Something I am Proud of in My Journey:
My greatest feat was going to the hospital. Both times I made the personal decision to go and it was also the scariest one. Both times were during my college years. The first time was during the holidays. I remember thinking I would disappoint my family or ruin the festivities. It had been pouring that day, one of the heaviest rainy days in my city. I was manic and decided it would be a great time to hike, so I convinced a friend to tag along and when we were done with the hike I began to cry uncontrollably. That’s when I knew it was time to go. The second time I was tapering down on medication when the hallucinations began. Both times I packed my bag and self-admitted. While in the hospital I adjusted my medication, met some of the coolest people ever, and took a safe break from the chaos of life. And much to my surprise, my family was extremely supportive. My partner visited every day both times and my family called as much as they could. Both these moments to this day have been my proudest achievements. I now spend as much effort as possible encouraging folks who need to go to the hospital to go because it isn’t as bad as society makes it out to be. I am also much more vocal about my disability and have learned to put myself first.
Message for Newly Diagnosed:
My message is to share your new disability with those around you! Start slowly, especially if you’re still adjusting to your new diagnosis. But share with loved ones who will support you as you go through changes. Talking about it and being vocal with my loved ones has helped me be transparent with my needs and made it easier to set boundaries. It took some getting used to, especially for folks on the receiving end but over time they got used to it and now it’s “She’s bipolar.” and that’s it! It feels great to be normalized but it takes a lot of energy on your end to get to that point.
