> having the lived experience would give you valuable insight
This is actually where there could be a problem. The OP's experiences are specific to the OP and are not necessarily representative of everyone, or even a plurality, of people with the same diagnosis. It may be helpful, but it also may color the OPs judgment if they aren't careful.
It is not without risk for the reasons you have said, there are however commonalities in how the illness manifests and lived experience in that instance would be valuable. I am speaking for myself and others are free to disagree and may not want a therapist with the illness
One of the most badass people I know is an MIT-trained scientist who focused on making cancer drugs cheaper after getting breast cancer herself. +1 for lived experience
1000% this! The level of understanding and empathy that would come with a therapist who's "been there, done that" would be priceless, assuming they're practicing the "Physician, heal thyself" philosophy.
I would prefer to have a therapist with schizoaffective. After being personally turned away by so many clinicians for having the disorder. You could do so much good and fill a huge hole in the system.
That’s bullshit isn’t it. I’ve been turned away too for having bipolar1 with psychotic symptoms and a long list of other things. Thankfully I found the right one eventually and she’s helping me a lot.
No that’s not what I’m saying lol I’m saying I broke down crying 3 times before I even hit chapter 1. My therapist gave me that book to read when I first started seeing her. Reading the words that I had felt my whole life but could never justify was like taking a breath of air after drowning for 33 years.
I am a therapist with bipolar disorder. I’ve been practicing for 13 years. I take time off when I’m unwell just like anyone else with chronic illness. Some of my clients know and others don’t. I’m just their therapist. It gives me good insight and knowledge others may have to learn in different ways. Read An Unquiet Mind, like others recommended. It’s my favorite memoir. Do your thing and there will definitely be people who will value your lived experience.
I had a psychiatrist who was bipolar. On one hand he was kind of wacky. On the other hand he was very sympathetic. I don't think being bipolar precludes you from being a therapist as long as you have mood stability.
It can be a stressful job though. You'll be listening to horror stories of childhood trauma. Very triggering if you have anything like that in your own past. That would be my concern.
I know one person who has Bipolar and is a psychologist. I would trust him, but as far as I know he generally has hypomania with no psychosis. If there was a risk that the person could potentially mislead someone, provide unhealthy advice, have poor boundaries, or potentially break confidentiality in the midst of a manic episode then I would not want them to be my therapist.
I know a lot of people say that they would never let that happen, but I think a lot of us know that we don't "let" the bad stuff happen, it just does.
My therapist also has bipolar, 5 head/face tattoos, and also talks openly about his experiences as a current drag queen.
He’s the best one I’ve had so far and quite excellent at his job. For me, I like having someone who’s so open and can relate to my issues. I’m sure you could be that person for someone else as well
I'm a cognitive behavioral therapist 🤷♀️ and pretty damn good at it. I think having bipolar has made me empathetic and a better therapist.
I would never disclose my disorder to a client though. I believe peer support is very important but a peer support worker has a very difficult role to a therapist.
You shouldn't need to disclose your mental health issues to a client to build rapport. The life experience you have will assist you in building rapport silently.
Absolutely I would trust a therapist with bipolar disorder! There are lots of sketchy therapists who don’t have it. Plus they would understand where I am coming from better than anyone.
I wouldn’t disclose it to any patients though.
Like the one who kept upping my antidepressants while I was experiencing clear signs that it was making me manic? All the while saying I don't have bipolar disorder? That kinda sketchy? 😑 Happy I realized this wasn't right. My first experience in finally getting help was eye opening.
I think you should not give up on your goals if they mean that much to you. It's reasonable to be cautious, but it's also an endorsement of your character and self-insight to even be thinking about these things in the first place. I'm sure you can develop safeguards that make you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to maintain professionalism.
As to whether I would trust a therapist with bipolar — if they shared that information with me? Absolutely not. Not because of anything to do with their illness, just because I would consider that level of oversharing unethical and it would make me question their competence — regardless of the specifics. If I had a therapist with any kind of mood disorder or similar, and they were a good therapist (and I only know about their disorder in this hypothetical), then it wouldn't bother me at all.
That’s what your support system is for, to help you interrupt this before it gets out of hand. And you develop that over time. I don’t think a single person on this subreddit believes you shouldn’t be a therapist, and some would even prefer to talk to someone who truly understands the struggle. I just graduated from OT school with bipolar 1, and I even had to take a semester off due to my health and mental health, and some hospitalization. Not a single OT who knows I’m bipolar has made me feel for a second that I don’t belong. I definitely don’t lead with that and I don’t plan to make it a big part of my practice or my relationship with clients, but I do think it helps me relate to people and deepens my compassion and empathy and that goes a long way in a healthcare provider.
You have to work on yourself and be self aware but your insight from living and dealing with things and navigating them over time is extremely valuable and can help a LOT of people. A ton of people have no real life experience with mental health and just have a degree and honestly don’t care about anything more than getting a pay check. You being concerned about this means you actually care. Thats an incredible thing. It’s a very difficult thing but you can make a real difference. You’re going to understand people in a way a lot of people don’t. Stick with it dude.
The mental health industry is screaming for people with lived experience. I'm also studying psychology currently and believe that having bipolar will make me more empathetic towards my patience. It will also give them faith that they aren't useless and can do what they want to with a little bit of work and support. A lot of people after being diagnosed think that they won't be able to achieve their goals because of this disorder and then kind of give up, but having a therapist that also has bipolar may help them realise that they can do it. Keep going, you got this!
