Joni Edelman

I'll never forget the day I discovered the name for my mental illness.

Oh hey remember that time in 1804 when Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton had an actual duel, with actual guns and Burr shot Hamilton and Hamilton did not shoot Burr. And then the next day Hamilton died.

Sam: The first time you mentioned that you have five kids I was like WHAT THE ACTUAL. FIVE HUMANS. FIVE HUMANS CAME OUT OF YOU. Like, not at the same time, but they came out and like, that sounds painful and scary WHY DID YOU DO THAT??

My husband and I recently traveled together without our kids for the first time . . . in a while. And it was a brand-new ball game.

photo credit: Lindy West (instagram), by

In honor of World Bipolar Day, I present a sample stream of consciousness based on my experiences living with this disorder.

I don’t think of myself as fat. Not inside, anyway.

[CN: suicide, overdose] Gratitude stops me from ending my life, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to end my life. Even the fierce love I have for my family doesn’t mean I don’t feel utterly hopeless sometimes.

If you're brave enough to take the DIY Brazilian plunge, these tips are a must-read. As in, tip #6: It hurts, but not more than having a baby. Good to know.

...I’m going to help you! By “help” I mean “tell you all the things that didn’t work.”