The first few minutes of this ~30 minute video cover special news like a GAS hidden puzzle series, a SudokuCon stream, and awesome outputs of the GMPuzzles solving community.

Go to the Twitch stream here, August 2nd at 12:30 PM PT: https://www.twitch.tv/sudokucon

The rest of this unusual video cover Thomas’s recent experiences — ups and downs — of living as a bipolar person. August 1st, 2023, was the last time Thomas entered a manic state severe enough to need hospitalization. It was the lowest of lows, but he has recovered over two years and has a far improved approach to care that he wants to share on this important “recovery anniversary” date, including things he still wishes he better understood or could better control. The “near miss” from the title is about how we all experienced a December 2024 hypomania/early mania that was not ideal for how the GMP puzzle audience received original ideas even if Thomas avoided hospitalization. Takeaways from that are also covered and feedback welcome.

For anyone who might want support from peers with lived experience, NAMI is a great place to search for connection groups in your area.