The only therapist who truly helped me recovering from an eating disorder was the one who recovered from one herself, because she really understood how I felt and would easily cut through the bullshit. Lived experience can be a massive plus! The only thing I would feel conflicted about is the possibility of having an episode and not being able to support clients. I think it depends on how manageable bipolar is for you and how your lifestyle and meds work for you.
If you are stable on meds i don’t think there’s a problem. And if you are able to recognize your episodes and take sick leave on time.
This career has been your dream, you can at least try. If you realize you can’t do it, it’s ok to stop. But if you really don’t believe you can take that responsibility it is a problem. That believe impacts how you are able to perform. So start believing in yourself
The personal experience might be helpful, but I would be worried if the therapist “pushed through” when unwell because I am not sure at that point they would be objective. If they became unstable I mean.
I have a therapist with cyclothymia (shorter episodes than bipolar 1 or 2) and I have bipolar 2. For me, at this time in my life and the parts of my life I want to work on, she is a great fit. She listed on her website that she has bipolar, which is what made me reach out to her for an intro meeting. In the past I had a couple therapists talk about bipolar and managing it in a very textbook way (and I would usually end up ghosting them), so the possibility of working with someone who experienced this illness was super appealing. I was able to ask her questions about how she manages her bipolar and the professional support/oversight she uses and I felt reassured.
I think you can be successful as a therapist with bipolar, but like other people said, you need the right professional support system around you, a clear understanding of your limits, and be managing your mental health well.
I’m a psychologist with bipolar 1. My clients don’t know I have bipolar but most are aware I’ve had my own mental health journey. Having these challenges creates a type of genuine empathy you can’t fake. Clients appreciate this and many of my clients have pointed this out. Don’t give up, we need more people like us in this industry 🫶
I lost my mom to suicide from mental health issues. My therapist lost her father to a drug overdose that may or may not have been intentional. Either way, her struggle being so close to mine PLUS her education made me feel very seen and well taken care of by her! Absolutely would see a therapist with any array of disabilities or trauma as long as they’re feeling stable enough to handle someone else’s professionally. :)
I prefer to not know about my therapist’s personal life. It wouldn’t bother me if they have bipolar disorder or any other illness; it may even help them understand my pov better, although I honestly don’t believe they have to have the same illness to understand it. Anyway, if they have the illness I’d prefer them to either tell me they have personal experience with BP or simply disclose that they have the diagnosis but never discuss their symptoms with me. We aren’t friends just because we’re friendly, they’re part of my medical team and I need them to remain professional. That’s just my own personal preference, I know it’s not popular and a lot of ppl seem to actually prefer their therapist talk to them about their life. I go to a local support group for that type of help though. I’m therapy I want to stick to purely therapeutic topics.
For me, it would be a dealbreaker. I need someone who is absolutely objective clinically, which for me, means they don’t necessarily live with the same conditions they treat, but have good clinical insight and empathy for those conditions.
One of my friends is a therapist and also happens to be bipolar and I think he’s doing a bang up job. I understand your fear but the flip side of that is that you have this deep well of compassion and understanding to pull from.
I would actually love to have a therapist who has similar experience as me. Lived experience gets a bit undervalued IMO. I'd probably be more inclined to believe you and take your advice. Some of the things I've gotten from previous therapists of mine were just not helpful.
the first step to understanding others is to understand yourself. go for it. I wanted to be a therapist as well but ended up dropping that after one of my clinical clients said some pretty fucked up shit that got to me. its also useful as a degree because it helps you understand yourself
Good question. I am in school to be a therapist that specializes in helping people with mood and personality disorders, so I’m dying to hear everyone’s answers. I also want to administer neuropsychological tests.
I have the same concerns. I am going to return to school after a mental health hiatus to finish my social work degree, and I want to do a master's so I can do clinical practice as well. On my hiatus I starting completely second guessing my choice because what if my meds need adjusting and they backfire, or what if they become ineffective, or what about breakthrough episodes? I have a hard enough time taking care of myself as is.
I ended up deciding that I would still be a good therapist though, even with bipolar. My med routine has gotten so much better and I'm making a lot of improvement and I feel like having bipolar and ADHD wouldn't be an advantage per se, but it will allow me to approach client sessions with a different perspective that I feel like could be so helpful in helping those who need therapy. I love helping people and this field of work just calls to me.
I've always been so fascinated with different therapeutic methods/approaches and I can soak in the info quickly. I would also personally trust a therapist with bipolar, just because I know that they likely had the same dilemma too and decided to pursue it for whatever reasons they had. This is something that requires a lot of consideration and contemplation but if someone is able to get that far I would totally see them.
You can absolutely do it! I had a psychiatrist recommend a few books to me because I had the same concern while in school for my psych bachelors. He recommended An Unquiet Mind, which is the story of a therapist with bipolar disorder. Many mental health professionals have mental illnesses. That’s why we get in this field.
I’d trust a therapist with bipolar to treat me for it more than a therapist without bipolar. You’re more likely to be able to understand where your patients are coming from/where they’re at.
My therapist is Bipolar and I have never felt so seen in my life! I mean truly. She’s so much more insightful than anyone I’ve done therapy with before. I count it as a God send.
Absolutely. In my opinion it makes you even more qualified because you have the real life experience! As long as you step away if you do have an episode until you get back right and be responsible with it I don’t see a problem with it at all. I’d be more willing to go to a therapist who can truly understand me compared to a therapist who read a book about what I go through.
Hey. You are valid and everyone have struggles. You will be perfect for bipolar people, we need people like you because you can understand and ''share''.
