Bipolar – We Love Puppies Too

Looking back now: SJ’s success story in progress

Looking back now, I can see it. I have always lived with my illnesses. At least as far back as I can remember. I remember feeling lonely, a lot. I remember feeling like an outsider in third or fourth grade. I remember thinking no one liked me, and even if I was standing right in the group, if someone didn’t specifically mention me or invite me to participate, I thought I was being left out or that they didn’t want me around. Those thoughts continued into my teens and adulthood.

Shortly after all of this I was introduced to the Make It OK campaign. I launched it for my organization and helped to found an organization devoted to the elimination of the stigma around mental illness. I spoke at tons of events, but even though I was working on stigma, I was a victim of it…

I also continue my work with Make It OK and serve on their steering committee. It is work I am very proud of and that is so important. People deserve to know they are not alone. They deserve to seek the treatment they need and deserve without fear.

We are warriors- all of us, and we need to talk about it, share our stories and truly Make It OK.

Beyond bipolar disorder: Jehan shares her lived experience to inspire others and to help end mental health stigma

When a friend breaks an arm, we sign their cast. When a family member gets a cold, we bring soup. When someone tells you they live with diabetes, we make a sugar-free dessert.

What would you do for someone who told you they live with bipolar disorder?

Jehan has not only accepted her condition, but embraced it. She uses her experience to inspire and help others who may be struggling.

“I know my vocation in life is to help others and I want to do just that,” she says. “I can’t stress enough how important mental health is to talk about. You never know who you could be helping just by opening up.”

She’s doing this now by talking with colleagues and sharing her experience in our Make It OK campaign.

Teetering on a Tightrope

Teetering on a Tightrope, my bipolar journey, is the story of my lifelong battle for balance. For most of my 73 years I have suffered from bipolar disorder. Descending into the depths of suicidal intentions or rising to the high of watching the births of my children, I have endured a roller coaster ride of epic proportions.

Teetering is both a deeply personal memoir and a call to action, rallying the reader to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness and find the support they need to resurrect their lives. My memoir will be released January 24, 2023. If you are interested in inviting me to be a guest on your podcast or in any other capacity please email me at swwilson.wilson@gmail.com.

I Will Not Be Defined by a Diagnosis

At the age of 23, I could no longer get out of bed in the mornings and put my feet on the ground without feeling I had heavy weights around my ankles. I could barely drag myself to the bathroom. I had no idea what was happening. After a month of not getting out of bed, I moved back home with my parents, where my depressive state worsened and I attempted suicide.

While I have found self-love and confidence, I worry about others grappling with mental health conditions. Mental illness should not be treated any differently from physical illness — but it is. Due to the stigma surrounding mental illness, people living with mental health challenges face unfair assumptions, negative attitudes and unpleasant stereotypes. I have experienced this firsthand. My hope for the future is that we can advance the conversation about mental health and squash the stigma that limits us.

Building the Ride Don’t Hide movement: Michael’s Story

On August 1, 2010, Michael Schratter, a Vancouver teacher who lives with bipolar disorder, began a solo cycling trip around the world.

Over the next year and a half, he would cross six continents, 33 countries, and travel a distance of over 40,000 kilometres. His journey, which became known as “Ride Don’t Hide,” raised over $100,000 dollars for CMHA BC while bringing global attention to the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Building on Michael’s momentum, Ride Don’t Hide has since become a national movement for mental health. In 2012, CMHA BC launched Ride Don’t Hide community bike rides that drew around 500 participants. Over the next four years, the event would expand across the country, drawing thousands and raising close to $4 million for CMHA’s mental health programs and services in local communities.

“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined Ride Don’t Hide would be what it is today. To see 7,000 people come out and ride, and show each other there’s nothing to be stigmatized about,” says Michael.

For Michael, the stigma surrounding mental illness can be even more damaging than the illness itself. Fear of judgment can, for instance, prevent people from accessing the help they need: although 1 in 5 Canadians live with a mental illness at any given time, only 1/3 of those who need mental health services will actually receive them.

