Are you familiar with bipolar disorder? It’s a chronic mental health condition characterized by periods of mania (intense high energy and reduced need for sleep) that frequently occur alongside periods of severe depression (low energy and mood).

Previously referred to as manic depression, it’s a disease that impacts roughly 40 million people globally. And many of them face significant stigma.

We’re spreading awareness through the words of those who confront condition. Below are seventeen quotes that illustrate living with the bipolar disorder.

Quotes Illustrating Life with Bipolar Disorder

Quote 1: One of the things so bad about bipolar disorder is that if you don’t have prior awareness, you don’t have any idea what hit you. – Unknown

Quote 2: Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough. – Unknown

Quote 3: Mania starts off fun—not sleeping for days, keeping company with your brain, which has become a wonderful computer, showing 24 TV channels all about you. That goes horribly wrong after a while. – Carrie Fisher

Quote 4: And suddenly, I felt really tired, like the world had drained me of everything that I had. – Unknown

Quote 5: I yearned to get better. I told myself I was getting better. In fact, the depression was still there, like a powerful undertow. Sometimes it grabbed me, yanked me under; other times, I swam free. – Tracy Thompson

Quote 6: The mania is like wasps under the skin, like my head’s going to explode with ideas. – Alice Weaver Flaherty

Quote 7: And sometimes I just need to be alone, so I can cry without being judged, so I can think without being interrupted, so I don’t bring anyone else down with me. – Unknown

Quote 8: Do I fear the sleepless nights? You have no idea how long the dark lasts when you cannot close your eyes to it. – Tyler Knott Gregson

Quote 9: The mania started with insomnia and not eating and being driven, driven to find an apartment, driven to see everybody, driven to do New York, driven to never shut up. – Patty Duke

Quote 10: Depression is a painfully slow, crashing death. Mania is the other extreme, a wild roller coaster run off its tracks. – Unknown

Quote 11: It’s having the motivation to change the world one moment, then not having the motivation to wash yourself. – Unknown

Quote 12: I am good for a while. I’ll talk more, laugh more, sleep and eat normally. But then something happens, like a switch turns off somewhere, and all I am left with is the darkness of my mind. – Unknown

Quote 13: At night, I used to lay in bed crying. Now, I just lay there with a blank expression on my face. I never thought I’d get used to feeling this way, but I did. – Unknown

Quote 14: Sometimes, even to live is an act of courage. – Seneca

Quote 15: Suicide too often results from the impulsive nature and physical speed of mania coupled with depression’s paranoid self-loathing. – Unknown

Quote 16: I’m fine, but I’m bipolar. I’m on seven medications, and I take medication three times a day. This constantly puts me in touch with the illness I have. I’m never quite allowed to be free of that for a day. It’s like being a diabetic. – Carrie Fisher

Quote 17: Bipolar disorder can be a great teacher. It’s a challenge, but it can set you up to be able to do almost anything else in your life. – Carrie Fisher

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“It’s a disease that both kills and gives life. Fire, by its very nature, both creates and destroys. Mania is a strange and driving force—a destroyer—a fire in the blood.” — Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison

Have you heard of bipolar disorder? It’s a mood disorder and, to this day, is still somewhat shrouded in mystery. Yet, it impacts roughly 3% of people in the United States every year alone.

Frequently referred to as manic-depression, bipolar disorder is characterized by prolonged periods of marked “highs” (mania or hypomania) followed by depressive “lows” (depression) and often periods of symptom remission between cycles.

While stress can trigger an episode of mania or depression, it cannot cause the disorder. Instead, underlying genetics are thought to be key to the condition.

Check out the video below to learn more:

The presence of mania or hypomania distinguishes bipolar disorder from unipolar depression.

Manic Episode

“Restless, fiery, aggressive, visionary, and impatient with the status quo.” — Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison

A manic episode is a period of at least one week when someone is extremely high-spirited or irritable most of the day for most days, possesses more energy than usual, and experiences at least three of the following changes in behavior:

Some people experiencing manic episodes also experience disorganized thinking, false beliefs, and/or hallucinations, known as psychotic features.

