How a person feels like after first Diagnosis with a Mental Health problem like Bipolar I Disorder

    As a mental health enthusiast, I have learned the significance of being aware of the feelings after the first diagnosis of a mental health illness or disorder. Without proper comprehension of the impending normal, it is difficult to correctly manage a condition and live a full and successful life. In this article, I am explaining a personal experience that transpired during the initial stages of a post-diagnosis with my condition; Bipolar Disorder. This is to particularly build on the existing peer-support forums to help other fellows self-manage themselves by informing them what they can expect in case they had or have fallen victims.

    After stepping out from the psychiatric ward, I first began feeling like my support system during the whole scenario had no clue of what was actually happening in my world. The immediate post-manic feeling was that of spontaneity. At one time, it felt like I was in control of everything happening and was constantly trying to justify all the reactions during the period. In another hour, the feeling of irritability became rampant after immediate discharge. In such times, anyone who tried to explain why everything happened appeared to me to be mad and unknowledgeable. In every one-on-one chat with people who came around to feel sorry for the condition, I considered them lesser human beings who do not understand how the universe works. An invincible being is the right term to express how I viewed myself during the initial stages after diagnosis. The feeling went on for up to approximately 3-4 months.

    Also, it is difficult to accept one’s diagnosis and condition during the early periods. More often, people with mental health problems tend to stay in denial for a longer period of time and so was I. This in turn delays the healing process which basically begins after fully accepting the diagnostic results. The early post-manic period is highly characterized by people coming around your space to express empathy and share grief. Mostly, it includes those who do not understand matters of mental health and close family members. The mentally-insensitive percentiles tend to spread rumors and bad mouth the situation. In less remote areas, people relate mental health problems to witchcraft. Due to such-like perceptions, victims of mental health problems always deny their conditions since they do not want to associate them with societal perceptions. Without stronger sensitization of the underlying concepts and the menace at large, most victims of mental health problems end up in deep ditches like madness or suicide.

    In a bid to stay in denial during the early periods of diagnosis, I developed a high affinity for lonesomeness. The thought that people know about what transpired during the actual crisis makes one try to hide from society.  This in turn helps victims hide from the actual reality, which forms the most tragic aftermath of mental health duress since everyone needs an active environment to thrive. In my case, I have to openly admit that it was the most difficult part to overcome. After successfully managing the stage, I realized that I made the first biggest step in the recovery process.  Contemporary society is full of people with absolutely no knowledge of the overall concept of mental health. Worse to it, I realized that even a good percentage of the elite group does not understand the core facets of mental health.  In regard, people are prone to making thoughtless remarks about the victims of mental health problems, which contributes to massive ramifications on the mental health society. This can only be obscured by creating a strong emotional intelligence, which is only gained after beginning the healing and recovery process as a victim.

    During the early stages of diagnosis, the stigmatization strength is high and survivors fall into traps of trying to combat stigma head-on. In this regard, mental health victims tend to explain to everyone within their spaces about their episodes and experiences. This is facilitated by the urge to try to change people’s perceptions and make them view the crisis in their way of thinking. In my case, which is common in Bipolar Disorder survivors, it got easy to create stories that justify the episode and try to make people within my space approve of all that transpired during the episode. After getting on track with the recovery process, it became evident that my approach was wrong and would only lead to more suffering. As a survivor of the mental health crisis, I would highly recommend that an individual try to realign with the environmental viewpoints rather than their own school of thought in dealing with a mental health problem.  The environmental spaces referred to above are the certified psychiatrists and therapists.       

    Indecisiveness is also an experience that followed immediately after the first diagnosis. The uncertainty of the therapeutic feedback alongside the mental upset created during a mental health crisis makes survivors constantly repeat certain acts that may in turn trigger their conditions. Besides, the illusion that one is aware of how everything transpired during the first episode makes them feel that they can be in full control of any future reoccurrence. In most instances, survivors fall into traps of repeating the same activities that triggered their past episodes like drug indulgence in the name of self-medicating. This is a great trap that leads to the regular experience of similar episodes with even worse outcomes. After becoming a champion of the illness, I can fully confirm that a successful recovery and healing process begin by completely avoiding all triggers of a particular condition as directed by psychiatrists and replacing them with healthy habits. A common mistake that survivors mostly commit is completely avoiding the triggers of their conditions without replacing them with better and healthy habits.

    On balance, much is always left after the first diagnosis of a mental health problem. The diagnostic only serves the primary function of informing a survivor of the actual problem. After determining the ‘elephant in the room’ one must actively engage in a rigorous process of battling the condition lest they perish in pits of the menace. Therefore, it is paramount to say that it is never over until it is over. This is to say, it is not enough after the first therapy while dealing with a mental health problem; what counts is the preceding steps after the first diagnosis.

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