BipolarDad

Wicked ALS strikes Minnesota relative.

When you read about ALS, it is usually somewhere far away. Sometimes we get closer when someone famous is attacked.
But nothing compares to what I experienced this past weekend.

From Postmaster to Bipolar Advocate: Jim Stordahl’s Road to Resilience

James W. "Jim" Stordahl recounts a lifetime of service and struggle — 30 years with the U.S. Postal Service, military service across four branches, work as a bus driver and actor — all while living with Bipolar‑2 Disorder for more than 50 years. His story balances high achievement and hidden pain, showing how mental illness can coexist with discipline, leadership, and public-facing roles.Jim also shares the difficult, 15‑year family journey helping his youngest daughter through diagnosis, crises, and eventual independence, and how he turned those experiences into advocacy and four books. This episode offers practical hope, real coping strategies, and a candid call to break stigma by speaking openly about mental health.

Are you hapy and you know it?

Mental Health is health.
It is OK to talk about it.
We must jump th stigma hurdle.

Wheels on the bus go round and round

Since 2011, when I tried it out as a short term part-tim gig, school bus driving has been a grand adventure. Increasing hours, more days, more pay. The toxic quality was always there.
Unable to dispense any discipline, the bullying continues. The school system continues to ignore, The drivers are never asked for their input.
I did my best for a dozen years.

Grandpa’s Oil Change: A Small Errand With Big Lessons

What starts as a routine oil change becomes a small, telling day about aging, independence, and the little rituals that hold a life together. Watching his grandfather insist on details, trade stories in the waiting room, and quietly accept help reveals how dignity is preserved in ordinary errands.From a dusty cabin filter to a carefully folded receipt, the episode shows that companionship, questions, and routine maintenance can say more than grand declarations—so say yes the next time someone invites you along.

We need to talk about mental health

There are many reasons for mental health challenges.
We must talk about it so we can remedy the situation.
Mental health is health.

Retirees going back to work

Forget the Golden Years.
Forget the Bucket List!
Its back to work for 50% of retirees!

Jimthebusdriver reads from latest book

A veteran of 12 years driving a school bus, Jimthebusdriver kicks off the 2026 mental health speaking season by reading from his book: "Send my mail to the end of the Trail."

Bipolar ramble

Lifetime Bipolar-2 grandfather still trying to unravel jis hectic racing thoughts.

At 80 With Bipolar II: What It Feels Like After a Lifetime

Welcome in. Today we’re talking about what it can feel like to be 80 and to have lived a life with bipolar II—not as a headline, but as an everyday reality that shaped relationships, work, rest, pride, and regret.This episode is personal and reflective, not medical advice. We walk through how bipolar II shows up in daily life at 80: the deep, hidden depressions, the tricky hypomanias, the overlap with aging and grief, and the long learning curve of recognizing patterns and navigating care. You’ll hear about stigma across decades, the sensory and bodily ties between mood and physical health, practical ways relationships adapt, and what still brings meaning late in life.If you’re listening and you recognize yourself, you deserve tailored support. Take small, doable steps today—reach out, rest, and remember: you’re not only your episodes.