Hypomania

A hypomanic episode is characterized by less severe manic symptoms that need last only four days in a row rather than a week. As a result, it doesn’t lead to the significant problems in daily functioning that mania commonly causes.

In fact, hypomania is often associated with increased productivity and other positive characteristics. But left untreated, it can result in full-blown mania, which may become dangerous and require hospitalization or be followed by long bouts of depression.

Major Depressive Episode

“Passive, sensitive, dependent, and with limited aspirations.” — Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison

A major depressive episode is a period of at least two weeks in which a person has at least five of the following symptoms, including at least one of the first two listed:

People with bipolar disorder experience a range of symptoms, resulting in different variations of the disease, with the most common diagnoses being bipolar type one and two.

Bipolar 1

Characterized by extreme highs alongside lows (full-blown mania that may require hospitalization).

Bipolar 2

Involves briefer, less extreme periods of elation (hypomania) interspersed with long periods of depression.

Treatment Outcomes

With medication, bipolar disorder is treatable but not cured.

Therapy centered around education on identifying mood episode triggers, and lifestyle adjustments, such as regular exercise, can help those with the illness navigate symptoms. However, neither are a substitute for medication.

Many living with bipolar disorder thrive—not despite it, but because of it— “contributing a great deal of energy, fire, enthusiasm, and imagination to the people and world around them.”

Sadly, the condition is often misdiagnosed and stigmatized—those with it can receive poor, if any, psychiatric treatment and are at high risk for suicide.

Moreover, many refuse medication altogether due to side effects and fear that it will “dim their emotions and destroy creativity.”

Experiencing mixed episodes—periods marked by symptoms of both mania and depression—put those with bipolar disorder at heightened risk for suicide, with up to 1 in 5 people with the condition ultimately ending their life.

Warning Signs of Suicide

The behaviors listed below may be some of the signs that someone is thinking about suicide.

Talking about:

• Wanting to die
• Great guilt or shame
• Being a burden to others

Feeling:

• Empty, hopeless, trapped, or having no reason to live
• Extremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage
• Unbearable emotional or physical pain

Changing behavior, such as:

• Making a plan or researching ways to die
• Withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will
• Taking dangerous risks such as driving extremely fast
• Displaying extreme mood swings
• Eating or sleeping more or less
• Using drugs or alcohol more often

If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Dial 988

Crisis Text Line
Text “HELLO” to 741741

Want to Learn More?

Check out the rest of our blog and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Instagram at @ybgr_cares, and Facebook at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

Quotes pulled from An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison.

It’s heavy—depression. I mean, it weighs you down. And in February 2022, U.S. Census Bureau data showed that nearly one-third of Americans were grappling with symptoms of it.

May’s about mental health, and we’re on a mission to bust stigma through spreading awareness. And today, we’re taking a closer look at depression. Below are sixteen powerful quotes that portray living with the condition.

Quotes Portraying Life with Depression

Trigger warning: These quotes touch on the topic of suicide.

Quote 1: You say you’re ‘depressed’ — all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective — it just means you’re human. – David Mitchell

Quote 2: What does depression feel like? You don’t want to live, but you don’t want to die. You don’t want to talk to anyone, but you feel very lonely. You wake up in the morning and simply wait for the night to come. – Unknown

Quote 3: And something inside me just broke. That’s the only way I could describe it. – Ranata Suzuki

Quote 4: Depression is such a cruel punishment. There are no fevers, no rashes, no blood tests to send people scurrying in concern, just the slow erosion of self, as insidious as cancer. And like cancer, it is essentially a solitary experience, a room in hell with only your name on the door. – Unknown

Quote 5: Depression is feeling like you’ve lost something but having no clue when or where you last had it. Then, one day you realize what you lost was yourself. – Unknown

Quote 6: I wanted to write down exactly what I felt, but somehow the paper stayed empty, and I could not have described it any better. – WTM

