A Bipolar Success Story

Joseph is currently a 23-year Caucasian male who lives with his mother and father in a nice suburban neighborhood in the United States. I met Joseph five years ago when he was admitted to the locked inpatient unit at the psychiatric hospital where I worked. He was experiencing his first psychotic break, which at the time was thought to be from Bipolar Disorder with psychotic features. Since that time, he has seen multiple psychiatrists, received multiple diagnoses, changed medications multiple times, experienced multiple side effects, and is currently experiencing stability for the first time since he was hospitalized.

This story is about his journey from the time he was blindsided by Bipolar Disorder to the time he finally recaptured the life he thought was forever lost. I have been counseling this young man for nearly two years now. I will tell this story from my point of view as a professional helper and personal witness of these events. However, at the series end, Joseph has agreed to tell the story from his perspective.