Confession: "I am living with bipolar disorder"

Degreed, financially secure, enjoying life, and an all around joyous Black woman is not the typical image that comes to mind when you think of a person living with bipolar disorder. The first images are typically that of a person who's life has spiraled out of control or a family member who has been deemed as the hurtful term "crazy." Because of this, I hope this week's confession from Nieisha Deed, mental health advocate and founder of Pure Spark, will provide some insight into the world of living with bipolar disorder. 

Pure Spark is an organization that uses social media to provide resources, and daily coping mechanisms that would otherwise be out of reach for someone who is unfamiliar with the mental health system. Pure Spark was birthed out of Nieisha's experience with navigating the mental health system. In 2008, Nieisha was diagnosed with bipolar and treated but she remained silent until she had a mental breakdown in 2017.

She is now sharing her truth about living with bipolar disorder without shame or the weight of judgement. Nieisha says that bipolar disorder is more common than many of us know. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, there are over 9 million cases per year.

But despite the increase in awareness, the scientific data, and the conversations that consistently show the importance of maintaining one's mental health, there is still a huge gap in how communities navigate this space. Nieisha's story sheds light on a journey through diagnosis, living, and now thriving with bipolar disorder.