Daniel Bader, Ph.D.
The Importance of Peer Expertise in Counselling
I’ve been away from the blog for a while, and though I haven’t necessary made the best use of my spare time (*cough* Skyrim *cough*), mostly it’s been because I’ve been doing two degrees, one in spiritual care and psychotherpay,… Continue reading
Diagnosis and Stigma: How the DSM Is Not our Enemy
I just finished up a degree in psychotherapy, and I heard a lot of different opinions about the DSM, or “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”, the standard guide for diagnoses in psychiatry today. However, there was one, general,… Continue reading
Bipolar Disorder and Smoking: How I Finally Managed To Quit
The rate of smoking among people with bipolar disorder is incredibly high. Studies have found that 50-70% of people with bipolar disorder smoke, compared with 20% of the general population. Since smoking kills about 50% of long-term smokers (as… Continue reading
Is It Possible To Be Authentically Bipolar?
Being bipolar can be a very lonely experience, because we are so often required to hide our emotions and thoughts. I’ve personally become very good at what therapists like to call “presenting well”, that is, disguising the symptoms of my… Continue reading
What I Cannot Change, What I Can Change, and How To Know the Difference
Many of you are probably familiar with what is called the “Serenity Prayer”. It’s part of a longer prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, and is very commonly said at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and is also popular for putting up in homes.… Continue reading
Responsibility Without Blame: Healthy Ownership of a Bipolar Life
Bipolar disorder has caused me to do a lot of harm, especially before I was taking proper medication. Between my temper, broken promises, substance abuse, and process addictions, I have either hurt or failed a number of different people. These… Continue reading
Bipolar Disorder and Spirituality: The Data of Religious Experience
The idea that mental illness and divine inspiration are connected is extremely old, going back into the very roots of the roots of our language. “Mania” itself is a Greek term that Plato hypothesized is connected to the word “mantikē”… Continue reading
Going the F**k To Sleep: Insomnia and Bipolar Disorder
There’s a wonderful children’s book used by parents who want to traumatize their children and to teach them to talk like truck drivers. It is called Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam’s Mansbach, and it’s about a parent’s frustrating… Continue reading
“Crazy” Talk: Why Having a Mental Illness Shouldn’t Be an Insult
In general, I don’t like to correct other people’s language. After all, there can be a real temptation for those of us with the “correct language” to jump on the people with the “incorrect” language.
However, sometimes things get so… Continue reading
Virtue Ethics, Mental Illness and Discrimination
There is a type of ethics called “virtue ethics” that has become increasingly popular lately. It’s become especially popular among those who study ancient philosophy and in religious circles, especially in Catholicism. The basic idea is that actions should be… Continue reading
To find out more, please visit the website for his private practice, Bader Mediation & Counselling Services.