Author: Major General Gregg Martin, US Army (Retired), PhD
Dear Bipolar Friend: I never asked for or wanted you in my life — but you wanted me. I wouldn’t wish you on anyone, but… after much pain, you have ended up being a blessing.
You elevated me for decades, then sent me into crisis and nearly destroyed me. You helped me, up until you went too far, and then you almost killed me; during both the ecstasy of full-blown mania and the crippling, hopeless depths of depression and bipolar hell.
After you shattered my life and took away many of the things I valued most, my grueling recovery recast my life in a way that has strengthened my faith, made me more compassionate, caring, humble, and more…in short, you helped make me a better person.
Through the process of recovery and building a new life, I’ve connected with and created the best friends and colleagues I’ve ever known – the brothers and sisters of my bipolar, mental health, and Cocoa Beach (Florida) families/tribes, as well as my own family. These mental wellness warriors, dancing pals, and family members, inspire, energize, enrich, and give me hope. We all battle, learn and serve together, in our life-giving mission of elevating mental health, spirit, happiness, and fun – making it at least as important as physical health. Mental health is health! I have YOU – my bipolar friend – to thank for these new and strengthened communities and networks.
As carbon transforms into diamonds deep within the Earth’s mantle under immense pressure and high temperatures, so too the trauma, stress and intense pain of my bipolar journey transformed me, and for the better. Bipolar friend, I have you to thank – as I worked my way through a grueling recovery, and rebuilt my life – for giving me the self-awareness and ability to better understand myself that has led to this growth, these positive changes, and these amazing relationships.
In an ironic way, you’ve also provided me with the most powerful and inspirational life mission and purpose I’ve ever had: to love my neighbor as myself, by personalizing the Great Commandment and focusing on “Sharing my bipolar story to help stop stigma, promote recovery, and save lives”. So, I am grateful and proud to be a bipolar survivor, thriver, and warrior who is Bipolar Strong!!
Thank you, my bipolar friend, thank you bipolar and mental health communities, thank you Cocoa Beach dancing tribe, thank you Martin family, and… thank You Lord — truly You work in mysterious and powerful ways…
The content of the International Bipolar Foundation blogs is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician and never disregard professional medical advice because of something you have read in any IBPF content.
