Dear Bi-Polar

Dear Bi-Polar

We have been on quite the journey you and I

Probably since I was 17 years old although I did not know about you then

I tried to live with you on my own for so long but,

I realized this was not possible

Self-medicating did nothing to thwart your advances through my twenties

Alcohol and Gambling did nothing to help share my life with you

It was not until I realized I needed help managing you that we could co-exist

I wish I did not have to take medication to live with you but, I accept that

You have affected my relationships, education, finances and employment

You have almost ended my life on numerous occasions

You have confused my mind with thoughts that should not be there

You have made it difficult to make good decisions

You have put me in deep depressions for long periods of time

You have made it challenging for me to push through daily life at times

I should despise you but, I do not

Although the road we have traveled over the last twenty years or so was an arduous one

We have learned to function as one

I would never have realized this many things about myself at such a young age without you

I would not have felt the same sense of accomplishment for conquering fears and anxieties

I would not have the strength inside me that I do now

I would not be able to share with others and spread awareness about mental health

I would not have the same insight about the world around me without you

Would life have been simpler without you?

Perhaps but, you made me in to who I am today and I thank you

I am not sure where the next twenty years of our journey together will lead us

But we can do it together, one step at a time.

Shawn