Our Bipolar flea survey is going pretty well. After about a week, we have 19 responses. Most people were happy with the flea analogy, but there is always a side to bipolar symptoms that may not be flea-like at all.

Our mental symptoms effect us much more than the fleas to the dogs. I often meet and work with bipolar patients who have matured so much with their illness, and have managed to learn to cope so well with its ups and downs, that yes, at times they like having the experience of their symptoms.

I had a recent chat with Tom Wootton, who advocates this view, and from my understanding is trying to help people see through and over their symptoms. I guess when one can handle life or when one has managed to survive hell, then they can also learn to accept and live well with their symptoms.

The new-wave behaviorists have really adopted this acceptance philosophy. I guess my own acceptance concept is all about befriending bipolar disorder and all the things that come with it.

It’s that time of the year again – spring. Our interest in life literally springs up, our moods and love life improve and many patients with bipolar disorder begin to experience their first signs of hypomania.

Call it a seasonal effect, blame it on light or the forthcoming changes in our social routines, spring appears to be a period that every bipolar and their family should keep an eye on.

So what better time than now to write about our bipolar fleas – the early warning signs of manic and depressive relapses?

Dear Bipolar friends,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to our new bipolar blog hosted by Psychcentral.com – Bipolar Trek: The Voyages of BipolarLab.

I met Dr John Grohol quite early in my online psychology days back in 1996 when he was starting Psychcentral.com, and I was beginning my psychology degree in rainy Scotland. Since that time a lot has changed and I was always happy to see Psychcentral’s tremendous growth driven by John’s passion and energy for mental health education.

So in 2012, I am really happy and grateful that John will be hosting our blog.

Coming from a relatively illiterate Greek culture (illiterate in matters of mental health) it always made so much sense to me to educate the public, and most importantly patients, about mental health and psychology in general. We have come a long way since 1996 in all fields of mental health and people across most countries are far more knowledgeable than before.

But there are always going to be new patients (unfortunately), and always members of the public in different countries who can benefit from our knowledge.