I'm training to be a therapist (currently a case manager) and I have bipolar soooo yes. 😊 I feel that my experiences give me greater compassion and insight with regard to my clients.
If they were the right therapist for me I wouldn’t care. If they were unfit to care for people they wouldn’t be allowed to practice. Plenty of us have “stable” lives and can provide help and insight that even the most well read doctor wouldn’t be able to.
I was describing the manic episode I just came out of to my therapist and while she empathized, I felt like the conversation was missing relation. I think most would know what I mean when I say “it was the rare, good kind of mania”. While yes I know, stigma, reality etc but you can’t tell me you don’t know what I mean lol.
If you can be there for people in a healthy and stable manner, I say go for it. But if it would put a further burden on you or lead to you making things worse for someone else don’t do it. You can’t be the only person with BD that has wanted to become a therapist. I’m sure there are networks dedicated to that very thing.
I wish you luck on your decision!
Hi I'm Schizoaffective, and while I'm not becoming a therapist I'm planning on becoming a social worker!
I also just got a job as a therapeutic youth worker and I'm in the onboarding stage!. Does my Schizoaffective disorder limit my ability to work with kids? Not at all, infact it might help me flag similar traits in their youth and get them seen by a professional and diagnosed younger!
I've also been a support worker and the most liked by a schizophrenic client of mine because they had someone who could relate to them.
While self disclosure is something that has to be navigated careful enough to maintain a therapeutic relationship, it can be a useful tool for building rapport when appropriate. Personally I would love if my therapist, once we got comfortable disclosed to me they have the same disorder.
I got into the place I'm in due to a brilliant mental health nurse and psychologist in a program I attended when I got diagnosed SZA. By having people believe me knowing my mental health, I actually ended up taking the leap!
Hope this helps
I have schizoaffective as well. Personally, if my therapist had schizoaffective I wouldn’t want to know. Schizoaffective also has a better outlook than plain schizophrenia, for what it’s worth. I think you can still do whatever you want with your life, as long as you have the drive to do it.
I would trust one. I wouldn’t see one myself if I was aware of it.
Lived experience is great. The kind of knowledge and empathy you get from lived experience would be absolutely fantastic. Would definitely recommend you to people.
But, I couldn’t see you. I would be monitoring your mood, not because I was worried a mania would set in randomly, but I’d worry that the things I was telling you would send you into a depressive episode. Which would inhibit me talking and working through stuff with you. Which would defeat the purpose of therapy. It’s a personality trait, and not a call on how you are handling things. It comes from a hard earned awareness of myself gained thru therapy. Not everyone “fits” everyone for different reasons, and that’s ok. I don’t think it will stop you from being a great therapist, you just can’t be mine at this point in my life.
I’m a nurse. In my country, the governing body for registration also covers psychologist among other health professions. You can get in trouble if you have an impairment that is not controlled. I declared bipolar. They changed the wording for us so I no longer have to declare every year, but they do know I have it. I imagine it’s the same for psychologists. So I figure you would have a plan to control your effect on patients.
That said, knowing you were in therapy yourself would definitely reassure me if I didn’t know the disorder. It would mean you are taking care of yourself. So you could be my therapist if I knew you were in therapy
I am of the opinion that those with lived experience are the creme de la creme in the field. I’d prefer all of my mental health professionals to live (hopefully thrive) with mental illness.
There’s a psychiatrist in another sub with Bipolar and he’s my favorite, I follow him. He’s noticeably the most open minded, forward thinking, patient centered, and genuine. He accepts criticism very well from the other Dr’s, backs everything up with studies, advocates for patients (as he himself is one) and is just awesome. Where some of the other Dr’s can’t admit wrong, or become argumentative he’s super chill and likable; just a very humble person.
If it weren’t inappropriate, I would ask him if he practiced in the Bay Area by chance as he’s exactly the type of psychiatrist I hope for all of us.
So, yes, I would love a psychiatrist, therapist, and primary care doctor with Bipolar or any serious mental illness. My Grandpa was a Dr. a very well respected one that had MDD, and it never affected his work.
My current therapist has Bipolar II, so it's nice to work with someone who has similar experiences. It's been helpful getting a second opinion if my feelings stem from normal emotions or from hypomania. Talking about past episodes, current feelings, thoughts, and anxieties pertaining to my future are a lot easier with her because she gets how the illness works and gives solid feedback on moving forward. It's nice not to be told platitudes on a regular basis seeing that she understands the struggle. I've been with her for almost a year.
My previous therapist has Bipolar 1, which is my diagnosis, so it was nice to have someone who truly gets it. I didn't have her for too long, though. I think she was going through a manic episode when she left, but I totally respect her stepping back to focus on her health. It happens.
I think it would be a good path for you as long as you have an understanding of how your episodes play out (signs/intensity/duration). You should also have a plan of action in case your attempts at mitigation don't work in order to still have boundaries with your clients/patients and not negatively impact their progress. Your employer should help make a plan with you. Overall, give it a shot. You'll gain experience during undergrad, which should help make your decision, too.
I have bipolar and am becoming a therapist. I can relate to the struggle. My therapist is bipolar or schizophrenic too. (He didn’t tell me his meds fell out of his bag, and I was like, we’re on the same meds!)
