Author: Major General Gregg Martin, US Army Retired
In recent months, I’ve welcomed you to enter the mind of a person whose brain was damaged in combat, and literally went to war against him, driving him into bipolar madness for several years.
This is a story I never planned or hoped to tell, but one I must tell. I owe it to my fellow veterans, service members, and human beings – brothers and sisters of the planet – to share my experiences, lessons learned and understanding of how to survive, recover from, build a new life, and manage this brutal mental illness.
Fortunately, my brain is now stable; I am healthy and happy; and living a new life of meaning and purpose. I am not ashamed or embarrassed to be a Bipolar Survivor who is once again thriving. Rather, I am thankful and proud.
Together, let’s abolish the medieval stigma, taboo and discrimination associated with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. It is the right and humane thing to do.
I will continue sharing my bipolar story in the months ahead, with the goal of helping to stop the stigma and save lives.