(INTRO MUSIC)
Welcome - Host Gillian Parker (00:04)
Hey! Welcome to the All Teens Considered Podcast, I’m your host ... Gillian Parker.
Beyond self-help, the purpose of All Teens Considered is to explore what teens are thinking and feeling. We survey our audience to hear from real young people and invite mental health professionals to get scientific and expert advice. We WANT to change the stigma around mental health by making mental health education interesting, relatable, actionable, and …. totally normal.
All Teens Considered is not a replacement for therapy or personalized advice, but we hope it provides some insight into issues that you or your friends might be dealing with.
If you are a teenager listening right now, this podcast is for you and we want to hear from you. What issues or topics do you want to see covered? How could we make ATC better for you? Share your thoughts by texting (512) 537-1778.
Guest Sara Schley Introduction (01:00)
In case you haven’t listened to Part 1 of Sara’s interview, here’s who we’ll be talking with today.
Our guest today ... Sara Schley. Sara’s a successful entrepreneur and author, and the aim of her work is to make the world a kinder and more inclusive place. She also happens to be bipolar, and her book “Brainstorm” tells the story of how she made peace with her bipolar brain. Today we’ll dive into her experience and techniques for managing her own mental health.
Let’s get started.
Host Ben Marullo (01:35)
The question is how do I thrive with my unique brain, my unique challenges, my unique setbacks, my unique traumas? So, let's discuss an action plan.
Guest Sara Schley (01:50)
I think there's some things you have to have in place so that when the flare happens, you're ready to go. For example, if you are climbing a mountain, you’d already have your ropes. You'd already have your guy or gal who has you on belay – the person who, if you're climbing, they've got your safety. Some of that stuff you want to have in place already.
Just like you were going to go out in a rainstorm, you’d have your raincoat ready. So, if you know the storm’s coming, you're ready.
5-STEP ACTION PLAN
Step One: Choose Your Brain Buddy (02:27)
I believe a lot in having a buddy. I'm going to call this person your “Brain Buddy”. Your Brain Buddy is going to be someone you trust completely who loves you no matter what. You can call them whatever you want, but I'm calling mine my Brain Buddy.
You contract with your Brain Buddy, in advance, that when you are in crisis you will text them just two words – Code Red. This means that they're going to call you right back.
The reason why it's important to have two words is when you are in crisis, you can't think of more than that. Your Brain Buddy knows when they see Code Red, they need to call you immediately. That's Thing One in terms of preparation.
Step Two: Create an Affirmation (03:07)
The other preparation in addition to your Brain Buddy – a friend, a professional or partner, I want you to create an affirmation for yourself that you're going to repeat on a regular basis when you're feeling fine.
Three key things about an affirmation: (1) it needs to be stated in the first person; and (2) in the present tense; and (3) with feeling, but simple. It is something that begins with “I” or “I am”. For example, it could be:
- I am safe, free and loved.
- I have a unique and beautiful brain.
- I am loving, strong, innocent.
You create, that affirmation has to be true for you. The important thing is that it gives you a sense of calm and joy and feeling good about yourself.
You want to have these in place – the Brain Buddy and the affirmation. Then, during your bipolar flare – your acute crisis moment –it's five easy steps.
Step Three: Establish Code Red Process (04:18)
Step Three is, your Brain Buddy gets that Code Red and they call you right away. That's just going to immediately be a way for you to settle because you're not alone. Then together you state your affirmation – I am safe. I am free. I am loved. Whatever it is. Because they're there and repeating it back to you.
It's an intervention. Because I'm not alone and I've moved myself away from the “Fear is choking me” to “I am safe, free and loved.”
That's immediately like ... to put the fire out of the fire. We stop the bleeding. You know, triage, and then you can breathe a little bit now.
Step Four: Plan Next Steps (05:06)
Now, you go back into that more advanced brain with the frontal lobe and make a plan with your Brain Buddy for your immediate next steps to get through the crisis.
Your Brain Buddy might say, “OK, stay there, I'm coming over.” Or, “Can you get next door to your best friend?” Or “We're going to get somebody to meet you at Starbucks.”
Whatever it is. You make an immediate plan and that's good because now you're not alone. It might be your Brain Buddy who stays on the phone with you until you connect with what you need to do next.
Then, Step Five: Exhale and Celebrate (05:42)
Step Five, I say exhale and celebrate yourself for implementing the plan – the triage plan. Because that was good. That was some good work you just did. You intervened in your own safety.
Ben (05:58)
I like that idea of having someone that you can bounce ideas off and work together with. I like the Code Red idea because it is one of those things when you're going through something like that, it's very difficult to know what to say. So, that’s a pretty smart idea.
Sara (06:20)
You know, I'm thinking again, it’s kinda like in AA when you have a sponsor. My understanding of how that works is you've got somebody who's there for you so that you don't take the drink. You've got somebody there for you here when you feel like you're starting to spiral down. They’re going to intercept that spiral.
Ben (06:38)
There seems to be a lot of power behind having a person that is there with you that you know. In AA, it’s like someone that's gone through that but I think just regardless having someone that you can be with you. There’s a lot of power in that, for sure.
Alright, Sara, thank you so much. I think that you're amazing. I love that you've been able to turn this incredible challenge you've had with the misdiagnosis. And now you're dealing and living with the bipolar brain that you have and turned it into something that's really beautiful and inspiring for people who are going through all kinds of challenges.
Thank you so much for coming on and sharing these great ideas about how you've been able to turn that into something that's been an asset for you.
Sara (07:40)
Hey, Ben, you’re welcome. And I need some help from you. Which is .. I’ve written this memoir and I want to get it out there for all these reasons, to help people in particular during this crisis.
Ben (07:52)
That’s sounds like a very important book for people to read. It contributes to the idea that we need to put more resources into mental health.
(CLOSING MUSIC)
Episode 2, Part 2 Closing - Host Gillian Parker (08:03)
That’s the end of Part 2 of our interview with Sara Schley. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to go back and check it out.
If you or someone you know is struggling with bipolar disorder, we recommend checking out additional resources on Sara’s website at www.saraschley.com. That’s www.saraschley.com
And be sure to check out Sara’s recently published memoir, BrainStorm: From Broken to Blessed on the Bipolar Spectrum, which tells the story of how she made peace with her bipolar brain. BrainStorm is now available wherever you get your books and audiobooks on the web.
Contact Sara on SaraSchley.com.
Thanks for listening to All Teens Considered. Join us again next week when we’ll have a new episode to share with you. We look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas for future episodes. Share your thoughts by texting (512) 537-1778.