that BFOC (bipolar feel of color) when...

this is a blog dedicated to bipolar experiences from, by, and for people of color. run by the creator of thatbipolarfeelwhen. feel free to write in questions or submissions about anything. please read the faq!

[dimpledthings]

you aren’t alone and weren’t the first to feel like this. help is not out of reach

[dimpledthings]

it’s human to feel. don’t stifle your emotions

[dimpledthings]

opportunities are coming your way

[thatbipolarfeelofcolor]

bless you for making this Tumblr. It's really important that we discuss mental health in POC communities. Thank you so much. 💗💐

i somehow missed this ask in the mess of my inbox ! 

thank you so much <3 

[shoppingstars]

daily reminder that you are a survivor of your everyday. you have been through all of the bad things that happened to you and you are still here and i’m so proud. that’s amazing and you should receive an award for that. remember that you can go through today and tomorrow too!

[encouragingsuggestion]

there are selfless people out there who want what’s best for you

[encouragingsuggestion]

give yourself time. accept that this is currently your reality but it won’t always be. know that i’m here for you, and be there for yourself. most important of all, don’t let them convince you that you have no worth, because even if it doesn’t always seem like it you are worth the stars in the sky, the water in the ocean, and all the beauty on the earth.

[encouragingsuggestion]

keep up your good work, because your efforts don’t go unnoticed as much as it might seem. the world knows you’re trying your best and that matters

[encouragingsuggestion]

you don’t have to be the same as everyone else to be a good person

[soft-butch-cassidy]

depression tips™

shower. not a bath, a shower. use water as hot or cold as u like. u dont even need to wash. just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. sit on the floor if you gotta.

moisturize everything. use whatever lotion u like. unscented? dollar store lotion? fancy ass 48 hour lotion that makes u smell like a field of wildflowers? use whatever you want, and use it all over. 

put on clean, comfortable clothes. 

put on ur favorite underwear. cute black lacy panties? those ridiculous boxers u bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? put em on.

drink cold water. use ice. if u want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

clean something. doesn’t have to be anything big. organize one drawer of ur desk. wash five dirty dishes. do a load of laundry. scrub the bathroom sink. 

blast music. listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

make food. don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. take the time and make food. even if it’s ramen. add something special to it, like a hard boiled egg or some veggies. prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something. 

make something. write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. even if you don’t think you’re good at it.

go outside. take a walk. sit in the grass. look at the clouds. smell flowers. put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

call someone. call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. talk to a stranger on the street. have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. if you can’t, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. even if you don’t say much, listen to them.

cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. take pictures of them. talk to them. tell them how u feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out.

[astrologynshit]

Reblog as much as you can

[thatbipolarfeelofcolor]

My parents refuse to acknowledge my bipolar because they deem mental illness as "white culture"

i’m sorry that they’re like that, anon. if you ever need a place to vent, we’re here!

-kei

[thatbipolarfeelofcolor]

TBFOCW you're undiagnosed because hurricane María forced you to cancel the intake appointment, and now the stress of living in post-María PR has your mood swinging from suicidal yesterday to giddy playful today and the worst part is no one around you is paying enough attention to notice your instability, like can I get a plane outta here and a therapist appointment stat or? (Btw my family and I are alright but do keep sending help to those who aren't. My soul hurts for my island.)

hey anon, 

i’m actually going to link you some resources from @mentalillnessmouse‘s helpful resources page as i think these might be able to help you out a lot! 

Interactive websites

Mood Gym is an interactive website that allows you to learn cognitive behaviour therapy skills for preventing and coping with depression. The techniques can additionally be applied to a range of mental health issues.

Facing us The Facing Us Clubhouse is a program brought to you by The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). The website contains options to create a journal and wellness plan. In addition to great resources such as a wellness tracker (similar to a mood diary) and general tips.

Superbetter Superbetter is an interactive way to focus on recovery from pretty much anything. It was created by a video game designer when she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury and can be used to help with recovering from various mental or physical health issues.

