36-year US Army combat veteran Maj. Gen. Gregg. F. Martin and psychiatrist Dr. Manuel Sánchez de Carmona break down psychosis through their extensive lived and clinical expertise – delving into common triggers, treatment and medication, and psychotic symptoms including paranoid ideas, persecutory delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thought and behaviour. Gregg Martin also recounts harrowing psychotic episodes of “bipolar hell” during the Iraq War and through his service in the army, his route to recovery, rebuilding damaged relationships, and living well with bipolar disorder. Hosted by Dr. Erin Michalak.

00:00 Introduction
01:31 What Does Psychosis Look Like?
02:28 About Gregg Martin
06:54 About Dr. Manuel Sánchez de Carmona
09:13 My Psychosis Story: What Happened in Iraq
14:53 Psychosis Explained: What Is It?
17:47 Stress Triggered Gregg’s Psychosis
21:58 Identifying & Blocking Paranoid Thoughts
25:41 Know Your Early Warning Signs
28:28 Must You Treat Mild Symptoms/Voices?
30:17 Medication, Therapy & Support
32:28 Gregg’s 5Ps for Recovery from Mental Illness
35:09 Manuel’s Top Tips to Prevent Relapse
38:48 Losing Relationships: Forgiveness & Rebuilding
47:23 A Message to Those In Psychosis
50:18 Gregg’s Advice to His Younger Self

*Gregg F. Martin* PhD, is a 36-year Army combat veteran, bipolar survivor and thriver, and retired two-star general. A former president of the National Defense University, he has lived most of his life on the Bipolar Spectrum, and is a qualified Airborne-Ranger-Engineer and strategist, who holds degrees from West Point and MIT. An author, speaker, and mental health advocate, he lives with his wife in Cocoa Beach, Florida. His forthcoming book, _“Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness”_ is available on Amazon, and is being published by the US Naval Institute Press, and endorsed by the Association of the US Army. For more information, visit https://www.generalgreggmartin.com

Dr. *Manuel Sánchez de Carmona* is a member of the ISBD Board of Directors and works as an associate professor of Clinical Psychiatry for the Anahuac University in Mexico City, Mexico. He began his involvement with ISBD in 2008 as the founder of the ISBD Mexican Chapter and since then in key leadership roles: first as ISBD Secretary Treasurer and then as ISBD President, serving for two consecutive terms from March 2014 to December 2017. He was able to actively promote the Society and generate local chapters in several countries of Latin America, Asia, and Europe. He is passionate about providing education on bipolar disorders and using the Society as a game-changer in public mental health services. Since World Bipolar Day’s inception, he has been involved in its global promotion and making connections with experts with the lived experience to generate community awareness and fight stigma. Dr. Sanchez de Carmona has more than 25 years of clinical experience treating mood disorders and is interested in diagnosis, early detection, and providing quality of life to patients.

More on this episode: https://talkBD.live/living-with-psychosis

Full credit and many thanks to ENR for Iraq War footage used in this episode. Watch ENR’s full feature video for Gregg Martin’s ENR Award of Excellence:

*#talkBD Bipolar Disorder Podcast*
talkBD gathers researchers, people with lived experience, healthcare providers, and top bipolar disorder experts from around the world to discuss and answer the most important questions about living with bipolar disorder. All episodes are available on all podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5svD0DmvlGSWm7QYrCKhxQ
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1630198383

Learn more about talkBD: https://talkBD.live