Something I am Proud of: Growing up, I was ambitious and had big dreams for myself. When I was diagnosed with bipolar at 19, I thought my life was over. Over time, I learned that stringing together moments of stability and joy was one way of building a meaningful life...
Something I am Proud Of: I’ve spent 6 months working on a new kind of peer support experience for people with bipolar. The unique capabilities of the Clubhouse technology is what makes this possible. More information is available at linktr.ee/bipolarsupportclub....
Something I am Proud of: Simply starting my mental health journey. Walking into a therapist’s office, admitting I was afraid of myself and had tried everything under the sun to calm that fear was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The awareness of my diagnosis,...
Something I am Proud Of: I am proud that over the past 7 years (since I first began mental health treatment) I have consistently stayed in therapy and taken my meds, despite relapses, medication issues, and major life stressors. I am also proud that during each...
Something I am Proud of: When I was finally medically compliant two years after my initial diagnosis, the hospital psychiatrist told me I would never work again. She encouraged me to seek disability. Give up my professional aspirations. I fired her. Then I fought my...
Something I am Proud Of: A moment I am most proud of when it comes to managing my bipolar diagnosis is launching my podcast, “Master Your M.E.N.T.A.L” to share my story to inspire others on how to shatter the stigma, conquer obstacles and craft the life...
Something I am Proud Of: I’m proud of myself for never giving up on ME, even in the hardest moments. I chose every day to fight my way towards the right treatment, med combo, & therapy modalities. There were some unbelievably dark days- especially since things got...
Something I am Proud Of: I thought I was going to get married to him, until I realized I was hypomanic and only in love with a dream. I thought my best friend would always be by my side, until she chose not to be, and died by suicide. I thought I had the independence...
Something I am Proud Of: Since my diagnosis of bipolar type 2, I have been blessed to experience many victories. I have graduated college with high honors, got into graduate school, and work as a recovery coach and peer specialist. I have done all of this despite...
Something I am Proud Of: I’m proud of my overall journey; I have come a long way since my proper diagnosis at age 28 (four years ago), and even further since struggling with severe depression throughout my late teens and into my early 20s. I spent the majority...
Something I am Proud Of: Before being on injection, I was hospitalized 10 times and spent 5 years completing 1 year worth of college. However, once I found the right medication, I successfully completed 4 degrees total in 4 different disciplines: Liberal Arts,...
Something I am Proud Of: The thing that I am most proud of during my mental health journey, is that I have managed to continue furthering my education. Even though I’ve not reached my goal yet and I’ve ran into many different obstacles along the way, I...
Something I am Proud Of: I am proud to say that I have 39 years of lived experience. I am a six- time suicide attempt survivor and on my journey, I have had to endure many things. Whether they were good things or bad things my life experience has taught me how to...
Something I am proud of: Something I am proud of is overcoming stigma. A few years after being diagnosed an episode led me to being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. I expected my hospitalisation to represent something close to the film One Flew Over the...
Advice For Newly Diagnosed: First, deep breath. Whether you are afraid of or enthusiastic about your future (or both), take it one day at a time. Life is unpredictable under the best of circumstances; add in mental illness and the instability multiplies. Get confident...
Hi! My name is Matt Cohen, I’m 22 years old, and I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar 2. This journey has been a long and often hard one, but there’s a whole lot to be proud of, not just for me but for everyone at any point in this journey! Something I am Proud Of: One...
Advice For Newly Diagnosed: Try to become self-aware. Remember. Understand. Get help from the right people and the right sources! Therapy, therapy and therapy. Accept yourself (but don’t be grandiose about the red flags in your own personality if any) Find your...
Something I am Proud Of: After a mental breakdown during my master’s program in 2016, I lost myself in a trail of black and white thinking, suicidal ideation, and catastrophic thinking (i.e. imagining the worst for my life). In short, from June 2016 – June 2017, I...
Something I Am Proud Of: My story started when I was a kid, young and innocent. Living a happy life full of excitement and socialising. At least that is what everyone else saw. But in reality, the thing that they couldn’t have possibly seen or experience were all...
Faces of Hope and Recovery Author: Sandra Crowe Every decade living with bipolar gets better for me. When I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 at the age of 22, I had already attempted suicide twice. But I wasn’t in a place to accept my diagnosis and the work and stigma...
Something I am Proud Of: Since childhood, my approach to self-worth was by ripping my being to shreds. I was on loop of berating myself- “you should be cooler”; “you should be smarter”; “you should be skinnier”. It was constant...
Something I am Proud Of I am proud of receiving my diagnosis as well as continuing to put in the work to continue to manage the illness and get better. It took quite the journey to get to the place where I am now, and I can honestly say that since being diagnosed,...
Advice for Newly Diagnosed: My advice for newly diagnosed: Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. It’s not going to be an easy journey, and having a support system is so important. If you don’t have access to a therapist or psychiatrist, reach out to friends or family...
Something I’m Proud of: Traveling can be great fun and produce memorable times. Consider somebody with immense anxiety and mood issues. I use to pack my entire bathroom on trips to make sure I would not be without any vital antidote to the poisons lurked within...
Something I’m Proud of: My proudest moment throughout my mental health journey was when I decided to stop living in denial and shared my story about struggling with mental illness to friends and family. From there, others began to reach out and ask for advice...
