Author: Trevor Simonson

 

For years I’ve been fighting. Climbing this beast of a mountain called bipolar disorder. I’ve scaled steep cliff faces and walked through blinding storms. I’ve been buried by avalanches and I’ve fallen into crevasses. But through it all I’m still climbing, ascending this seemingly endless mountain.

 

I refer to this mountain as endless, because there is no summit in this life. We may think we have reached the top, but there will always be another hill to climb. Therein lies the beauty, and also the curse.

 

I believe that there are some tools that are helpful and at times necessary to help us continue our own individual ascents up this mountain we are facing. Because as we all know, it can be a grim ordeal.

 

The main thing we must know is that we cannot climb this mountain alone. The avalanches and crevasses I mentioned earlier, I could not have gotten out of those situations on my own. Those were the times I needed help. And without it I might not be here today. Support is not only a must for safety reasons, it also makes the climb a lot easier. And it is rewarding to help others climb, even as they assist us.

 

Sometimes we break down during our climb. During these times our task can seem impossible, hopeless. We need to remember that there is always hope. And we must hold onto it at all costs. Even if we need others to keep that hope alive for us. With hope we can continue to take that next step forward, until the journey becomes easier.

 

Though we march forward and ahead, we should do our best to remain in the present moment. As to not spend too much time fearing what lies ahead, or regretting what remains behind. When in the present, we can seek out and appreciate all the beauty that life has to offer. We can keep life simple, we can walk with peace and instill confidence in ourselves.

 

When a mountain has no end, we might forget to appreciate how far we’ve come. Know that every day you have spent fighting is also a day of climbing. It may seem that we spend more time falling than climbing. But I believe that feeling brings us down the mountain in any way. It may make the climb difficult, we must not allow it to take away the credit we deserve for how far we have come.

 

Lastly, know that this mountain is not a life sentence of suffering. While it can be a struggle, the rewards are plentiful. We can accomplish and experience just as much as anybody else. Keep climbing. It is worth it.