News from DAC NEW – Spokane

By: Hannah Adira

Color swirls and bright colors perceived behind the black and gray hues. Whispering trees with beautiful songs and sunshine like ocean waves. Animals and inanimate objects speak to me. I see or hear things that might not be there. My ability to feel the pain of others is very high. This is how I see the world.

I live with Bipolar Level 2. Diagnosed at 8 years old and I think I was lucky. My first diagnosis was 4 years old. My mom recorded everything, page, after page, after page. This was presented to the doctor to get my diagnosis and my answer to why I was the way I was. I was relieved. It was not me. Not my fault. Over the years I received various therapies and took different medications in order to find the right fit and get to a staple point in my life. Through trauma and hardship my creativity grew stronger.

I want to write, when I used to never want to. Let me draw, even though I now struggle due to mobility issues. I want to read, when have I wanted to? I want to learn to play guitar and play my flute again. I create and build on various digital and game platforms. Even having the mindset to paint and write poetry to express myself. I just want to make and create things to share with the world and reach people like me.

“I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say ‘he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.” – Vincent Van Gogh ( Suspected to have had Bipolar )

For the longest time I was my own worst enemy. I viewed the Bipolar label as a monster trying to hurt my family. My family never blamed me. Never held anything against me, but society never talks about the beauty that Bipolar can give, the creativity it can grant. We forget that this is not just a label, but a person with incredible skills.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”

– Rachel Carson ( Author of Silent Spring )

I was told I would never graduate high school, live on my own, be independent, be successful, and that I was a behavioral problem. They did not see me, they only saw a label. I did everything they said I could not. I am about to get a college degree. I took state tests they thought I could not do. I signed my first apartment lease. I took control of my finances and medical appointments. I control everything except my phone bill which I cannot afford.

March is Bipolar awareness month and we need to focus on the beauty, creativity, and success through adversity that those with Bipolar have, instead of the social norm that gets plastered all over the media. We are normal people with jobs, degrees, education, passion, empathy, kindness, and daily human struggles. We might have more barriers, need extra help, and struggle more sometimes than others, but we are human too. We do not deserve to feel fear when expressing our creativity due to persecution. Both Vincent Van Gogh and Rachel Carson faced this during their work, but now their works are seen as works of art and scientific innovation. Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia in the StarWars Movies, wrote several books about her journey with Bipolar and life.

These are famous people who faced the struggles of society and Bipolar. There is no limit to where you can go due to a label and societal norms. You are free to choose your path and dreams to create and build a brighter, more accepting world, because we are human too. Happy Bipolar Acceptance Month!!!

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Spokane, WA 99201
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