Moodscope is a website with tools that help to track your mood.

You Feel Like Shit – An Interactive Self Care Guide is a website that will take you through steps to feeling okay during times when you don’t feel well.

but yes please, do keep sending supplies and resources and if anyone can remind me of donation links feel free to send those in as well via the submit. 

-kei

[mentalhealthwarrior]

Surviving Halloween with Psychosis

- The picture test: If you can’t tell if something is a hallucination or not, take a photo! If it shows up in the picture then you have a keepsake of that crazy creepy Halloween decoration. If not it’s a hallucination (or a vampire. No, i’m kidding it’s a hallucination.)

- Is some kid in mask causing paranoia? Ask them where they got their costume. Did they make it? How did they get the idea? Focusing on the person inside of the costume will help you remember that it’s just a person!

- Avoid haunted houses, haunted hayrides, ect. Actors will not stop scaring unless it’s an emergency, and I’ve yet to find a place that teaches actors how to deal with anything other than physical injuries. (I once met a haunted house actor who said causing a panic attack meant he was “doing his job right.”)

- There’s no shame in asking friends and relatives to avoid sending jump scare videos or anything else that could cause paranoia.

- Here are some tips on how to tell if a video is a screamer.

- (from freeasthepaperburns) Boggart it! If something is making you upset, make it silly. dance with the shadows, sing to the creepies, I bet if make a fish face at the scary face it’ll be a little less scary. I know this is harder than it sounds, but I’ve gotten better at it over the time, and find it helps!

Stay safe babes!

[to-reach-the-farthest-star-deac]

SIGNAL BOOST

[its-a-trans-thing]

For any darlings who may need this! Stay safe sweeties! - Mod Naga

[bisexual-bella-deactivated20240]

Boggart it! Yesss I love this advice!

[sockknitterporg]

1. Share this to help people with psychosis.

2. For everyone with anxiety etc, look in the post above for a link to “how to tell if a video is a screamer” that link is helpful to EVERYONE.

[thatbipolarfeelofcolor]

Ugh being black and mentally ill and watching media coverage on the Las Vegas shooter is so painful. Always using mental illness as an excuse for him because he's WHITE. They just don't want to call him a terrorist, so they use mental illness to have people sympathize with this monster all while demonizing mentally ill people. They don't even mention his history of being a white nationalist either. No surprise though.

yeah…it’s really sad to see this going on, anon. 

this inbox is always open for you and anyone else who needs to vent ! 

-kei 

[lightheartedsuggestion]

I am changing. I am growing. I am becoming better. 

[thatbipolarfeelofcolor]

Not an ask, but I'm from Puerto Rico and I hope everyone from PR, the Caribbean, and any area affected by hurricane Maria is doing okay. I know symptoms don't stop, food and water are hard to find, and everything is terrifying and horrible but we'll be okay. I hope everyone is safe.

.

[thatbipolarfeelofcolor]

hey i was wondering if turkish people are considered poc because if so i'm gonna message some stuff

iunno what mod delta feels about this but this is how i, a black person, view the term ‘people of color’ 

the most important question isn’t ‘is this broad term for a country covering a lotta land and ethnic groups all flatly considered ‘poc’ you know?

it’s imo something like 

‘do i on an individual level identify as non white on a day to day basis? if someone called me ‘white’ would i correct them? is access to whiteness something i use against darker skinned groups (like Black folks) who cannot access that?’ 

and also! 

‘do i understand the origin of the term people of color and how it was made to show a connection between other non white groups in america and came from trying to gain solidarity amongst other groups and BLACK people primarily?’

like if you’re antiblack and you access whiteness on a daily basis then no, don’t call yourself a person of color cuz you’re not taking any steps to show solidarity? 

tldr like if you consider yourself white in your day to day life and only consider yourself non white in order to gain access to poc centered blogs, than no you’re not a person of color. 

-kei