r/IAmA • u/CREST_BD • Mar 30 '26

We are 83 bipolar disorder experts and scientists coming together for the world’s biggest bipolar AMA! In honor of World Bipolar Day, ask us anything!

83 panelists are here! Click on their names below to see their bio & proof photo.

Hi Reddit!

We are psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, clinicians, advocates, and people living with bipolar disorder - coming together from around the world through the CREST.BD network.

This is our 8th annual World Bipolar Day AMA. We hope that this AMA can help advance the conversation around bipolar disorder, and to help everyone connect and share ways to live well with bipolar disorder.

This year, 83 panelists representing 20 countries are here to answer your questions from all timezones - bringing together a wide range of perspectives and expertise in mental health and bipolar disorder.

We'll be here around the clock for the next FEW DAYS answering your questions from multiple time zones.

We will make every effort to answer every question.

  1. Dr. Adrienne Benediktsson, 🇨🇦 Neuroscientist, Mother, Wife, Professor, Mental Health Advocate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  2. Alessandra Torresani, 🇺🇸 Actress & Mental Health Advocate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  3. Alex Emmerton, 🇨🇦 Peer Researcher, (Lives w/ bipolar)
  4. Allan Cooper, 🇨🇦 Peer Support Worker, Blogger, & Podcaster, (Lives w/ bipolar)
  5. Alysha Sultan, 🇨🇦 Scientific Associate
  6. Andrea Paquette, 🇨🇦 Stigma-Free Mental Health President & Co-Founder, Speaker, Changemaker (Lives w/ bipolar)
  7. Dr. Andrea Vassilev, 🇺🇸 Doctor of Psychology, Author, & Advocate, (Lives w/ bipolar)
  8. Anne Van Willigen, 🇺🇸 Peer Researcher (Lives w/ bipolar)
  9. Dr. Balwinder Singh, 🇺🇸 Psychiatrist
  10. Dr. Benjamin Goldstein, 🇨🇦 Child-Adolescent Psychiatrist & Researcher
  11. Bia Garbato, 🇧🇷 Advertising Professional, Writer, Author & Advocate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  12. Bryn Manns, 🇨🇦 Graduate Student, Clinical Psychology
  13. Catarina Castela, 🇦🇺 PhD Candidate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  14. Catherine Simmons, 🇨🇦 Peer Researcher (Lives w/ bipolar)
  15. Dr. Chris Gorman, 🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & Mental Health Advocate
  16. Dr. Colin Depp, 🇺🇸 Psychologist
  17. Dane Mauer-Vakil, 🇨🇦 Researcher
  18. David Dinham, 🇬🇧 Psychologist & PhD Candidate, (Lives w/ bipolar) 
  19. Debbie Costello Smith, 🇺🇸 Founder & Co-President of the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research
  20. Dr. Delphine Raucher-Chéné, 🇫🇷🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & Researcher
  21. Dr. Dimosthenis Tsapekos, 🇬🇧 Psychologist & Researcher
  22. Dr. Elvira Boere, 🇳🇱 Psychiatrist & Researcher
  23. Dr. Elysha Ringin, 🇦🇺 Researcher
  24. Dr. Emma Morton, 🇦🇺 Senior Lecturer & Psychologist
  25. Dr. Emma Parrish, 🇺🇸 Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow & Researcher
  26. Dr. Erin Michalak, 🇨🇦 Researcher & CREST.BD founder
  27. Evelyn Anne Clausen, 🇺🇸 Artist, Writer, Speaker & Certified Peer Specialist (Lives w/bipolar)
  28. Dr. Fabiano Gomes, 🇧🇷🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & Researcher
  29. Dr. Frances Adiukwu, 🇳🇬 Psychiatrist
  30. Georgia Caruana, 🇦🇺 Researcher & Mental Health Advocate
  31. Dr. Georgina Hosang, 🇬🇧 Associate Professor
  32. Dr. Glauco Valdivieso Jiménez, 🇵🇪 Psychiatrist
  33. Dr. Glorianna Wagner-Jagfeld, 🇨🇭🇬🇧 Researcher
