Inside Bipolar

Many people wonder whether their bipolar diagnosis is correct. Maybe your symptoms don't match what you've learned. Maybe other circumstances — like trauma or substance use — better explain what you've experienced. Or maybe you've simply never felt confident that bipolar disorder is the accurate diagnosis. Where do you go from here?

In this episode, Gabe Howard, who lives with bipolar, and board certified psychiatrist Dr. Nicole Washington explain why diagnosing bipolar disorder is rarely straightforward, what psychiatrists actually look for during a psychiatric evaluation, and why getting a second opinion is often a thoughtful step and not an act of denial.

You'll also learn why diagnosis isn't based on a single appointment, why honest conversations about symptoms and substance use matter, and how confirmation bias and other systemic issues can influence mental health care. Dr. Nicole shares what a real psychiatric reevaluation looks like, how long it typically takes, and why the goal isn't to prove someone right or wrong, but rather to find the most accurate diagnosis possible.

Listener takeaways:

understand why diagnosis is an investigation that takes weeks or months — not one appointment

why questioning a diagnosis isn't the same as denying one

how to advocate for yourself while maintaining an open mind

why a bipolar diagnosis is more complicated than many people realize

If you've ever wondered, "Do I really have bipolar disorder?", this conversation will help you understand what questions to ask, what to expect from the diagnostic process, and why the best mental health care is built on collaboration and not assumptions. Listen now!

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.”

Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.

You don't need a miracle cure to manage bipolar disorder—sometimes the smallest changes can have the biggest impact. Discover practical bipolar hacks that can help you recognize mood episodes earlier, reduce everyday stress, build healthier routines, and make life a little easier.

In this episode, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Nicole Washington share practical, evidence-informed, real-world coping skills that can help you stay one step ahead of bipolar disorder. Gabe also shares the personal strategies he uses to recognize the early warning signs of episodes, and together they explore whether ideas like getting a pet, volunteering, or driving for rideshare apps are genuinely helpful bipolar hacks—or whether they can backfire depending on where you are in your recovery.

Listeners will learn:

Why lowering the bar on difficult days can improve long-term recovery

How to build your own personalized "toolbox" of bipolar hacks

Which bipolar hacks psychiatrists actually recommend

Why chasing perfection is a recipe for suffering

If you've ever wondered, "What can I actually do today to better manage bipolar disorder?" this episode is packed with answers.

"The hack isn't expecting less from yourself forever—it's adjusting your expectations when you need to so you can keep moving forward." ~Gabe Howard, Host

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.”

Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.
Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.

Living with bipolar disorder often means navigating a minefield of impulsive thoughts and actions. For example, have you ever made a snap decision that you immediately regretted?

In this episode, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar) and Dr. Nicole Washington dive deep into the chaotic reality of bipolar impulsivity. They discuss the critical difference between having an impulsive personality and experiencing impulsivity as a disruptive symptom of bipolar disorder. By learning to identify your personal baseline, you can start setting strategic guardrails before a passing thought becomes a permanent problem.

Listeners will learn:

how delaying gratification by just 24 hours can prevent regret

how to conduct a chain analysis and why it works

how reflecting on past destructive behaviors can provide valuable data to protect your future

Managing a mental health condition is undeniably exhausting, but recognizing your patterns is the first step toward reclaiming your peace of mind. Listen now to learn practical, real-world strategies to stop impulsive behaviors in their tracks and protect your long-term stability.

Cold Open Transcript:

Gabe Howard: Any barrier, even a few-second one, can really help curb impulsive behavior. Maybe before you buy something, you wander around the block real quick. Maybe before you go home with that person, you go to the bathroom and splash water on your face. Maybe before you yell, you count to three. Impulsive behavior comes in all shapes and sizes and everybody's different and everybody has different tolerance levels, etc., so it's, it's really hard to find coping skills for something that is analogous to a bomb, right? It's everything's fine. Poof! Right. And now it's like, what's the coping skill for that?

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.”

Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.

Why is it so easy to believe that every setback, unfinished task, messy room, or missed opportunity means you're failing? And why do so many people living with bipolar disorder automatically assume that everyone else has life figured out?

After receiving an email from a listener managing feelings of worthlessness, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar) and Dr. Nicole Washington tackle one of the most painful and least discussed realities of bipolar disorder: the damage it can do to your sense of self.

Listeners will learn:

why comparing yourself to others often leads to unnecessary stress

practical ways to challenge negative self-talk and self-criticism

why bipolar disorder can intensify feelings of self-doubt

why accepting the difficulty of managing bipolar disorder doesn't mean you’re giving up

If you've ever looked at your life and wondered whether bipolar disorder has permanently damaged your ability to be happy, successful, or fulfilled, this episode offers something more valuable than easy answers: a thoughtful conversation about how to move forward without letting the diagnosis define your worth.

Cold Open Transcript:

Gabe: There's no scientific or medical way that you can prescribe somebody something and make them feel better about living with bipolar disorder. And please correct me if I'm wrong, Dr. Nicole.

Dr. Nicole: Not, not 100%. I can't give you a magic pill that will make you all of a sudden feel like you have value and worth, that makes you wake up the next day and say oh, how valuable am I to the world?

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.”

Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.

For many, a surge of energy, creativity, and expansive mood can feel like an absolute gift. For those living with bipolar disorder, a hypomanic episode feels less like a symptom and more like winning the mental health lottery. But beneath this romanticized exterior lies a sneaky and potentially destructive reality.

In this episode, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar) and Dr. Nicole Washington break down the complex nuances of hypomania. Dr. Nicole explains the hidden risks of leaving these episodes unchecked and Gabe opens up about the difficulty of distinguishing between genuine happiness and a brewing clinical episode, providing a raw look at the internal tug-of-war patients face.

Listeners will Learn:

Teasing out the differences between having a great day and experiencing an abnormally expansive mood

Why a decreased need for sleep is a massive red flag rather than a newfound productivity hack

Learn the functional differences between mania from hypomania

Acknowledge that romanticizing a hypomanic high often ignores the depressive plunge that follows

Whether you are navigating a bipolar 2 diagnosis, wanting to understand the role hypomania plays in a bipolar 1 diagnosis, or supporting a loved one this conversation delivers straight talk without the medical jargon. Tune in to learn how to spot the warning signs, establish safety guardrails, and safely navigate the deceptive highs of hypomania. Listen Now!

Pull Quote: “I know more people with hypomania who have gotten themselves into trouble than I do who thrive because of it." ~Gabe Howard, Host

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.”

Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.

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