. To us, it means leaders from different political parties finding common ground to solve problems on behalf of citizens.
We need more emphasis on mental health policy! There is a lot that elected officials can do: from parity to funding, from deregulating to new regulations, from the justice system to public education curriculum. There is also a lot our elected leaders can do to make being diagnosed bipolar easier. Policy makers should start by simply making it easier for patients to find an in-network therapist, psychiatrist, and doctor, so that those who want to help themselves can.
And, hey, maybe federal policy makers should start by auditing mental health practices at the VA, so that our veterans – many of whom struggle with PTSD and bipolar disorder – have the services they need.
For Collier, one desirable outcome of our writing would be if even just a handful of elected officials raising their hand to say they are bipolar, to share their story, normalize the disorder, document how they have overcome it, and tell the world the support they need.
Political leadership does not always mean passing laws. It means using stories to impact the country. It means pursuing litigation when public sector actors are breaking laws. It means hosting town halls in districts to hear directly from constituents with mental health problems. And so much more (which we will write about!).
Some Ground Rules
We’ll take care of ourselves first. We can’t help others if we don't take care of ourselves. Writing is cathartic to us, and helping our loved ones and friends understand the disorder is a high priority goal.
We believe in science. There has been lots of research about manic depression, and we hope to share some of it with our readers. We know we’ll make mistakes, and will always make corrections — and we’ll take seriously any errors in mis-reporting the facts (please flag something to us if you think it may be wrong!).
Our readers have to do their share. Our goal is not to make money, like many other writers on Substack. Rather, our goal is to build a community that better understands bipolar disorder, and changes the way individuals who are diagnosed, their families, and their workplaces are handling management of the disorder. That means you have to do work, too! We want you to share this newsletter with others, to hear your feedback and questions, including in the comments section, so that we know what’s on your mind as you read.
Sidenote #5: For now, we do not have a “paid subscription” model like others writing on Substack. If you see payment options, ignore them for now or offer to “pledge” a subscription amount if we ever decide to offer a paid version.
Our opinions and words are ours, no one else’s. We both work for (incredible) organizations, but our commentary does not reflect their views. Anything we write is our view of the mental health “crisis”, our story, and our best understanding of the facts related to Bipolar Disorder.
Sidenote #6: Maybe let’s stop calling it a “crisis. Instead of using language that assumes that there’s something inherently wrong with people with mental health problems, let’s start talking about how they are unique, how they see the world, and how their brains work.
About Us
We wrote some biographies, so our readers know who we are:
Collier Fernekes is a research analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Digital Democracy Project. She works on issues related to technology platforms and their implications for democracy, trust and safety, authoritative information dissemination, and content moderation issues. She collaborates with platforms, civil society groups, and other outside stakeholders to create recommendations on how democracy can thrive in the digital age. Other interests include election administration policy and congressional procedure.
Diagnosed with Bipolar II in 2021, there was a sense of relief as well as anxiety about her diagnosis. It explained a great deal of the issues she struggled with for many years, but the implications of being bipolar tend to have an extremely negative connotation, especially in the workplace. After a long journey of medication adjustments, intensive therapy, and many ups and downs, she finally experiences some of the light at the end of the tunnel. Some days and weeks are harder than others, but she is still happy to be standing here today.
She is originally from Birmingham, Alabama, and received her Bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in American Government and Public Policy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She enjoys hiking, C-SPAN, and spending time with her dogs Gloria and Azula.
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 study abroad semester at Oxford University.
He lives in Denver, and enjoys all the outdoor activities: skiing, golf, volleyball, camping, hiking, bike-riding.
Bipolar Roundup
The final section of each of our newsletters will share a few tidbits on Bipolar Disorder, often starting with a fact about the disease we are both diagnosed with. We’ll share recommendations for songs, podcasts, documentaries, and movies. We’ll tell you about famous people with bipolar disorder. And occasionally we’ll share a wellness tip that everyone can use, not just those with bipolar disorder.
Today, we have a fact, song recommendation, and wellness tip.
One fact about Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar Disorder is also known as Manic Depression.
According to the Alvarado Parkway Institute, “The term ‘bipolar disorder’ was first introduced during the third revision of the DSM in 1980, when psychiatrists agreed to do away with the term ‘manic-depressive.’ Using the word, ‘manic’ often led patients to be described as ‘maniacs,’ a label fraught with stigma and judgment.”
Read more about the history of the disorder.
Sidenote #7: DSM = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals in the United States and much of the world as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. DSM contains descriptions, symptoms and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.
One song to listen to: Selena Gomez’s “My Mind & Me”
One of Collier’s favorite artists is Szelena Gomez, who has recently opened up about her battle with bipolar disorder. We recommend this song, and these lyrics resonate particularly with both of us. In writing this newsletter, we hope others who are hurting will feel a little less lost.
“It's hard to talk and feel heard when you always feel like a burden
Don't wanna add to concern, I know they already got
But if I pull back the curtain, then maybe someone who's hurtin'Will be a little more certain, they're not the only one lost”
One wellness tip: Try to start each day with a walk.
10 minutes will do. Leave your phone at home.
Writing about the science of sleep, Dekala notes: “The human body has been made in a pattern and conditioned to wake up as the sun rises and provides light.” For thousands of years, human beings woke up to sunlight. It’s also how nearly every other animal on the planet wakes up.
Then, all of a sudden, we started waking up to alarm clocks. Then, even more quickly, we all started waking up to our phones. That’s not good, because it’s now how our brains are wired to work. We’re supposed to wake up to the sun, not a loud alarm that we press snooze on.
We can fix this problem! Doing so can help everyone’s mental health, not just those with bipolar disorder. Getting a walk in each morning can help you wake up like humans supposed to. Of course, modern life does require that we wake up on time occasionally.
Read the Dekala article to learn more and see four options of alarm clocks that wake you up with light, not sirens.
The End
If you made it this far, thank you! We appreciate you reading along. If you found the content informative, let us know in the comments below and let someone in your life know to subscribe.
Sincerely,
Collier & Tyler
Happy to continue to learn more about both Bipolar and Bipartisanship from you both. I’m sure your efforts will make a positive impact on many. Best wishes for good health and building a strong community.