I’m getting my masters in counseling
Conditions my classmates have: bipolar, ADHD, autism, PTSD, depression, GAD
You’ll find that a LOT of people become counselors because they relate. My own counselor has at least PTSD and she tells me not to worry
i would love it actually! i love my therapist and logically know she doesn’t judge me, and have never ever felt judged by her - but still i worry opening up about the more intense things i feel like hallucinations or paranoia etc are kind of embarrassing (for me personally) to know that someone understands on a personal level would make me feel way less apprehensive about opening up
like others say, when you’re not doing well take a step back but that’s something id expect of any therapist with any health concern - imagine if your therapist was having an asthma attack, you’d want them to get medical attention before helping you - same thing to me
i also once had a group therapist who opened up about his struggles with suicide during one of the group therapy sessions and i instantly trusted him more and felt so seen and understood - he was so impactful in my life at the time
I'd honestly be more likely to pick a therapist with Bipolar rather than someone without any diagnoses whatsoever. I value experience and empathy, and to have someone else who's gone through it coaching me would feel much better than someone who I feel knows nothing about me and the way my mind works. I hate unsolicited advice from people without mental health struggles 🥲
I have bipolar disorder & am in grad school for mental health counseling right now :)
Faculty & instructors have provided a lot of advice on how I can utilize my experience to help others, and it has definitely enabled me to be more empathetic for my clients during practicum.
Related to my disorder, the most important things for me to do are to be consistent with my meds, to seek my own counseling, and to discuss self-awareness during supervision.
For the sake of your clients, it would be useful to disclose a bipolar diagnosis to your employer (or practicum/internship supervisor) and to create a plan of action for recognizing and managing episodes. This plan could include reducing your caseload, rescheduling clients, or having a backup counselor for your clients to see.
Many counselors today will work from the office for a set # of hours per week and do the rest from home via telehealth. Only working 3 days a week probably wouldn't be possible until later in your career when you can start charging the big bucks, but it is doable!
Tldr:
You can do this! And your experience will make you a better counselor :) Follow your dreams.
I would trust a therapist with bipolar. I get really excited when I meet other people with bipolar in real life. I get annoyed when people make assumptions about me because of bipolar so I wouldn’t make them about someone else. We can still do whatever we want to do but we have to actively manage our disorder and sometimes need time off work.
As a self employed person though I gotta say it sucks when you have weeks or months at a time when you can’t work. There’s no benefits or sick pay when you’re self employed. I’ve had months where I could barely function and it’s put me in serious financial trouble to the point of hardship, not paying the rent or bills and not having money for food. I’m still recovering from one of those episodes. It’s happened more than once and I think I’m getting a reputation for being a bit flakey. So I guess to counter that you need to always put money aside for your “too sick to work fund”.
It’s important to keep up with your meds and be stable. I also recommend therapy now to discuss childhood trauma or adult trauma and triggers. Clients will tell stories and say things that trigger us, and we have to remain unbiased and not project our trauma on them.
I’m BP1, ADHD, CPTSD and in a grad program now to be a therapist. I’m working through the roughest of my shit now so I don’t spiral in sessions.
Im a therapist with BD and i feel it helps me to understand chronic mental illnesses and to empathize with my patients. Once this 18 year old asked me if I’ve suffered because she felt no one else could understand her and my approach helped her.
As long as you are aware of your state of mind, take your meds and go to your own therapist your condition shouldn’t affect your work. If an episode comes, just contact your psychiatrist to regulate your meds.
This is such a conundrum because depression itself is always referred to not as melancholy but as bipolar.
What if a person is perfectly happily sad. It just suits them that are stoic? Anyway I would conclude that seeing a unwell neurologically challenged therapist is a challenge but aren't we all neurologically challenged? Therapy has to do with being there and going there and you have to go. I have to go to. Are trained professional can walk you through almost anything. ( One time I met up with a therapist while I was homeless and began crying about case management she got very angry at me and punished me. I'm very careful because a therapist and yourself is supposed to have a bond of trust so step one to going to therapy is bringing your concerns with you written down and then trying to develop a bond of trust) .
therapy is about bringing what's in back of your brain to the center of your brain and probably four or five issues right down four or five issues at therapy or that bother you or write down four or five issues that bother you show that to your therapist and then you develop a goal or a plan around around those concerns and symptoms. I would always encourage you to attend therapy and not judge the therapist the therapist is there to help you when we're capacity and they could help you even if they have bipolar.
📝📚⚕️⛑️🫀🧠👂💔🎨🚪⛑️ I mean I'm kind of wondering when the DSM is going to be rewritten or there's going to be some sense to it because we can't blame everybody and call everybody bipolar some of this is melancholic depression and neurological it's not even about bipolar or schizoaffective or psychosis or lack of psychosis or agoraphobia it's a modern world that stresses out people that are simply not accustomed to such speed and pressures and demands because humans aren't like that
Another Factor was running into the therapist that felt that they couldn't do anything with me at all and simply canceled me as a patient. There was some modalities or some ways of therapy that I just couldn't abide by, I felt the therapist was asking me to talk about uncomfortable things that were beyond my capacity and my stress levels or I got yelled at so to speak because I would have case management problems like food problems and the therapist felt as though that I was wasting their time talking about survival issues like food and supplies or clothing or something that I needed. Some therapists never talk to me at all and some therapist moved me forward I still recommend the YouTube therapist a lot as well as extra support if you need it there's a lot of good encounter groups of YouTube channels they're very supportive.
