Understanding Bipolar: The Magic & the Mayhem

29/04/2026

I had been in two psych wards over the past year and a half when crisis mode hit. But what about the idea of maintenance? Booking in for short periods when red flags start to emerge, but doing a preemptive intervention before a breakdown hits? Let me know your thoughts and experiences

22/04/2026

I recently realised I was on the wrong medication for my bipolar, and it was affecting me more than I fully understood at the time.

After checking in with my psychiatrist and making changes, things feel a lot more stable and clear.

This is your reminder: medication isn’t “set and forget.”
Your brain, your body, your life—they shift. And your treatment needs to keep up.

If something feels off, don’t ignore it. Talk to your doctor. Adjust. Advocate for yourself.

20/04/2026

https://backabuddy.co.za/campaign/bipolar-novel-funding

Hey friends, please support my bipolar memoir ‘the middle is missing’ by clicking on the back a buddy link. I am working on cementing my experiences in this novel to help others living with bipolar, as well as a guide to understanding for those who have a loved one surviving this condition. The campaign runs for two more weeks. I know some of you cannot donate but that you support me in spirit and thank you so much for that and for your friendship and love through harder times.

12/04/2026

I hate being bipolar, it’s awesome. Learning to ride the waves and cope in the lows, not over feed the highs, it is a constant pendulum and negotiation with my brain. Just checking in with an update, how are you guys doing?

10/04/2026

Hey friends, so… many people have told me to write a book over the years, i’ve finally gotten around to it, i am about 100 pages deep at this stage and going strong. The book is a memoir, mixed in with short fictional stories, poetry, freewriting, journal entries, and what i call mayhok ‘bursts’.

It is fragmented - because - such is life, and such is living with bipolar. Expect philosophy, psychology, intimacy and truth. I am laying it all bare and welcoming you into the world within and around me.

I have made a Back-a-buddy page to support the project, please donate if you are in a position to and I’ll slip you an autographed copy when it’s published. Your donations are private and I wont know who gave what so no pressures, I know many of you support me in spirit and that is enough.

The campaign is running for one month. Support if you can. Lots of love Nina

Mayok / The Middle is Missing (still deciding on the title of the book) Introduction from Author - Nina Bekink Living with bipolar has brought ...

01/04/2026

Bipolar 101

01/04/2026

Started writing a book about my experiences living with bipolar. I am publishing chapter by chapter on https://substack.com/ - follow like share give me feedback. This work is aimed to make us feel less alone, understand and navigate bipolar better, and importantly, be a guide to help friends and family to be better equipt to cope and support.

31/03/2026

This is me well. And me in a severe episode. It is barely the same person, I lose myself. Health takes a dive, relationships jobs finances. Mental illness is very real and very serious. Not everyone survives their mind living with bipolar. Can you relate?

27/03/2026

In severe episodes, memory can take a real hit.

Not just “forgetting things” — but sometimes entire conversations, days, even periods of your life blur.

Mania can overload the mind. Depression can shut it down. Both can disrupt how memories are formed and stored.

It’s the brain under extreme pressure. Do you experience this?

24/03/2026

Some days it feels like a superpower. Some days it’s survival. Living with bipolar isn’t one story — it’s extremes by nature. A pendulum. A dance between light and dark. In this video I list 3 best things about living with bipolar, 3 worst things. Can you relate?

21/03/2026

This video was taken just before I admitted myself to a psych ward a year and a half ago, my first ever psych ward experience. I was very unwell.

I had been in mania, rapid cycling, and I’d lost touch with reality. I was deep in a spiritual space, convinced that God and my late father were sending me signs through 10-cent coins.

I spent three weeks in the psych ward. It hasn’t been smooth since. There’s no cure. There are only interventions — and learning, slowly, how to live with this in a way that’s less destructive. I’m still learning how to dance with it.