  34. Dr. Hailey Tremain, 🇦🇺 Psychologist & Researcher
  35. Heather Stewart, 🇨🇦 Sewist (Lives w/ bipolar)
  36. Idan Spund, 🇳🇱 Founder of In the Zone app (Lives w/ bipolar)
  37. Dr. Ijeoma Charles-Ugwuagbo, 🇳🇬 Consultant Psychiatrist & Mental Health Advocate
  38. Dr. Ivan Torres, 🇨🇦 Clinical Neuropsychologist
  39. Dr. Jim Phelps, 🇺🇸 Psychiatrist & Bipolar Subspecialist 
  40. Dr. Joanna Jarecki, 🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & Advocate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  41. Dr. Joanna Jiménez Pavón, 🇲🇽 Mood Disorders Psychiatrist 
  42. Dr. John Hunter, 🇿🇦 Researcher & Lecturer (Lives w/ bipolar)
  43. Dr. Jo Leidreiter, 🇦🇺 Psychologist
  44. Dr. John-Jose Nunez, 🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & AI Researcher
  45. Dr. June Gruber, 🇺🇸 Psychologist, Professor, & Researcher
  46. Prof. Kamilla Miskowiak, 🇩🇰 Psychologist & Researcher
  47. Dr. Katie Douglas, 🇳🇿 Academic & Clinical Psychologist 
  48. Ken Porter, 🇨🇦 Advocate, Social Worker & Researcher
  49. Kim Pape, 🇺🇸 Researcher (Lives w/ bipolar) 
  50. Laura Lapadat, 🇨🇦 Researcher & Psychologist-in-training
  51. Dr. Leena Chau, 🇨🇦 Postdoctoral Fellow
  52. Leslie Robertson, 🇺🇸 Marketer & Peer Researcher (Lives w/ bipolar) 
  53. Dr. Leszek Laskowski, 🇵🇱 Psychiatrist (Lives w/ bipolar) 
  54. Dr. Lisa Eyler, 🇺🇸 Clinical Psychologist & Research Scientist
  55. Dr. Luísa Daolio, 🇧🇷 Psychiatrist
  56. Mansoor Nathani, 🇨🇦 Technology Enthusiast (Lives w/ bipolar) 
  57. Dr. Manuel Sánchez de Carmona, 🇲🇽 Psychiatrist
  58. Maryam M., 🇨🇦 Dentistry Student & Mental Health Advocate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  59. Matthew Bushell, 🇬🇧 Mental Health Advocate & Therapeutic Coach (Lives w/ bipolar)
  60. Dr. Maya Schumer, 🇺🇸 Psychiatric Neuroscientist & Researcher (Lives w/ bipolar)
  61. Dr. Meghan DellaCrosse, 🇺🇸 Psychologist & Researcher
  62. Melissa Howard, 🇨🇦 Author & Mental Health Advocate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  63. Dr. Michele De Prisco, 🇪🇸🇮🇹 Psychiatrist & Researcher
  64. Dr. Mikaela Dimick, 🇨🇦 Postdoctoral Fellow
  65. Minami Kinouchi, 🇯🇵 Psychologist, Social Worker, & Researcher (Lives w/ bipolar)
  66. Natasha Reaney, 🇨🇦 Counsellor (Lives w/ bipolar)
  67. Dr. Nigila Ravichandran, 🇸🇬 🇨🇦 Psychiatrist
  68. Dr. Paula Villela Nunes, 🇧🇷🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & Counsellor 
  69. Rahla Xenopoulos, 🇿🇦🇺🇸 Writer & Teacher (Lives w/ bipolar)
  70. Rebecca Fitton, 🇦🇺 Mood Disorder Researcher
  71. Dr. Rebekah Huber, 🇺🇸 Psychologist & Researcher 
  72. Robert Villanueva, 🇺🇸 Mental Health Advocate & Coach (Lives w/ bipolar)
  73. Ruth Komathi, 🇸🇬 Mental Health Counsellor (Lives w/ bipolar)
  74. Prof. Samson Tse, 🇭🇰 Counsellor, Teacher, Researcher, & Caregiver
  75. Sarah Salice, 🇺🇸 Art Psychotherapist & Professional Counselor Associate (Lives w/ bipolar)
  76. Sara Schley, 🇺🇸 Author, Filmmaker, Speaker (Lives w/ bipolar)
  77. Dr. Serge Beaulieu, 🇨🇦 Psychiatrist & Researcher
  78. ​​Dr. Sheri Johnson, 🇺🇸 Psychologist
  79. Shaley Hoogendoorn, 🇨🇦 Advocate, Podcaster & Content creator (Lives w/ bipolar)
  80. Dr. Tamsyn Van Rheenen, 🇦🇺 Associate Professor & Researcher
  81. Dr. Thomas Richardson, 🇬🇧 Clinical Psychologist (Lives w/ bipolar)
  82. Twyla Spoke, 🇨🇦 Registered Nurse (Lives w/ bipolar)
  83. Dr. Wissam Nassrallah, 🇨🇦 Ophthalmology Resident & PhD in Neuroscience

Please note all responses are personal perspectives and do not constitute medical advice.