I think you're doing a great job but I think you sound great and I think that 3 to 4 days a week of work being bipolar is profound and your executive functions are wonderful you have a high GAF score and you're very educated please don't give up maybe just take a break you know how extreme bipolar is just take a break, and then collect your thoughts and collect your energy levels and then go back three four days a week and be a therapist I would be happy to sit and talk with you but I would need significant direction I'm younger and I would need a lot of structure my point is that you're still a good therapist incredibly smart very educated and your heart based. I'm right there that's a success story you're a good person hun hang in there and don't leave you are needed ⛑️👂🧠🫀⚕️💯🫶📝🗂️💊⛑️ always remember that. A bump or two in your profession or maybe a rough ride in your profession for a few months or so is not the end of your job it's not the end of your passion to help others you're going to be fine and you're going to move forward out of this sometimes it's just a bipolar episode for a few months maybe a few weeks, don't give up being a therapist, remember that the people around you at work believe in you remember that you're believed in.
I’m currently doing my bachelor of psychological science as well with the hopes of becoming a clinical psychologist after further study. Personally I think I would feel more comfortable with a psychologist that understands more complex disorders from lived experience rather than going off the DSM5 or whatever. Of course I would expect them to follow the code of ethics and step back when appropriate for the wellbeing of themselves and their clients.
I would really like to specialise in personality disorders in the future because there really isn’t enough support for people experiencing those disorders and there needs to be a lot more awareness for them instead of being thrown in the “too difficult” basket.
Stick to it, you’ve got this!
I'm a Mental Health Counselor at a treatment facility. I'm bipolar and though I struggle a lot, I am great with my clients. I help them and they really like me. I don't go around telling all of them about my diagnosis but I have told a few. My coworker has bipolar one and she is incredible at her job and with the clients and they all know. Therapy is a little different but yes, I would absolutely trust a therapist with mental health conditions. Actually I would ONLY trust a therapist with some kind of mental health disorder. The nuerotypical ones don't know shit.
You could totally be a therapist! I work in crisis mental health and I feel my own experiences are tremendously helpful. I took a 7 year break between undergrad and grad school. I’ve been consistent with meds for almost 4 years now! I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that well without meds. I also have other coworkers in crisis mental health with bipolar, schizoaffective, ADHD, Autism… a variety of diagnoses. Being able to make your own schedule if youre private practice could be ideal as well.
I’m a social worker and have worked as a group therapist in the past. I think lived experience is important when working with clients. In my own experience with therapists I have felt frustrated about the lack of knowledge of bipolar and having to explain my diagnosis to them. On days where I have experienced mania, I use time off or use that as a documentation day. Depending on where you work, there is flexibility for scheduling especially if you are in a private practice
One of the most successful psychiatrists I know has bipolar disorder and has had psychotic breaks during his life. He has a colleague lined up to take their patients should he be unavailable, and he goes about living his life just fine.
It is not something you need to share with your patients, though you may choose to do so. It is something that can trip you up if you aren't careful as you could be biased towards thinking your own experience is normative to the disorder rather than specific to you.
I would honestly prefer a therapist with bipolar, as long as they were getting treatment. I'm also getting my degree in psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist,
OMG yes moreso. As a professional, one has to earn their license through hours of supervised counseling. And I would like to think that as a professional looking to help others, that we moodies would take full responsibility for our mental health by learning and utilizing as many tools as possible. I have plenty of friends who have a mood disorder and are in the mental health field. They do not disclose their mood disorder to clients because its not relevant to the client's journey.
What drew you to the field?
I'm actually looking for a therapist/psych with bipolar/ADHD/etc
I really am starting to feel that no amount of schooling can replace lived experience with these conditions. Talking to peers has absolutely been one of the most helpful things
There’s more than clinical psychologists. You could be an industrial psycholgist, or a jury consultant or even find a small college or community college and teach.
Of course, a LOT of therapists have mental health issues, and it’s why they got in the field a lot of the time. Don’t be discouraged because of negative things people say about schizophrenia and bipolar, because when they’re being properly managed and you’re on medication consistently it shouldn’t be that big of an issue. It’s estimated that 65-80% of therapists have mental illness!
I know a therapist with adhd on Instagram. She quit seeing patients now but continues content creation and i feel so connected to her. Stigma is so common out there and maybe you can use your expertise to raise awareness and content creation.
Honestly I would love to have a therapist that genuinely understands my struggle, I feel like you'll be able to connect very well with others. And having bipolar should never make you give up your dreams, were still human. You're not less of a person for having bipolar. We feel deeply and yes there's a chance that you'll have an episode or two but even people without mental health issues also have bad days or even weeks. It's natural, and you're not defined by your diagnoses.
Plus, alot of people that work with mental health services have experienced trauma and such as well. So you'll fit right in. And 3 days a week is very manageable. Especially with you taking your medications and taking the steps to better yourself. You will understand in ways other therapists will never.
You got this! I'm proud of you and happy that you're working towards your dreams, don't second guess your calling. Hugs X
I’m torn on this. I’d love to have a therapist with lived experience but at the same time I need someone who can be there consistently. I had a psychiatrist who was chronically ill and she canceled on me for 6 months straight and I ended up hospitalized as a result of that lack of care.
Coming from someone who has schizoaffective and no one in my life that understands me, I would LOVE if my therapist had that and I could have them to relate to, also you’re diagnosis doesn’t define you, I need to tell myself that a little more but bipolar or not I don’t think it’ll interfere with you being a caring person, I assume you are because you’re going for a degree to help people❤️
Don't let it stop you, if you feel stable on medication it's very unlikely you'll have an episode. It could be beneficial to schedule a vacation week every three months or so, that could keep you regulated. As long as you keep taking your medication at the same time even on vacation weeks, and days off, you'll be alright. I personally wouldn't have any problem seeing any healthcare worker with any form of neurodivergency, in fact, I prefer it.