“Ride Don’t Hide for me was about finding the courage and realizing the obligation for me and other people who are dealing with mental health challenges to come forth and say: it’s okay.”

David lives with bipolar 1 disorder and has been a presenter with the Black Dog Institute for almost a decade

He delivers a range of talks to workplaces, including ‘Mental health is everybody’s business’. He had a successful career in the advertising industry for more than 30 years and now focuses solely on his work as a mental health speaker and trainer.

I started working as a presenter with the Black Dog Institute nearly 10 years ago. The presentations I do are a really great starting point for workplaces. People get to understand a bit about depression, anxiety, the prevalence of mental health issues and hear some interesting insights from someone with lived experience.

What I hope people take from my presentations is some practical tips on how to reach out to someone if you think they need help, and how to reach out yourself if you’re not feeling well. I hope I give them that bit of knowledge and confidence to go, ‘This is not as scary as I thought.’

Fighting shame and stigma

Nicole blogs about how she learnt to embrace her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and build her self-worth.

n 2004, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1. The diagnosis was long overdue. Years of struggling with crippling depression and anxiety had taken their toll. Afterwards, I sought to improve my sense of self-worth by becoming an advocate for others who struggle with a mental health disorder.

Three years after my diagnosis, I attempted to play an active role in breaking the stigma by creating a website, poolsofblessing.com. Where I began to share personal stories about what it was like to live with a mental health disorder. Though my intent was to shine a light on why mental health is health, this mission became a trap in and of itself. It felt that this was my way of apologising to the world at large for my diagnosis. If I made myself useful, it would make up for my shortcomings and failures. What I didn’t realise back then is that I had nothing to apologise or make up for.

I am proud to say that I am no longer ashamed of my diagnosis or the fact that I struggle to find my balance point. I choose to view myself as a warrior rather than a wounded victim. If you have a diagnosis of bipolar or any other mental health problem, it may help to choose to see yourself for the fighter you are.

I have always had stuff going on in my head but had never seen it as a mental illness

I was suicidal at 18 and have had depression a lot throughout my life.

However, I thought what was going on in my head was going on in everybody’s heads. I was just pushing through life and ignoring it.

I have a strong desire to help others and the education tools the Black Dog Institute provides are fantastic. My role as a presenter is important as it creates awareness around mental health problems. I’m very passionate about connecting with people to get them the help they need.

Being a community presenter enables me to provide insights to the friends and family of people experiencing mental health problems, as well as encourage people to follow through with their treatment and medication.

I may have bipolar disorder, but it doesn’t have me.

“The shame was overwhelming” – TJ’s story

Having had to suppress her emotions as a child, TJ was detained under the Mental Health Act by her parents. After being diagnosed with severe mental illnesses in her 30s, she suffered discrimination from employers. Now 50, she works for Rethink Mental Illness and can talk openly about her mental health.

I never want people to feel the way I have felt; feeling like no one cares and there is no way out. I encourage people to speak out and am proud to say I spoke at the Release the Pressure Conference with regards to prevention of suicide.

I have been interviewed on the radio and recently appeared on BBC One News sharing the struggles people have with mental health and the changes that need to be made. The world still has a long way to go to reduce the stigma surrounding the struggles, however, things are moving along by talking more about mental health.

Think with your feet – Keith’s story

Even though he has been in and out of hospital for 33 years, Keith has accomplished a number of incredible things: setting up mental health sports groups, working with students and carrying out mental health research.

Over the years, I’ve also co-written a book, called “The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Practice Research”, and set up a mental health football group in Harrogate for people aged between 18-25. I found this really rewarding and it ran for five years, raising £5000 from Sport England to run the sessions. Middlesbrough FC Foundation approached me to set up a similar activity for people suffering from mental health in that area. They called it “Think with your feet” and it still helps people in that area today.