Stories
Real experiences — famous names and everyday lives — all carrying the same message: this is survivable, and more than survivable.
Read the stories →Living well with bipolar disorder is more common than you've been told.
Real stories of people who've built full lives. Resources to help you build yours. And the research working to catch episodes earlier.
People who've spoken openly about living with bipolar disorderMariah Carey · MusicianCarrie Fisher · Actor & writerStephen Fry · WriterCatherine Zeta-Jones · ActorTed Turner · Founder, CNNKay Redfield Jamison · PsychologistGregg Martin · U.S. Army general (ret.)
"I planned my whole life around not being found out. The day I finally said it out loud, the planning stopped — and the living started."
M
Marcus41 · Bipolar I · diagnosed at 33
A story worth reading
I built my life around a secret. Telling it set me free.
A story about disclosure, career, and what changed when the secret came down.
Why this exists
We're here to change the story people tell about bipolar disorder.
Too many people hear “bipolar” and picture the worst day of someone's life. We'd rather show you the fuller picture: people who were terrified the diagnosis would cost them everything — their careers, their relationships, their sense of who they were — and who went on to build lives worth keeping. Sharing those stories is how stigma loses its grip.
Find what you came for.
Resources
Plain-language guides, a curated reading list, crisis help, and printable tools to take to your next appointment.
Browse resources →BipolarAware
A passive early-warning app that watches for the signs of a mood episode before it takes hold — so you can act earlier.
See how it works →Research
We're testing whether subtle, passive signals can predict mood episodes earlier than today's tools. You can help.
Join the research →The app
What if you could see an episode coming?
Mood episodes are easier to manage when you catch them early — but the early signs are easy to miss in the moment. BipolarAware runs quietly in the background, learning your patterns and flagging the subtle shifts that tend to come before an episode. No constant logging. No effort on a hard day.
Help the science
Help us find the signal sooner.
We're researching whether passive signals — the kind a phone or wearable can pick up — can flag a mood episode earlier than current methods do. If it works, it could give people days of warning instead of none.
Joining starts with a conversation, not a commitment. Participation always requires your informed consent, and the research is conducted under appropriate oversight.
Find people who get it.
Connecting with others who understand bipolar disorder can be steadying in a way little else is. We'll point you to warm, active peer communities — including the Bipolar Social Club — and to trusted organizations that run support groups across the country.
Bipolar Social ClubDBSAIntl. Bipolar FoundationNAMI988 Lifeline
Books that helped.
Memoirs, practical guides, and the science — including books by members of our own community.
Need support right now?
If you're in crisis, please reach out. Help is available 24/7.