About The Toronto Bipolar Disorder Meetup Group

Welcome to the Bipolar Disorder Meetup Group.

Come casual, get information, join us as we laugh at ourselves, and tell each other how we have improved from our past, be open, and share. Things will only get better if we help one another.

What we do:

- Talk about issues/experiences we are struggling with
- Provide feedback, suggestions and encouragement for each other
- Watch out for each other, and respect each other
- Work together to promote a framework conducive to mental health and wellbeing
- Have fun and laugh
- Go out and do low budget/free things on a casual basis

If you have a suggestion for something fun and free to do in the city, especially something that is outdoors/ healthy, feel free to post it; you may have people who are interested in joining you too.

Who should join?

- People who have Bipolar in all its derivations, namely:
-Bipolar I
-Bipolar II
-Cyclothymia
-Dysthymia
- People who have loved ones with bipolar are also welcome to come to meetups, especially people with family/ partners with bipolar disorder
- People who have not been officially diagnosed with bpolar disorder but suspect they have bipolar disorder and are struggling talking to a doctor about it.

Who should not join?

- Journalists seeking information/interviews from members
- Research clinicians seeking test subjects
- Students researching bipolar, and seeking information/anecdotes
- Solicitors/investigators/doctors or psychiatrists seeking information or clients

Like any group, The Toronto Bipolar Meetup Group has gone through a process of growth and change, and the above guidelines are in response to the general experience of the group. Because this is a peer group for those with bipolar in all its various forms, peer contact, peer support, and peer education in a forum where all members can relax and be themselves is the ultimate goal. Past experiences with journalists, clinicians and students have proven divisive and counterproductive to that goal. Thank you very much for respecting this decision.

If you have bipolar, or think you have bipolar, welcome. Have a look around at what other people in the same boat as you are going through. There are a lot of resources out there for people with bipolar. There are books, websites, medications, doctors, therapists, etc. This group cannot replace any of them. On the other hand, nothing can replace sharing experiences, and knowing that someone else "gets it".

Important:

If you need immediate help, or are very depressed, or considering suicide, please call 911, or go to emergency at the closest hospital to you.

This group will be here for you when you are ready. There are no counsellors or doctors here, just other people like you who are trying to deal with their life situation.

Please KEEP IN MIND that there are no guarantees about anything that you read on this site. It is not intended to be prescriptive, and there are no warnings about possible triggers.