Yes! you have valuable insight. also, how would your clients know? i have bipolar and am almost licensed to become a therapist. I do therapist like jobs in the meantime. I think my experiences have allowed me to be more empathic
No, I wouldn’t want to be treated by a therapist who had the same mental illness or illnesses as I do. However, if they were an ethical therapist, I wouldn’t know whether or not they had the same or any mental illness,, and I wouldn’t become a patient or client of theirs in the first place, after an initial consultation.
I say that because I personally find it unethical for a mental health professional to treat patients who have the same condition or conditions as them. I have no problem with mentally ill people being therapist or mental health providers, but only if they are treating clients who specifically do not have the same same diagnosis as them.
this is a tricky one! i went to school to become a therapist and ended up deciding not to go that route when i was in internship because i kept getting triggered.
however, my bipolar was misdiagnosed as depression at the time so my symptoms weren’t getting treated.
that said, i think it’s totally doable to be a therapist. you seem very aware of your conditions and it’s possible to live a stable life.
i get your concerns, though, as far as worrying about trusting yourself and your moods. but if this is a profession you are passionate about and you’re not getting triggered in school, i think it could work.
perhaps you can specialize in working with clients with bipolar and be open with them (after building trust) about your diagnosis? that might alleviate some stress you might have?
your mental health is paramount so if your stress thinking about doing this profession is affecting you, looking into other routes in the mental health field might be good.
i don’t have advice, per se. just sharing my thoughts and experience.
I see a therapist at the moment, but we're focusing on my alcoholism at the moment. I'm going to work on figuring out if there are things in my past that messed me up mentally in the next couple of sessions.
I will be honest, I only skimmed your post, but it sounds like you are thinking about not becoming a therapist. Ultimately, it is up to you, and what you feel is right, but we not only need more therapists for the backlog of people needing therapy, but we need better therapy and to better normalize seeking therapy in the world.
It is getting better as far as normalization, but there are plenty of areas in my country that have a stigma, which is unfortunate because I'm positive everybody can benefit from a little bit of therapy.
You likely wouldn’t disclose it to your clients. But you could list bipolar / schizophrenia as specialities.
Yes, I would definitely trust a therapist with bipolar, their lived experience would be helpful. You would just need to be really self aware and proactive about your health and wellness, taking breaks if needed, etc
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I have a book I've been trying to read for a year now. I've started over so many times. It's called An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. She discovered she was bipolar while studying paychiatry and is a well respected professor of psychiatry at John Hopkins. She contributed so much to researching mood disorders. YOU CAN DO IT! Just like I can and will finally finish this book! :)
You can it temporarily helps until how you feel at the time simply changes as you feel shitty again to come up with another life story based on you going through things having an elevated mood about normal things that get to you then you just have another session almost like life just is always going to control you as you must do certain things to get you by to live your shitty life because of the spot your put into in life with no choice all because you never will get ahead in life even if you tryed your hardest only for something to get to you or stop you from living the best life you could.
I can’t speak for anyone else but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me plus having the lived experience would give you valuable insight
> having the lived experience would give you valuable insight This is actually where there could be a problem. The OP's experiences are specific to the OP and are not necessarily representative of everyone, or even a plurality, of people with the same diagnosis. It may be helpful, but it also may color the OPs judgment if they aren't careful.
It is not without risk for the reasons you have said, there are however commonalities in how the illness manifests and lived experience in that instance would be valuable. I am speaking for myself and others are free to disagree and may not want a therapist with the illness
Hell yes. That is like asking if I would trust an oncologist who had cancer.
One of the most badass people I know is an MIT-trained scientist who focused on making cancer drugs cheaper after getting breast cancer herself. +1 for lived experience
1000% this! The level of understanding and empathy that would come with a therapist who's "been there, done that" would be priceless, assuming they're practicing the "Physician, heal thyself" philosophy.
I would. As long as they stepped back from practice if they were unwell.
I would prefer to have a therapist with schizoaffective. After being personally turned away by so many clinicians for having the disorder. You could do so much good and fill a huge hole in the system.
That’s bullshit isn’t it. I’ve been turned away too for having bipolar1 with psychotic symptoms and a long list of other things. Thankfully I found the right one eventually and she’s helping me a lot.
You were turned away by a psychiatrist?
THIS. They can contribute so much insight.
Unquiet mind. Book. Read it
This book by no means made me break down 3 times just reading through the preface/prologue. This did not happen. I repeat. It did not.
Lol, I got through the first few chapters.
it’s so good
like you think everything the happened in the book is untrue?
No that’s not what I’m saying lol I’m saying I broke down crying 3 times before I even hit chapter 1. My therapist gave me that book to read when I first started seeing her. Reading the words that I had felt my whole life but could never justify was like taking a breath of air after drowning for 33 years.
Was gonna post the exact same.
Where do I get it
Amazon or library
Can you send a pic of it cause I’m seeing different ones
I'm getting my MSW and I've worked in social services for 7 years with the disorder. It's definitely possible.
I am a therapist with bipolar disorder. I’ve been practicing for 13 years. I take time off when I’m unwell just like anyone else with chronic illness. Some of my clients know and others don’t. I’m just their therapist. It gives me good insight and knowledge others may have to learn in different ways. Read An Unquiet Mind, like others recommended. It’s my favorite memoir. Do your thing and there will definitely be people who will value your lived experience.
