Stories of mental health (particularly bipolar disorder), multicultural identity (Indo-Canadian), love (the most important thing) and the quiet work of being human
Living Life in Extremes Lots of people live their lives in extremes. For me, that’s been quite literal, because I have bipolar disorder II. Bipolar II is a mental health disorder where a person cycles between two different and virtually polar opposite conditions: depression and hypomania. Depression is the “easy” one to understand. Depression is…
To My Past Self: What a year it has been! Sometimes I can’t believe all that has happened in just 12 short months. I have so much to tell you that I don’t know where to begin. The best place to begin is often the start, so why don’t we try that? 12 months ago…
Hello! I’m very excited to share that I’ve written a post for HeadsUpGuys, which is an “online, anonymous resource specifically designed for men, and their families, to prevent the continued erosion of men’s mental health and deaths by suicide”. Men’s mental health is an oft-neglected topic within mental health broadly, and it’s wonderful to see…
Hi, My Name is Sanat and I Have Bipolar Disorder I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder a little less than 3 years ago by my family doctor. Bipolar disorder, like many mental illnesses, requires medication as a part of treatment. I was prescribed lithium, which tends to be the go-to medication for bipolar disorder…
I look over the balcony and see the tracks of the subway that runs by the side of my apartment. I think to myself: “I’m not capable of flying. I am capable of just about every other damn thing.” It’s 4 in the morning but sleep is far, far away. I’ve been up reading. I…
I still can’t believe how nervous I was when I walked into the doctor’s office that day. There are few times in my entire life when I have felt more anxious than I did at that moment. Chelsea was right next to me the whole time, sitting in the waiting room until I was called….
Trigger Warning: discussions about suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm A few years ago, one of my friends from university took her own life. I remember learning about her suicide and immediately going numb. It didn’t make any sense to me. She was such an incredibly caring and considerate person, but the thing I remember most…
Today is my birthday and I’m very excited to share that with you. I’m turning 32, and even though I feel a bit like a dinosaur, I’m grateful to be heading into the next year of my life feeling good – especially because that hasn’t always been the case. My birthdays and how I feel…
I woke up feeling incredible this morning, I woke up feeling awful today. I feel like I’m wilting inside, I am the flowers blooming in May. I was excited for what the day held for me, I wanted to go back to bed. I felt my world was ending, Wonderful thoughts filled my head. I…
Self-care is having its long-overdue time in the spotlight, but it is still an often-misunderstood concept. Skeptics conflate the idea of self-care with the negative stereotypes of lazy Millennials and ‘snowflake’ Gen Z’s, while many others have a narrowed understanding of self-care based on its social media portrayal by lifestyle influencers (which is often more…
Two of my best friends got married a few years ago. It was one of the loveliest weddings I’ve been to, with family and friends coming together from both sides to celebrate the couple in the beautiful Dominican Republic. I made the very smart choice (and I’m dripping with sarcasm here) to give a quick…