Partner Has Bipolar. What Do I Do?

Partner Has Bipolar. What Do I Do?

Living with someone with bipolar disorder affects every part of life, from marriage and household routines to the emotional and mental weight carried by a spouse. In this episode of Walk With Me, Brother, Robb Pollard talks with his wife, Anna Pollard, about the challenges and realities of being married to someone with bipolar disorder. They share honest insights into communication struggles, emotional strain, caregiving responsibilities, chronic stress, and the journey to rebuild trust. Anna opens up about what it is really like to support a partner with mental illness while maintaining her own well-being. She talks about managing mania and hypomania in the family, setting boundaries without becoming a parent figure, avoiding caregiver burnout, and how therapy and sobriety have helped strengthen their relationship. Their conversation offers guidance and solidarity to spouses, partners, and family members navigating similar experiences. This episode is from the spouse’s perspective and is not a clinical breakdown of bipolar disorder. Support the mission:  https://walkwithmebrother.com [ https://walkwithmebrother.com GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/3b635fda2] GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/3b635fda2 [https://gofund.me/3b635fda2] If you or someone you support is struggling: * US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 * Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 * International help: findahelpline.com [https://findahelpline.com/] Follow the journey: Instagram: @walkwithmebrother [https://instagram.com/walkwithmebrother] | Robb: @itsrobbp [https://instagram.com/itsrobbp] New episodes weekly. Listen. Reflect. Grow.

15. Imposter Syndrome in Leadership (The Real Problem) - Salvatore Manzi

In this episode of Walk With Me, Brother, Robb Pollard sits down with Salvatore Manzi, leadership communications coach and author, for a grounded conversation about imposter syndrome, fear, and what happens in the body during high stakes moments. Salvatore shares how his journey began early on, growing up in a conservative Midwestern household with Italian roots, and how losing his voice on stage during his first speaking experience led him to study presence, communication, and nervous system regulation. That moment became the foundation for more than two decades of work with founders, executives, and teams navigating visibility and pressure. Throughout the conversation, Salvatore reframes imposter syndrome not as a weakness, but as a signal that someone is stepping beyond a familiar identity. He explains why highly capable people experience it the most, how comparison intensifies self doubt, and why the brain is wired to interpret unfamiliar situations as danger. Robb and Salvatore explore how fear shows up in leadership, why confidence is often misunderstood, and how learning to regulate the nervous system allows leaders to stay present, authentic, and clear instead of performing or freezing under pressure. This episode is for leaders, speakers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who struggles to show up fully in moments that matter, and who wants a calmer, more embodied way to lead and communicate. Topics we cover: • Imposter syndrome and identity • Fear and nervous system responses • Leadership and high stakes communication • Presence over performance • Confidence versus comfort • Comparison and self doubt • Regulating the nervous system • Authentic leadership Salvatore Manzi Instagram: @salvatormanji Book: Clear and Compelling Communication https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVT78N3C [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVT78N3C] Host: Robb Pollard Instagram: @itsrobbp Walk With Me, Brother Instagram: @walkwithmebrother New episodes weekly. Listen. Reflect. Grow.

14. The Real Causes of The Gen Z Mental Health Crisis - Aly Vredenburgh

In this episode of Walk With Me, Brother, Robb Pollard sits down with Aly Vredenburgh, author, researcher, and social innovator, for a grounded conversation about the systemic roots of the Gen Z mental health crisis. Aly shares how her own mental health struggles began in childhood and why losing her best friend became the catalyst for years of research into suicide prevention, belonging, and community based mental health. She challenges the idea that this crisis can be solved with better coping skills, mindfulness, or self care, and instead asks what is broken in the systems young people are growing up inside. Throughout the conversation, Aly explains why social media is not the root cause, how poverty and unmet basic needs are deeply tied to depression, and why belonging is one of the strongest predictors of mental health outcomes. She breaks down how culture, media, education, and policy contribute to rising anxiety, depression, and suicide rates among young people. Aly also discusses why the current mental health system is reactive rather than prevention based, how connection has been commodified, and what it would look like to build real community instead of treating mental health as an individual failure. This episode is for parents, educators, leaders, and anyone trying to understand why so many young people feel hopeless, overwhelmed, or disconnected, and what responsibility we share in changing that. Topics we cover: • The Gen Z mental health crisis • Belonging and community • Systems versus individual blame • Suicide prevention • Poverty and unmet basic needs • Culture, media, and mental health • Prevention versus crisis intervention • Creating instead of consuming Aly Vredenburgh Instagram: @alyvredenburgh Book: **Out of Focus. Why the Gen Z Mental Health Crisis Is More Complex Than You Think https://www.amazon.com/Out-Focus-Gen-Z-Mental-Health/dp/ Host: Robb Pollard Instagram: @itsrobbp Walk With Me, Brother Instagram: @walkwithmebrother New episodes weekly. Listen. Reflect. Grow.