Quote 7: Nobody ever tells you that emptiness weighs the most. – Unknown

Quote 8: I don’t feel sad. I don’t feel anything. – Unknown

Quote 9: Depression is a lot like drowning, except that you can see everyone else around you breathing. – Unknown

Quote 10: I think I’m afraid to be happy because whenever I get too happy, something bad always happens. – Unknown

Quote 11: Nothing is more depressing than having everything and still feeling really sad. – Unknown

Quote 12: Depression is a prison where you are both the suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer. – Dorothy Rowe

Quote 13: The difference between your mind and my mind is this: Your mind wants to keep you alive, and mine wants to kill me. – Unknown

Quote 14: What’s wrong? I’m ugly. I’m fat. I’m a failure. I’m depressed. I’m suffering. I hate this world. I hate myself. I’m imperfect. I can’t do anything right. I’m disgusting. I’m just not okay. Nothing, I’m fine. – Unknown

Quote 15: My brother died from depression. He also frequently exercised, had supportive friends/family, was successful in school and work. He had goals that he was constantly reaching—he still completed suicide. People who are depressed are not weak-minded—they are sick – Maddie Rawrk

Quote 16: If you rearrange the letters in Depression, you’ll get “I pressed on.” Your current situation is not your final destination. – Unknown

Are you struggling?

If you’re having a hard time, know that there are people out there who care. Reach out to a friend, family member, or seek out a mental health professional.

If you’re in crisis, here are a few resources to help:

If you live in the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255). They have trained counselors available 24/7. Stop a Suicide Today is another helpful resource.

Befrienders Worldwide and the International Association for Suicide Prevention are two organizations that provide contact information for crisis centers outside of the United States.

Do you know a child who needs help?

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) provides a wide range of wraparound mental health services designed to help kids heal. Contact us online to get a child support today.

Want more?

Check out the rest of our blog and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Instagram at @ybgr_cares, and Facebook at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

“A human being can survive almost anything as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel

What’s depression? It’s a complex illness categorized as a mood disorder. And everything from nerve cell connections to the brain’s physical anatomy play a hand in it.

Hallmark symptoms of the condition include prolonged bouts of sadness and the absence of pleasure from activities once enjoyed. But there’s more to depression than that.

Check out the video below:

Symptoms of Depression

Depression is bigger than just feeling blue. To be diagnosed with it, five or more of the following criteria must be met for two consecutive weeks, with symptoms of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in activities present.

People experiencing depression may also present with irritability, obsessive rumination, anxiety, phobias, excessive worry over physical health, and complaints of pain.

Depression is Common

A snapshot of U.S. Census Bureau data in February 2022 showed that nearly one-third of Americans struggled with at least one of the symptoms of depression. And when it comes to youth, the number is even more staggering.

In September 2021, info released by OPI revealed that 41% of Montana high school students reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness for two or more consecutive weeks—a hallmark symptom of the disorder.

Depression Myths

Below are a few common myths about depression that lead to stigma and prevent people from seeking treatment.

Depression isn’t a real illness.

It’s a common misconception that depression is simply sadness or a weakness in character. On the contrary, it’s a neurological condition deeply intertwined with physical health, manifesting as pain and correlating with cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.

Depression is always triggered by adversity or life transitions.

Yes, adverse events and life changes can trigger a depressive episode. But around sixteen million adults are diagnosed with depression every year, independent of those factors.

And for those individuals, disruptions in neurotransmitters playing key roles in mood regulation are thought to be linked to illness.

Neurotransmitter imbalances connected to depression include:

Dopamine: Helps regulate emotion, memory, thinking, motivation, and reward

Norepinephrine: Makes your heart rate and blood pressure soar during a “fight or flight” response or stressful time

Serotonin: Helps regulate mood and plays a role in your overall sense of well-being; known as the “feel-good” chemical

Researchers continue to study the causes of imbalances, and neurotransmitters acetylcholine, GABA, and glutamate are also thought to be linked to the disorder.

Depression is a sign of weakness.

Depression affects people from all walks of life, indiscriminate of age, gender, race, education, or social class. And it’s more than mindset. There are clear differences in the structure and chemistry of the brain in people with the condition.