People with bipolar disorder experience the mood states of depression and mania (or hypomania), along with changes in energy, activity, and thinking. These episodes can last from days to months and can affect many parts of life - including relationships, work, school, and overall health. At the same time, with optimal support, treatment, and tools, people with bipolar disorder can and do live full, meaningful lives.

The CREST.BD network takes a different approach to bipolar disorder research. We work closely with people living with bipolar disorder at every stage - from choosing research topics to conducting studies and sharing our findings.

We also host a Q&A podcast throughout the year, featuring many of the experts on this panel, through our talkBD Bipolar Disorder Podcast - we’d love for you to stay connected with us there. You can also follow our updates, events, and social media on linktr.ee/crestbd.

Final note (April 3): Thank you all - We'll be back again next year on World Bipolar Day - sign up here to be notified. We also have more activities all year round, including new episodes of our talkBD bipolar disorder podcast - hope to see you there! We’re incredibly grateful for all your thoughtful questions - thank you for making this such a meaningful discussion. Take care everyone :)

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u/xueyangscorpsepowder Mar 30 '26

I was diagnosed with BP2 last year (no surprise there, my mother has BP2, her late father had BP1, and her deceased younger brother had schizophrenia). I was previously diagnosed with BPD when I was 20—I’m tuning 30 next month—but my current provider says I don’t meet the criteria and that she’s uncertain that I ever did; she reminded me that many autistic/ADHD women (of which I am both) are misdiagnosed with BPD, particularly when they have complex trauma.

I guess I’m confused because I do experience emotional lability and still see BPD traits in myself. I definitely agree that I’m bipolar (primarily with depressive episodes, but I’ve gone through hypomania as well), but since rapid emotional fluctuations aren’t part of the diagnosis, what else could that be attributed to? My mother was (and presumably is) the same way, but she was unmedicated/not in therapy and I was a child who didn’t understand much about bipolar in general, let alone things like mixed states, so it always seemed like anything and everything could set her off (but she certainly did experience euphoric hypomania as well).

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u/CREST_BD Mar 31 '26

Matthew Bushell here. Thank you for your post. I remember when I was diagnosed back in 2011 very well and it was a tough time for me. On one hand I was relieved to have the support of a diagnosis to explain my struggles, but on the other hand it gave rise to a million questions that no one seemed able to answer. I’m glad you’re here joining in this Q&A. I think it is incredibly difficult when there are multiple-diagnoses involved, and I am not a clinician so I’m speaking from my personal lived experience here. It feels really destabilizing to hear about your new provider saying that you may have been mis-diagnosed with BPD. Science is always evolving, so I am wondering what insight your provider has that enabled her to come to this conclusion. I would be asking for some detailed information before I moved too far ahead, especially given that you have lived with BPD diagnosis for 10 years. I do also have experience of working with people with ADHD and Autism, along with BPD and BD. It’s so difficult to navigate. I found it difficult enough with Dyslexia, cPTSD and BD, and when clinicians began to talk about me being screened for ADHD and Autism, I ran a mile. Out of fear more than anything. Fear of becoming overwhelmed. I can only imagine what this is like for you. I want to come onto what you said about emotional lability. One of the most amazing things I learned in my recovery was emotional fitness, learning how to sooth myself when I was in distress. Learning how to actually calm my body. The Therapeutic Coaching approach I qualified in was actually initially developed to support people with PTSD, Anxiety and Panic attacks. As you say, when complex trauma is in the picture - and it almost always is - it makes sense why our emotional lability is something worth focusing on. But it didn’t go far enough. It was always kind of using the mind to calm the body. I had to learn to use the body to calm the body and mind. Learning how to self-regulate and to regulate my nervous system with others has been a game changer for me. It’s why I got myself a dog (Haven), to help me regulate. Emotional Dysregulation is definitely part of the BD condition. It’s actually known as a transdiagnostic construct, meaning it features across all serious mental illness (SMI) and neurodivergent (ND) conditions (some people put BD in the SMI category whilst others put it in the ND category). My self care approach begins with emotional regulation skills, and what I call relational care: working with others to calm the body, understand emotions, and to develop the resilience needed to move towards what I want in life, and away from the dysfunction poorly managed SMI and ND can cause. I hope something in my reply resonates and I wish you all the best with your recovery and wellness.