Our Stories

Emily’s Story of Learning To Manage Bipolar Disorder, Age 29

What have you struggled with? When did it become too much?

I have struggled with bipolar disorder type II since I was a teenager. I started to have episodes of depression where I would not speak. I would  also have episodes of hypomania where I would have excessive energy, being hyper and productive. It all culminated where I was almost threatened to be removed from my transition program during what I now know was a depressive episode. 

What kind of support did you get at first? Did it work?

My parents took me to a psychiatrist, and I got diagnosed and put on medication and it has been working. It has been eight years since this point and fairly manageable.

What’s your life like now? What have you been able to accomplish, and what are you working towards?

My life has been quite eventful since getting my diagnosis nine years ago. I got diagnosed in January of 2012 and then began getting my associate’s degree as a Disability Specialist A.S. that fall. School took several years but since then I’ve had several jobs that revolve around youth and disability in one way or another.

What would you say to people who are having a tough time? What’s helped you that you wish you had known earlier?

Not to sound cliché but I would say though times are tough, they will get better eventually. What has helped me is letting myself process my emotions in the moment and realize there’s light at the end of the tunnel.