Mental illness is a broad subject. Many disorders fall under this category. I was diagnosed bipolar, so I will focus on this disorder specifically. Many illnesses overlap but I will not speak to other diagnoses. That being said, I believe that even those without a mental illness can benefit from the pursuit of mental health. Mental health is important for all people, for some it is mandatory if they want to avoid incredible consequences.
I believe bipolar has been a blessing in my life. Sounds strange huh? It’s not that it is something that was supposed to happen or that God gave me. It’s just that it is a challenge that happened to be in my life and I had and have the opportunity to rise above it. I’m not saying that I am above this disorder, but I have overcome and grown in many ways and I have achieved a solid amount of stability. There is still a long way to go, but I have also come a long way. Without this disorder I’m sure there would be other challenges, that’s just the way life is. Though many would wish that it would just go away, and I might agree, another part of me knows that it is this challenge that has made me who I am today. So I am not saying that Bipolar is good. I am saying that it can be used for good.
I mentioned that mental health is important for all people. People without bipolar might not need to be mentally healthy to function. But it is necessary for those with bipolar to be healthy, otherwise the consequences may be dire. This may be seen as unfortunate. I see it as a gift, or a curse, depending on how you treat it. Because the consequences are so high, those with bipolar have to be physically and mentally healthy if they want to succeed. Like a tightrope walker, one must stay focused in order to complete the challenge. If he loses focus, the consequences can be catastrophic. This forces him be steady and walk a straight path. Those with bipolar are faced with serious consequences if they lose “focus” and stray from a healthy lifestyle. For others, consequences are not as serious. Therefore, someone suffering from bipolar has fewer options. Either she continues in an unhealthy lifestyle, or she gets focused, and begins a walk down a straight path. One of them is not a good option and can be painful for everyone involved. The other leads to a healthy life, a life that may not have been pursued if not for bipolar.
Imagine moving to a new town by the ocean. You’ve never lived there before and you don’t know much about it other than it’s a nice looking place. You want to build a home so you find some land and start building. You build your house close to the beach. One day a storm comes and the waters rise. There is no foundation or wall for protection so your house is swept away. Then you decide to build on a hill far from the shore. An earthquake comes, and because you’re materials are cheap and your house unstable, it falls. Again and again you find different places and ways to build your home. If you are wise, you will learn a lot from your mistakes and hopefully come to a better knowledge of where and how to build a home that is stable and can withstand the forces of nature. It would be wise also to ask those in town before building. But the important part is learning from your errors, not giving up, and starting again with newfound knowledge. I believe that this is similar to bipolar and the episodes that come along with it. The natural disasters are like episodes. We are learning how to build a sound way of life and mind. This disease will test us to the max, and if there are any weak areas, it will find it. This can be painful and frustrating, but we must have the wisdom to learn from our weak areas, and the courage to get up and keep going. If we were not tested, we would not be strengthened.