Living With Bipolar Disorder: My Top 9 Mental Health Hacks

I’ve lived with bipolar disorder for the last 13 years. Though the initial years were brutal, once I understood my triggers and what it takes to stay well, I’ve been privileged to have stayed healthy for much of the last decade. This included—to my relief—my first pregnancy and post-partum period and serving in high-intensity public health roles through the pandemic, as California’s Acting Surgeon General and previously the office’s first Chief Health Officer.

Today, I live with bipolar disorder as a chronic and very manageable health condition. My hope is, with the insights and skills I’ve built, I can stay well for the majority of my life.

Many structural factors can prevent us from achieving optimal well-being and our potential—including poverty, racism, and discrimination—so already vulnerable people disproportionately suffer from the impacts of undertreated mental illness.

To read the full article, click here.