Something I’m Proud of: I was diagnosed with a bipolar affective disorder in March this year. I am proud to be able to find a lot of strength and develop in many ways despite such a serious illness. I’ve always wanted to help children with Down’s...
Something I’m Proud of: A few years ago, I decided I wanted to become a counselor. To do this, I would have to go back to school to get my second master’s degree. For four years, I was a full-time grad-student, but they were not easy years. These were also years...
Something I Am Proud Of: I developed bipolar disorder halfway through college. This made the second half of college much more challenging. I took several semesters off. Imagine trying to take classes while depression drains you of motivation, energy, and ability to...
Something I Am Proud Of: Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamt of being an author. Over the years, I made positive steps towards writing a book, but it never came to fruition. Back in 2013, my bipolar disorder was strangling me every single day. It seemed like I...
Something I Am Proud Of: Being unapologetically me. When I was first diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, I was in denial and afraid of the stigma that surrounded mental health disorders. It took me a year to finally share with my friends and family. Now, I am proud of...
Something I Am Proud Of: This year marks my 10th anniversary (I guess) of understanding what makes me different. What has been paramount in my success is staying on top of myself- accountability, resilience, and love. I can say I have not lived the conformed cookie...
Something I Am Proud Of: To tell my girlfriend, and my boss that I need to pause my life and seek immediate help before I try (again) to harm myself. To be comfortable telling people how I feel and why I will ‘disappear’ for a month to receive therapy and...
Something I Am Proud Of: My journey in managing my mental illness began with cultivating determination. I consider this the foundation for developing self-awareness of my strengths and weaknesses. I utilized these strengths when I underwent the peer support...
Something I Am Proud Of: The thing I am most proud of is finishing my over three-hundred-page memoir about my experiences entitled Daddy Issues: A Bipolar Memoir. I have lived through so much, and I’m so proud that I’ve been able to make sense of my life...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am most proud of how far I have come over the years. I remember how I felt when I kept relapsing and was navigating managing my mental illness as well as caring for another person with bipolar disorder. Graduating college, being in a healthy...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am proud of myself for learning to better manage my anxiety. It has been a long road, with lots of hard work, and I have learned a lot about myself and my anxiety. For example, it largely shows up in work environments, in large group...
Something I Am Proud Of: Existing with bipolar disorder and other comorbid mental illnesses is something that I often remind myself is more than enough to be proud of. I am proud that I exemplify courage and resilience and refuse to settle for anything less than what...
Something I Am Proud Of: It’s been 7 years since my last episode and 10 years since first diagnosis. I’m determined never to have one again. With blood, sweat, tears and a lot of CBT, while being medically compliant, I am walking on the other side,...
Something I Am Proud Of: Something I’m proud of in my journey of managing my mental illness is publishing a book of poetry about my experience with health professionals and educating them on how things are from the other side of their treatment. My book is a...
Something I Am Proud Of: The moment I realized I am like everybody else despite my diagnosis’ was the light in my journey. I realized my diagnosis of mental health problems is no different than physical diagnosis like asthma or diabetes. Ultimately, when I saw myself...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am especially proud of the fact that I was able to write and self-publish “The Mental Patient: A Journey of Faith” on Amazon. This fictional memoir is based on my 65 years of struggling with bipolar with psychosis. It came in three stages...
Something I Am Proud Of: One time I led a local community training on mental illness and I decided to integrate my own experiences with recovery into the training. It was a leap for me because my illness would be made public. The response was huge and people...
Something I Am Proud Of: For years I thought if I tried harder I could be different, normal. I was diagnosed in my 20s and finally found hope. I now know there is a name for what I experience and that there is treatment. I’ve tried to give positive meaning to my...
Something I Am Proud Of: I completed my 10 month DBT class, and got my first full-time job during treatment! Advice For Newly Diagnosed: Learn how to access the beauty and creativity through the ups and downs. Getting treatment, whatever that means for you, is...
Something I Am Proud Of: I was diagnosed more than 16 years ago, and have struggled tremendously with my diagnosis. Through all of the bumps in the road, I have never given up on myself. There have been times when I’ve been overwhelmed by this disorder, but I continue...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am proud of the moment that I realized that I wanted to become a Yoga Teacher. Yoga is about yoking the mind, body & soul – aligning with the Powers that be. So, you see, I was most pleased to have had the courage to face the Spiritual...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am succeeding by fulfilling my daily commitments to my kids, my family, my friends, and my job. I am fighting every day with the help of my support system. My proudest moment in my journey has been the day I became a facilitator for DBSA...
Something I Am Proud Of: What I am most proud of is initially realising that there was something not quite right with myself and my mental health, and asking for help. Despite a previous diagnosis of depression, I felt like something else was at play- and my...
Something I Am Proud Of: I’ve always been honest to my son about my illness, from when he was little boy. I believe this has been the right thing to do, as many times he has witnessed his mom being in bed, or being extra exhausted due to mental illness. By...
Something I Am Proud Of: I am proud because I am aware of my illness. When I was diagnosed at 21 years old I was very afraid to take medication. My life became chaotic and the first 5 years were hard but there came a time when I learned to life with my illness. Even...
