When “‘You are a manic-depressive.”
Reading this brought tears to my eyes, as I could empathize with so many aspects of Guy’s experience and struggle. What really resonated with me were the lengths to which he has gone to stay stable, employed, and functional.
And I also felt inspired and validated. It takes tremendous effort and perseverance to navigate life with Bipolar Disorder, and it is a very serious illness, but it doesn’t have to lead to homelessness, incarceration, institutionalization, or premature death in all cases.
Kudos to a fellow survivor! 👊
-JM
“Guy began to drink two pots of coffee every morning to yank himself out of his overnight haze. By the end of his tenure, he suffered a severe ringing in his ears that he suspects was brought on by caffeine. The strength of the drugs — and perhaps the strength of all that coffee — left him in a constant state of nausea. During the season, he put his body through that 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Guy knew that once he began to rework his medication, transitioning off one drug and onto another would take several weeks.”
INSPIRATION AND EMOTIONAL COURAGE: MENTAL ILLNESS, ADDICTION, AND RECOVERY 