13. When Success Is Not Enough- Bill Leider

In this episode of Walk With Me, Brother, Robb Pollard sits down with Bill Leider, author, executive advisor, and thought leader in personal and professional reinvention, for a grounded conversation about the in-between seasons of life. Bill shares how external success can quietly coexist with internal misalignment. After more than four decades in finance, leadership, and advising Fortune 500 companies and startups, he began to recognize the slow burn that comes from living according to expectations rather than purpose. Throughout the conversation, Bill explains how self-limiting beliefs often form early in life and remain unconscious drivers well into adulthood. He opens up about patterns of self-sabotage that appeared at the edge of success, and how neuroscience helps explain why the brain resists change through avoidance of discomfort and instant gratification. Bill breaks down how neuroplasticity allows the brain to be rewired over time, why deep reflection is necessary to uncover subconscious beliefs, and how forgiveness of self and others creates space for growth. He also introduces the question that anchors his work: “What would it take?” A question that quiets the ego and opens the door to possibility. This episode is for anyone who feels focused but lost, successful but unfulfilled, or aware that what they have is not what they need, and is ready to approach their next chapter with honesty and clarity. Topics we cover: • The in-between seasons of life • Success versus fulfillment • Self-limiting beliefs and sabotage • Neuroscience and behavior change • Neuroplasticity and habit formation • Reflection, forgiveness, and growth • Reinvention through better questions Bill Leider Instagram: @bill.leider Books: What’s Next: How to Make Your Next Chapter Your Best Chapter https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Next-Make-Your-Chapter/dp/1966550103/ [https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Next-Make-Your-Chapter/dp/1966550103/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Mastering Your Balance https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Your-Balance-Leading-Potential/dp/1952233437/ [https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Your-Balance-Leading-Potential/dp/1952233437/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Brand Illusions https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Illusions-Bill-Leer/dp/0985848802/ Host: Robb Pollard Instagram: @itsrobbp Walk With Me, Brother Instagram: @walkwithmebrother New episodes weekly. Listen. Reflect. Grow.

12. Befriend Yourself- Kathryn Remati

Calm strength is not force. It is presence, self trust, and inner peace. In this episode of Walk With Me, Brother, Robb Pollard sits down with meditation and sleep expert, author, and wellness educator Kathryn Ramati for a grounded conversation about inner leadership, self love, and what real peace looks like in daily life. Kathryn shares her personal journey from a challenging childhood and teenage depression to discovering meditation at a pivotal moment that changed the direction of her life. What began as curiosity became decades of inner work, education, and teaching, including earning a degree in psychology and working as a health educator teaching classes on insomnia, stress, anxiety, and emotional well being. Throughout the conversation, Kathryn explains what meditation actually is and what it is not, why the belief that you must empty your mind is a myth, and how learning to observe thoughts instead of fighting them creates calm and clarity. She also speaks directly to the pressure many men live under, constantly giving to work, family, and responsibility while placing themselves last. Kathryn reframes success as inner peace rather than control or achievement, and offers practical guidance on self talk, journaling, meditation routines, and learning to let go instead of constantly pushing. This episode is for anyone who feels mentally exhausted, disconnected from themselves, or stuck in constant self criticism, and is ready to slow down and build a calmer inner life. Topics we cover: • Calm strength and inner leadership • Meditation and mindfulness without myths • Self love as a foundation for mental health • Men and emotional pressure • Self talk and inner dialogue • Letting go and surrender • Building inner peace through daily practice Kathryn Ramati Instagram: @kathrynremati Website: https://lightenupretreat.com [https://lightenupretreat.com] Meditation App: https://tranquilmeapp.com [https://tranquilmeapp.com] Host: Robb Pollard Instagram: @itsrobbp Walk With Me, Brother Instagram: @walkwithmebrother New episodes weekly. Listen. Reflect. Grow.