Living with bipolar 2 disorder is a journey I never chose, but one that has shaped me in ways I’m learning to appreciate.
At its core, bipolar 2 is about navigating two very different worlds: hypomania, where energy and ideas flow faster than I can keep up with, and depression, where even getting out of bed can feel impossible. Neither lasts forever, and learning that was the first step toward building a life I actually want to live.
In the past, I thought stability was impossible. When hypomania hits, I’ll race ahead without sleep, full of excitement, and bold plans. When the depression takes over, I’ll crash so hard it feels like nothing will ever get better. It took some time (and a lot of help involving a wonderful psychiatrist and medication) to realize that these cycles don’t define me. They were just part of the landscape I needed to learn to navigate.
Today, things are different. They’re not perfect–never perfect–but better. With the right support, the right tools, and a lot of self-awareness, I’ve found ways to catch the early signs of a shift. I’ve learned how to slow myself down when I start to climb too fast, and how to reach out when I feel myself sinking.
Therapy, medication, and daily routines have been game changers. So having self-compassion, patience, and the courage to admit when I need help. Recovery isn’t about never struggling again, it’s about building a life that can survive the struggles.
There are gifts in this too. Bipolar 2 has made me more creative, more empathetic, more resilient. It’s taught me to appreciate stability when I have it, to savor the small moments of peace, to celebrate progress no matter how small. It’s taught me that healing isn’t a straight line, and that setbacks don’t erase the work I’ve done and continue to do.
Living with bipolar 2 isn’t easy, but it’s not hopeless although sometimes it feels that way and there are days I want to give up. Every day I’m learning more about who I am, and every day I’m choosing, again and again, to keep going.
If you’re struggling: it’s not your fault.
You’re not broken.
And there is a way through.
Maybe not a perfect cure, but a path: messy, winding, but real. And it’s worth walking.
Sisyphus Shrugged 
This resonates very much. Not that bipolar 2 is among my many disorders, simply the process you’ve gone through is mirroring. There was no ease in therapy, I’m difficult to manage for other people let alone myself. No medication that was direct and easy, which I’m sure your path had its challenges as well.
It’s the feelings you’ve express that I relate to most. I appreciate the sharing of this. I will be in your email soon. ❤️
….not to sound overly creepy.
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Thank you for this comment. It means a lot to hear that what I go through resonates with someone, even if our diagnoses are different. I understand what you mean about therapy and medication not being straightforward. It can be a messy, individual process. It took a few tweaks for me with my meds to get them right. I still have my episodes, but they’re not as frequent. I’ll keep an eye out for your email. You don’t sound creepy at all. Just human.
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