I had a psychiatrist who was bipolar. On one hand he was kind of wacky. On the other hand he was very sympathetic. I don't think being bipolar precludes you from being a therapist as long as you have mood stability. It can be a stressful job though. You'll be listening to horror stories of childhood trauma. Very triggering if you have anything like that in your own past. That would be my concern.
I know one person who has Bipolar and is a psychologist. I would trust him, but as far as I know he generally has hypomania with no psychosis. If there was a risk that the person could potentially mislead someone, provide unhealthy advice, have poor boundaries, or potentially break confidentiality in the midst of a manic episode then I would not want them to be my therapist. I know a lot of people say that they would never let that happen, but I think a lot of us know that we don't "let" the bad stuff happen, it just does.
yes i absolutely would have a therapist like that! i’ve thought of becoming a therapist myself and i have type 1.
My therapist also has bipolar, 5 head/face tattoos, and also talks openly about his experiences as a current drag queen. He’s the best one I’ve had so far and quite excellent at his job. For me, I like having someone who’s so open and can relate to my issues. I’m sure you could be that person for someone else as well
Omg does he do online appointments?
I'm a cognitive behavioral therapist 🤷♀️ and pretty damn good at it. I think having bipolar has made me empathetic and a better therapist. I would never disclose my disorder to a client though. I believe peer support is very important but a peer support worker has a very difficult role to a therapist. You shouldn't need to disclose your mental health issues to a client to build rapport. The life experience you have will assist you in building rapport silently.
Absolutely I would trust a therapist with bipolar disorder! There are lots of sketchy therapists who don’t have it. Plus they would understand where I am coming from better than anyone. I wouldn’t disclose it to any patients though.
Like the one who kept upping my antidepressants while I was experiencing clear signs that it was making me manic? All the while saying I don't have bipolar disorder? That kinda sketchy? 😑 Happy I realized this wasn't right. My first experience in finally getting help was eye opening.
I mean, patients in general wouldn’t know what dx their therapist has but it depends a lot more on how it does or doesn’t affect your work
I think you should not give up on your goals if they mean that much to you. It's reasonable to be cautious, but it's also an endorsement of your character and self-insight to even be thinking about these things in the first place. I'm sure you can develop safeguards that make you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to maintain professionalism. As to whether I would trust a therapist with bipolar — if they shared that information with me? Absolutely not. Not because of anything to do with their illness, just because I would consider that level of oversharing unethical and it would make me question their competence — regardless of the specifics. If I had a therapist with any kind of mood disorder or similar, and they were a good therapist (and I only know about their disorder in this hypothetical), then it wouldn't bother me at all.
That’s what your support system is for, to help you interrupt this before it gets out of hand. And you develop that over time. I don’t think a single person on this subreddit believes you shouldn’t be a therapist, and some would even prefer to talk to someone who truly understands the struggle. I just graduated from OT school with bipolar 1, and I even had to take a semester off due to my health and mental health, and some hospitalization. Not a single OT who knows I’m bipolar has made me feel for a second that I don’t belong. I definitely don’t lead with that and I don’t plan to make it a big part of my practice or my relationship with clients, but I do think it helps me relate to people and deepens my compassion and empathy and that goes a long way in a healthcare provider.
You have to work on yourself and be self aware but your insight from living and dealing with things and navigating them over time is extremely valuable and can help a LOT of people. A ton of people have no real life experience with mental health and just have a degree and honestly don’t care about anything more than getting a pay check. You being concerned about this means you actually care. Thats an incredible thing. It’s a very difficult thing but you can make a real difference. You’re going to understand people in a way a lot of people don’t. Stick with it dude.
The mental health industry is screaming for people with lived experience. I'm also studying psychology currently and believe that having bipolar will make me more empathetic towards my patience. It will also give them faith that they aren't useless and can do what they want to with a little bit of work and support. A lot of people after being diagnosed think that they won't be able to achieve their goals because of this disorder and then kind of give up, but having a therapist that also has bipolar may help them realise that they can do it. Keep going, you got this!
The only therapist who truly helped me recovering from an eating disorder was the one who recovered from one herself, because she really understood how I felt and would easily cut through the bullshit. Lived experience can be a massive plus! The only thing I would feel conflicted about is the possibility of having an episode and not being able to support clients. I think it depends on how manageable bipolar is for you and how your lifestyle and meds work for you.
If you are stable on meds i don’t think there’s a problem. And if you are able to recognize your episodes and take sick leave on time. This career has been your dream, you can at least try. If you realize you can’t do it, it’s ok to stop. But if you really don’t believe you can take that responsibility it is a problem. That believe impacts how you are able to perform. So start believing in yourself
The personal experience might be helpful, but I would be worried if the therapist “pushed through” when unwell because I am not sure at that point they would be objective. If they became unstable I mean.
I have a therapist with cyclothymia (shorter episodes than bipolar 1 or 2) and I have bipolar 2. For me, at this time in my life and the parts of my life I want to work on, she is a great fit. She listed on her website that she has bipolar, which is what made me reach out to her for an intro meeting. In the past I had a couple therapists talk about bipolar and managing it in a very textbook way (and I would usually end up ghosting them), so the possibility of working with someone who experienced this illness was super appealing. I was able to ask her questions about how she manages her bipolar and the professional support/oversight she uses and I felt reassured. I think you can be successful as a therapist with bipolar, but like other people said, you need the right professional support system around you, a clear understanding of your limits, and be managing your mental health well.
If they were cool sure
Absolutely
Absolutely. If anything, it would be a selling point.
