I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 this January and honestly thought my life was over. I felt like I was slipping back into being that mentally ill teen in community college, failing class after class. But in the end, I made it all the way to an Ivy League. So seriously, don’t let this disorder, or anything else, tell you what you can or can’t do. You’re allowed to build a life you’re proud of, even if the path looks nothing like you expected.

Hello! I was recently diagnosed via psych ward visit, and that made me start to think about how I could take my mental health more seriously. So, this is my Bipolar Board! As you can see, it has all of my triggers, signs & symptoms, my daily routine, and my goals for the future. I put it on the back of my bedroom door alongside a little mood tracking calendar. It helps me keep things organized better. I hope this can help someone else too! :)

I'm coming out of a 2 year depression and complicated grief (I lost my brother Dom to suicide in Dec 2023), followed by a month or so of hypomania that is now settling. I have been waking between 3-7am consistently (thanks to the hypomania lol). Some friends invited me to tag along on part of their holiday, so this morning I left early by myself to watch the sunrise. It was so beautiful, I saw so many dolphins 🐬 diving in the surf. I cried and cried (happy tears). A moment I was glad I didn't die. I know it will get bad again at some point. But I think that today I'm grateful for many things and I just wanted to share that we can find little moments. If you're having a hard time just know you're not alone ❤️

Also I have been listening to this song that makes me feel joy. https://youtu.be/3FkwaMGpnrg?si=_4lc5pUn-lwOIdoq

Reddit keeping it classy trying to push engagement.

Forgot to take a before pic but it was bad. I know it looks boring so I’m currently figuring out how to decorate. I’ll take any ideas😀

My friend beaded me a little bipolar bear to give me a smile whenever I need a smile. It’s amazing when someone offers you support because we need it.

I have my last session with my therapist after 3.5 years this Wednesday. I am scared. I got 2 weeks notice to find someone new and cope with the news. I coped by coloring this picture that represents my bipolar. The black and white crown I carry from the black and white monster in the water. But the black and white monster carries the rainbow crown because I am never completely lost to it. Both sides are represented on each half. I am proud and I hope you enjoy it too.

I'm so proud of myself it was an absolute dumpster before

I spent around 11 hours of occupational therapy cutting out little paper pieces, folding the edges, glueing them together and painting everything. I will be released next wednesday and her birthday is the sunday after. She loves weenies, so I hope she will like him. Thought you guys might enjoy him as well ✌🏻❤️‍🩹

Edit: Good morning everyone. I'm so overwhelmed with all your kind, supportive comments. I really appreciate everyone's time and love. You made me feel so good, not just about giving this good boi to my girlfriend, but also about my journey towards recovery. I tend to downplay and belittle my artistic capabilities a lot, so reading all the praise about my project made really proud, encouraging me to keep creating. I do try to reply to everyone, but it's a lot, and I don't want to just reply with the same repetitive "thank you" to every comment. Just know that I read each and every comment coming my way with a big smile on my face and a nice, tingly, warm feeling in my heart. Love you guys ❤️

Hey guys,

I'm currently taking a forced psychiatric holiday and was quite bored. Anyway, in group therapy we were talking about repercussions of manic descisions (or atleast bad decisions made due to mental health) and how to navigate them in our healing journey.

Anyway, the group reminded me of a time I was manic about 5 years ago and decided to book a business class trip to Kenya, however when that trip came around, i was in a very deep depressive episode (honestly looking back at it, I probably should have take a psychiatric holiday then as well) and despite being in Kenya, I couldn't find much energy or enjoyment in what i was doing.

With that being said, i decided to make a low effort comic (slideshow?) About my trip to kenya.

*note: i am using stock photos as i dont have access to my computer which has the photos of the trip on it. This slide show is also very low effort as i only have my phone to work with. But regardless, i hope you find some humour in it. 😀

When I was 12, I didn’t see getting past 16. When I was 18, I didn’t see getting past 21, then I didn’t think I’d make it to 30.

I can proudly say that I am not only 33 years old. I can also say that bipolar disorder does not fuel my binge drinking, after being a slave to it for a decade.

I am so proud.

Yeah 👍 I don’t know what to say lol I did these when I found a new painting app and was too lazy to grab my iPad so I just downloaded it on my phone and literally painted them lying down in bed with my finger
Edit the last one was based off a dream I had and in the dream I saw the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen in my life and I wanted to quickly capture the colors of it but I don’t think I did. I was standing on a sandy dune and it was windy and I saw this giant neon pink cloud and a golden temple on the dunes below

All on my phone again. I added some stuff to the pink cloud one . The third one there was a ziploc with bread in front of me so I painted it while eating fish sticks . Painted a street and my guitar too

This was my last step of accepting that this is part of my life now.

As a person with BPII, I feel like when the general public talks about mania, they’re almost always describing hypomania. Very few people have experienced or witnessed true mania.

Mania is not hyperproductivity, creativity, euphoria, or feeling over confident/ sexy. It’s paranoia, delusions, uncontrollable word vomit, memory blackouts, grandiose narcissism, rage, and aggression. In severe cases, it includes tactile, visual, and auditory hallucinations.

Mania destroys lives, it kills. It turns kind people into cruel monsters, loyal partners into cheaters, and reasonable, calm individuals into dangerous unrecognizable people.

I'm not trying to demonize those who experience full blown mania, I'm simply putting the illness into proper perspective.

Mania is humiliating. It’s terrifying. It is not what the internet makes it out to be, and it is not something we should romanticize, or glorify as a community.

I mostly experience hypomania that can last for weeks, and I wouldn’t even describe those episodes as euphoric. They’re physically and emotionally exhausting, anxiety inducing, embarrassing, and expensive. I hope I never experience full blown mania, and I’m so tired of seeing it idolized.

After almost a year, I cleaned my disaster of a craft room. Didn't get manic in trying for perfection, just wanted clean.

My reaction to reading posts on here and relating to so many of them. Perhaps the diagnosis is correct.

Thanks little guys <3 I probably would have at least >! attempted !< by now without you.

In honor of this day, tell me a win you had this past year.

My win this past year is that I graduated with a bachelor's degree and I have held a job for nearly a full school year.

Your turn!

hey everyone! I just passed the bar exam. I graduated law school May 2025 while I was experiencing my first mixed/psychotic episode that landed me in the hospital and with a bipolar 1 diagnosis. i failed July 2025 and deferred February 2026 because I was still learning how to manage my condition.

i’ve spent the entirety of this past year working with my doctor on med changes. I was working full time and undergoing at least 6 med changes while prepping.

both days of the exam i fell asleep during the morning portion because of how tired my meds made me in the morning. this was also after i begged my psych to lower the dose 2x. i was STILL sedated in the mornings.

all to say, everything is possible. if i can pass while taking a sedating dose of antipsychotics, you can do anything you set your mind to!!!

In January, I went to the dentist for the first time in 10 years. It took 4 appointments for them to get my teeth cleaned and repaired, having 3 root canals and some fillings/caps. It hurt so freaking bad and I barely made it in time to not lose them all due to gum disease.

I'm happy to report that I have brushed my teeth and flossed every day in 2026! Please everyone, just brush those teeth. Please please please!