Bipolar is My Superpower
Discovering Strength and Purpose in Living Well with Bipolar II Disorder
Finding My Spark: Bipolar Disorder as My Superpower
Sometimes I am asked, "If you were given the opportunity, would you cure your Bipolar Disorder?"
Truthfully, my answer is no.
I have come to understand that having Bipolar Disorder is my superpower-with the acceptance that, at times, I encounter my own version of kryptonite.
Let me explain.
When I am successfully managing my moods, I have access to what I call my Spark. My Spark is my superpower. My brain functions in ways others don't always understand, allowing me to think creatively and envision possibilities that help me do what I do best.
Yes, it's true that I sometimes experience episodes of depression or hypomania (I live with Bipolar II Disorder). Those episodes are my kryptonite, and they can make life incredibly difficult.
However, just like Superman, I have my own way of protecting myself from kryptonite: I commit to living well with Bipolar Disorder. When I follow my treatment plan and work closely with my doctors to manage my medications, I have greater access to my Spark without the pain of depression or the impulsive consequences of hypomania.
Living with Bipolar II Disorder doesn't mean I have to suffer constantly. Through daily coping skills, taking my medication, and participating in maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-yes, I receive shock therapy, and it has been life-changing for me-I am able to live and thrive.
There are times during conversations at work or with friends when my mind moves incredibly fast. Unlike the anxiety I once experienced, it now feels like pure thought power. I can process ideas and make connections in ways that sometimes surprise even me.
This isn't bragging. It's acceptance. It's understanding how my brain works and learning to work with it instead of against it.
If you also live with Bipolar Disorder, you may recognize what I'm describing. Don't fear your brain or the way it works. Instead, learn about it, work with qualified professionals, and discover the possibilities that become available when your condition is well managed.
Finding a therapist, working with a psychiatrist, and developing a treatment plan that works for you may help you discover strengths you never knew you had.
My Lead Suit
I often think about people like Vincent van Gogh or Abraham Lincoln, both of whom have been suggested by some historians and mental health scholars to have experienced bipolar disorder, although no formal diagnosis was possible during their lifetimes. Whether those historical theories are accurate or not, countless people living with mental health conditions have made extraordinary contributions to art, science, politics, education, medicine, and countless other fields.
Mental health conditions can feel suffocating. They can feel like kryptonite. But when we build our own "lead suits"-our treatment plans-we give ourselves protection and the opportunity to thrive.
For me, that means channeling impulsivity into creativity. It means transforming experiences with depression into deeper empathy and compassion for others.
During the past eight years, I've moved from simply surviving to genuinely living and thriving. My treatment plan-my lead suit-has given me access to the creativity and empathy that now allow me to help others.
When I first began this journey, I was a high school English teacher. Since then, I have earned my counseling license and now work as a mental health and addiction counselor specializing in trauma therapies. Without my lead suit, I wouldn't be able to help others the way I do today.
Learning to understand and develop my superpower has opened a life I never imagined possible. Today, my creativity and empathy fuel my Spark.
Yes, depression and hypomania still appear from time to time. But they no longer overwhelm me. If kryptonite enters my orbit, my mood episodes are generally much shorter than they once were because I contact my treatment team, make the necessary adjustments, and work toward restoring balance.
Over the past eight years, my episodes have been significantly more manageable than the debilitating episodes I once experienced. Now I put on my lead suit, find my sunshine, and return to my Spark.
Living and Thriving
Don't fear your Bipolar Disorder-or any mental health condition. Instead, work to understand it. Learn how your brain works. Discover the strengths that exist alongside your challenges.
I no longer hide in shame. Today, I can confidently say,
"Yes, I have Bipolar II Disorder."
The shame and self-loathing no longer define me. I genuinely feel grateful for the way my brain works because I've done the work to understand it, accept it, and learn how to manage it.
You, too, can find peace and self-acceptance. Just as Superman had to learn how to control his powers, I had to learn how to manage mine. It took years of therapy, maintenance ECT, medication management, healthy daily coping skills, and learning to love myself. But eventually, those efforts led me from surviving to thriving.
I believe everyone living with Bipolar Disorder-or any mental health condition-deserves the opportunity to find a treatment plan that helps them live their fullest life. When I work with my clients, many tell me they don't believe that kind of life is possible. I understand why they feel that way. I've been there.
But I also know healing is possible. Growth is possible. Living and thriving are possible.
Finding the right treatment plan requires commitment, patience, and a willingness to keep doing the work. That's something I emphasize with every client I meet.
Learn to strengthen your Spark. Learn to fly. Learn to live. Learn to thrive.
When I finally experienced what it meant to truly live instead of merely survive, I made myself a promise: I would never go back willingly. Today, I do everything I can to protect myself from kryptonite.
I believe everyone living with a mental health condition can build their own lead suit by working with therapists, physicians, support groups, family, and trusted loved ones to create a treatment plan that meets their individual needs.
Your power may feel buried. It may feel dormant. But that doesn't mean it isn't there. With the right support, understanding, and commitment, you can awaken it. You can become your own hero. You can discover what you need not merely to survive-but to truly live and thrive.
So spread your wings. Find your Spark. And discover the strength that has been within you all along.