Learn more: How Depression Affects The Brain – Yale Medicine Explains

You’d know if someone was struggling with depression.

Symptoms of depression may not be straightforward to others. Many people who suffer go to work or school and seem more irritable or anxious than sad.

The key is to look for significant changes, such as becoming more argumentative, hopeless, or less social. Shifts in weight or eating habits can also be a good indicator of the disorder.

Special Note:

Depression is associated with a high mortality rate due to suicide. So, it’s critical to know the warning signs of crisis and how to get someone help if they’re struggling.

Below is an exert from the National Institute of Mental Health’s website on behaviors associated with heightened risk for suicide and resources to help.

Warning Signs of Suicide

The behaviors listed below may be some of the signs that someone is thinking about suicide.

Talking about:

• Wanting to die
• Great guilt or shame
• Being a burden to others

Feeling:

• Empty, hopeless, trapped, or having no reason to live
• Extremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage
• Unbearable emotional or physical pain

Changing behavior, such as:

• Making a plan or researching ways to die
• Withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will
• Taking dangerous risks such as driving extremely fast
• Displaying extreme mood swings
• Eating or sleeping more or less
• Using drugs or alcohol more often

If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Dial 988 or 1-800-273-TALK for free 24/7, confidential support.

Crisis Text Line
Text “HELLO” to 741741

Did you find this article helpful?

Check out the rest of our blog and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Instagram at @ybgr_cares, and Facebook at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

Anxiety. Have you ever experienced it? Racing thoughts, sweaty palms, heart pounding out of your chest. It feels like every worst-case scenario is playing out in your head at once.

It’s an overwhelming, dreadful emotion. And for those of us who confront it regularly—it’s exhausting.

Here are sixteen quotes that illustrate life with anxiety.

Quotes Illustrating Life with Anxiety

Quote 1: Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal. – Albert Camus

Quote 2: Living with anxiety is like being followed by a voice. It knows all your insecurities and uses them against you. It gets to the point when it’s the loudest voice in the room-it’s the only one you can hear. – Unknown

Quote 3: Every day is a struggle, even when I’m at my best. My anxiety is always with me, and my panic taps me on my shoulder a few times a day. On my good days, I can brush it off. On my bad days, I just want to stay in bed. – Unknown

Quote 4: It is very hard to explain to people who have never known severe depression or anxiety the sheer continuous intensity of it. There is no off switch. – Matt Haig

Quote 5: I get nervous about everything. Sometimes, I don’t even know why I’m anxious. I just am. And no one seems to understand that. – Unknown

Quote 6: Anxiety is not being able to sleep because you said something wrong two years ago and can’t stop thinking about it. – Unknown

Quote 7: I overanalyze situations because I’m scared of what might happen if I’m not prepared for them. – Turcois Ominek

Quote 8: I have to remind myself all the time that being afraid of things going wrong isn’t the way to make things go right. – Unknown

Quote 9: Anxiety is nothing but repeatedly reexperiencing failure in advance. What a waste. – Seth Godin

Quote 10: Fear is interest paid on a debt you may not even owe. – Unknown

Quote 11: Free time is death to the anxious, and thank goodness I don’t have any of it right now. – Jon Stewart

Quote 12: I feel busy, but nothing gets done. I feel tired, but sleep doesn’t help. I feel anxious, but I’m not sure why. – Unknown

Quote 13: I am very strong. But sometimes, while I’m being strong, I’m also hyperventilating—my heart is pounding out of my chest. Also, I might cry and swear a lot. That’s just how I roll. – Nanea Hoffman

Quote 14: If there’s an adrenaline rush, I will find it. If there’s an anxiety attack, I will have it. – Bert Kreischer

Quote 15: A panic attack goes from 0 to 100 in an instant. It’s halfway between feeling like you’ll faint and feeling like you’ll die. – Unknown

Quote 16: Mantra for anxiety: Anxiety is not you. It’s something moving through you. It can leave out of the same door it came in. – James Clear

Want More?

