I’m often asked if there were any warning signs of my mental illness before my bipolar 1 diagnosis at age 40, when I experienced my first manic episode and hospitalization. Prior to mania, I had a history of seasonal depression and occasional depressive episodes, which were always related to something upsetting in my life at the time.
Nothing was immediately obvious at first, but when I thought about it, there were some indicators, in hindsight. I put together this series of me with my dog, describing possible warning signs. Click on each episode to view.
These are examples of things that have made me feel bad, but it’s important to highlight that there are many things that make me feel good. Great, even, and not in a manic or hypomanic way. I have vivid memories of moments of intense joy and inspiration because of little, seemingly insignificant things, that I don’t think I would have experienced as deeply if it weren’t for my extreme sensitivity/bipolar mood disorder.
Having a mental illness IS hard, but I’ve come to a point where I can appreciate how much richer my life is because of it. If you are struggling, I hope you will reach that point one day too. Let me know if you want to talk.
Charise Jewell 