Fifteen years with bipolar disorder
Lithium kept me stable for a decade and a half. I took it exactly as prescribed, with regular blood checks.
Start here
I'm Summer. I write about relearning my own body.
Two years ago I lost my balance, my steady hands, and for a while, my sense of who I was — to ataxia caused by lithium I was taking, exactly as prescribed, for bipolar disorder. The diagnosis now has a name: SILENT syndrome.
This blog is my field notes: what the science says, what my rehab actually looks like, and what daily life is like in a body that has to be relearned. It is not medical advice — it is one honest, documented recovery.
The story so far
The floor moved
Tremor, slurred speech, a walk that stopped being automatic. Months of tests, no clear answer.
Rebuilding, without a name
Two hours of rehab a day, cardio, cognitive drills. This blog began as my own record of what worked.
The diagnosis: SILENT syndrome
Finally confirmed — irreversible lithium-effectuated neurotoxicity. The blog now covers bipolar, lithium, and recovery together.
Where to start
Pick the reader that sounds like you — each path is three posts, about fifteen minutes total.
Recently diagnosed with ataxia
The rebuilding path
What accelerated my healing, the aerobic-exercise science, and my full weekly protocol.
Start this path →You take lithium, or someone you love doesThe lithium path
Why I was on lithium, the warning signs I missed, and what SILENT syndrome actually means.
Start this path →Living alongside a recoveryThe daily-life path
Working with screens again, hormones and heavy days, and what trust feels like after ataxia.
Start this path →Recovery notes, straight to your inbox.
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