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“Every day is a struggle, even when I’m at my best. My anxiety is always with me, and my panic taps me on my shoulder a few times a day. On my good days, I can brush it off. On my bad days, I just want to stay in bed.” – Unknown

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To honor it, we’re exploring common mental health conditions. And today, we’re taking a closer look at anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are common—affecting roughly 40 million adults and 7% of kids between the ages of 3 and 17 every year in the United States alone.

Check out the video below for a brief overview of anxiety disorders and how they impact those afflicted.

We all experience anxious feelings from time to time—it’s part of being human.

However, two things generally separate an anxiety disorder from simply being anxious:

For people who experience anxiety disorders, excessive and persistent worries often don’t go away, even when there’s nothing to stress or worry about. And those who struggle frequently try to avoid situations that might be triggering.

Common anxiety conditions include:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Specific Phobias
• Agoraphobia
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Selective Mutism
• Separation Anxiety Disorder

And while specific anxiety disorder symptoms vary by diagnosis, many share the symptoms below:

Want more mental health tidbits?

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Have you ever felt like there’s a weight pressing down on you? Like you’re stuck in a hole with slippery walls, and no matter how hard you fight to climb out, you sink deeper?

We all face days like that—days when getting out of bed feels impossible or when our thoughts won’t quiet down. But when those days start stacking up, it can grow into something more. That’s when learning healthy ways of coping with depression becomes essential.

Understanding Depression

Depression doesn’t always announce itself with tears. Sometimes it shows up as anger, irritability, anxiety, or exhaustion. Sometimes it hides behind a smile. It can be triggered by big life changes—a loss, a move, retirement, a new baby—or it can creep in slowly without a single cause.

At its core, depression is more than “feeling sad.” It’s a condition that alters brain chemistry, mood, and perspective, making it hard to see a way forward. That’s why coping with depression requires patience, persistence, and often outside support.

Signs It May Be More Than Sadness

Depression doesn’t always look the same for everyone. Here are some indicators that what you’re feeling may be more than sadness:

• Persistent low mood or emptiness
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Fatigue or low energy
• Trouble sleeping or oversleeping
• Appetite or weight changes
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Irritability, anger, or restlessness
• Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness

If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 right away.

6 Practical Ways of Coping With Depression

Below are six small but powerful steps that can help with coping with depression.

Move Your Body

Exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do, but movement boosts endorphins and shifts your brain chemistry in ways that can lighten your mood. Start small—even a 10-minute walk can help.

Get Daylight (Vitamin D)

Sunlight helps regulate mood. Step outside for a few minutes each morning, or sit near a window to enjoy the fresh air. If you live in an area with limited daylight, consider consulting your healthcare provider about vitamin D supplements.

Build a Simple Routine

Depression thrives on a lack of structure. A predictable routine—like waking up, showering, getting dressed, and eating breakfast—signals to your brain that the day matters and you do too.

Make and Keep Small Plans

Isolation fuels depression. Set one plan each day: call a friend, grab coffee, or tackle a small task. Following through builds momentum and gives your mind a break from negative cycles.

Stay Connected

Even when it feels draining, human connection is powerful medicine. Answer the phone, reply to a message, or open up to someone you trust. If that feels too big, consider a support group or a counselor who can walk with you.

Seek Professional Support

Therapy and, in some cases, medication can be life-changing. Neither is a quick fix, but together with lifestyle steps, they form a strong foundation for recovery. Reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Final Thoughts

Depression narrows your view until it feels like there’s no light ahead. But small, consistent steps can open that tunnel and remind you that healing is possible. If you’re struggling, know you’re not alone—and you don’t have to carry the weight by yourself.

Coping with depression takes courage. Every small action—moving, reaching out, getting sunlight, making one plan—all are a step toward hope.

If You’re Struggling

You don’t have to carry the weight alone. Reach out to a trusted friend or family member, and don’t hesitate to call 988 to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Support is just a call away.

Want to Learn More?

If you found this article helpful, check out the rest of our blog today and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Instagram at @ybgr_cares, and Facebook at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and YBGR.