Something I am Proud Of:
I am proud of the fact that I can live a balanced, meaningful life with family, friends, music, martial arts, and a career in cybersecurity even with bipolar disorder. I thought my life was over when I had to be rushed to the hospital and I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago. Yet, with the support of friends and family, self-care, therapy, medication, sleeping well, and identifying what is truly important, I got back to living a balanced life.
I am proud of only saying yes to things I know that I can pour all of myself into knowing full well that the condition precludes me from burning the candles at both ends. Knowing when to turn down anything that would disrupt my professional and personal balance that I’ve worked hard to achieve has been integral to my recovery.
Additionally, since my diagnosis I felt there was always a stigma around mental health issues. It took a lot of courage for me to speak openly about living with the condition and this led to me writing, recording, and releasing a music album in May 2024 called ‘Broken,’ which highlights my experiences living with bipolar disorder.
Message for Newly Diagnosed:
You are not alone. You might feel like an outsider but there are countless others going through what you’re going through now. Your journey has just begun and you can live a full, meaningful life even though it doesn’t feel that way at first.
What I learned from interacting with others about bipolar disorder is that the world is a beautiful place and people are far more empathetic and understanding than I gave them credit for.
