Today we welcome Gabe Howard to the podcast. Gabe is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after speaker. He hosts the Inside Mental Health podcast and is the author of Mental Illness is an Asshole and Other Observations. He’s been featured in numerous publications including Bipolar Magazine, WebMD, Healthline.com, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award and received a resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.” In this episode, I talk to Gabe Howard about living with bipolar disorder, an illness that is characterized by emotional highs and lows. Gabe shares what phases of mania and depression are really like and how the sudden shifts feel so jarring. Even though the disorder has its own set of challenges, Gabe is a staunch believer in taking responsibility for his actions. He opens up about his journey of recovery and the coping strategies that have benefited him. We also talk about the common misconceptions about people with bipolar disorder and public figures who may have had this mental illness.Website: gabehoward.comTwitter: @gabehoward29 Topics03:22 Gabe’s childhood and diagnosis05:36 Experiencing a wide range of moods11:31 True mania is not productive 14:47 Bipolar disorder does not control me22:03 Hypersexuality 30:28 Feeling dead inside32:49 Mania changes what you see36:07 Working on coping skills39:53 Everyday mindfulness42:03 Perception is reality45:09 The dangers of bipolar disorder48:01 Public figures with bipolar disorder