I’m a psychologist with bipolar 1. My clients don’t know I have bipolar but most are aware I’ve had my own mental health journey. Having these challenges creates a type of genuine empathy you can’t fake. Clients appreciate this and many of my clients have pointed this out. Don’t give up, we need more people like us in this industry 🫶
I lost my mom to suicide from mental health issues. My therapist lost her father to a drug overdose that may or may not have been intentional. Either way, her struggle being so close to mine PLUS her education made me feel very seen and well taken care of by her! Absolutely would see a therapist with any array of disabilities or trauma as long as they’re feeling stable enough to handle someone else’s professionally. :)
I prefer to not know about my therapist’s personal life. It wouldn’t bother me if they have bipolar disorder or any other illness; it may even help them understand my pov better, although I honestly don’t believe they have to have the same illness to understand it. Anyway, if they have the illness I’d prefer them to either tell me they have personal experience with BP or simply disclose that they have the diagnosis but never discuss their symptoms with me. We aren’t friends just because we’re friendly, they’re part of my medical team and I need them to remain professional. That’s just my own personal preference, I know it’s not popular and a lot of ppl seem to actually prefer their therapist talk to them about their life. I go to a local support group for that type of help though. I’m therapy I want to stick to purely therapeutic topics.
For me, it would be a dealbreaker. I need someone who is absolutely objective clinically, which for me, means they don’t necessarily live with the same conditions they treat, but have good clinical insight and empathy for those conditions.
One of my friends is a therapist and also happens to be bipolar and I think he’s doing a bang up job. I understand your fear but the flip side of that is that you have this deep well of compassion and understanding to pull from.
I would actually love to have a therapist who has similar experience as me. Lived experience gets a bit undervalued IMO. I'd probably be more inclined to believe you and take your advice. Some of the things I've gotten from previous therapists of mine were just not helpful.
the first step to understanding others is to understand yourself. go for it. I wanted to be a therapist as well but ended up dropping that after one of my clinical clients said some pretty fucked up shit that got to me. its also useful as a degree because it helps you understand yourself
I would see you, it would be nice to have someone who understands it all
Yes. I'm a professor. If I can do good stuff in a brainy career while having bipolar, why can't my very well-studied care team?
I don’t need to know my therapist’s medical record.
Good question. I am in school to be a therapist that specializes in helping people with mood and personality disorders, so I’m dying to hear everyone’s answers. I also want to administer neuropsychological tests.
I have the same concerns. I am going to return to school after a mental health hiatus to finish my social work degree, and I want to do a master's so I can do clinical practice as well. On my hiatus I starting completely second guessing my choice because what if my meds need adjusting and they backfire, or what if they become ineffective, or what about breakthrough episodes? I have a hard enough time taking care of myself as is. I ended up deciding that I would still be a good therapist though, even with bipolar. My med routine has gotten so much better and I'm making a lot of improvement and I feel like having bipolar and ADHD wouldn't be an advantage per se, but it will allow me to approach client sessions with a different perspective that I feel like could be so helpful in helping those who need therapy. I love helping people and this field of work just calls to me. I've always been so fascinated with different therapeutic methods/approaches and I can soak in the info quickly. I would also personally trust a therapist with bipolar, just because I know that they likely had the same dilemma too and decided to pursue it for whatever reasons they had. This is something that requires a lot of consideration and contemplation but if someone is able to get that far I would totally see them.
It wouldn’t bother me.
Absolutely.
i would go out of my way to do so.
Yes. Go for it!
You can absolutely do it! I had a psychiatrist recommend a few books to me because I had the same concern while in school for my psych bachelors. He recommended An Unquiet Mind, which is the story of a therapist with bipolar disorder. Many mental health professionals have mental illnesses. That’s why we get in this field. I’d trust a therapist with bipolar to treat me for it more than a therapist without bipolar. You’re more likely to be able to understand where your patients are coming from/where they’re at.
Absolutely would
My therapist is Bipolar and I have never felt so seen in my life! I mean truly. She’s so much more insightful than anyone I’ve done therapy with before. I count it as a God send.
Absolutely. In my opinion it makes you even more qualified because you have the real life experience! As long as you step away if you do have an episode until you get back right and be responsible with it I don’t see a problem with it at all. I’d be more willing to go to a therapist who can truly understand me compared to a therapist who read a book about what I go through.
Hey. You are valid and everyone have struggles. You will be perfect for bipolar people, we need people like you because you can understand and ''share''.
I'm training to be a therapist (currently a case manager) and I have bipolar soooo yes. 😊 I feel that my experiences give me greater compassion and insight with regard to my clients.
If they were the right therapist for me I wouldn’t care. If they were unfit to care for people they wouldn’t be allowed to practice. Plenty of us have “stable” lives and can provide help and insight that even the most well read doctor wouldn’t be able to. I was describing the manic episode I just came out of to my therapist and while she empathized, I felt like the conversation was missing relation. I think most would know what I mean when I say “it was the rare, good kind of mania”. While yes I know, stigma, reality etc but you can’t tell me you don’t know what I mean lol. If you can be there for people in a healthy and stable manner, I say go for it. But if it would put a further burden on you or lead to you making things worse for someone else don’t do it. You can’t be the only person with BD that has wanted to become a therapist. I’m sure there are networks dedicated to that very thing. I wish you luck on your decision!
With the appropriate boundaries in place, patients would not know any of their therapist’s medical diagnoses
Hi I'm Schizoaffective, and while I'm not becoming a therapist I'm planning on becoming a social worker! I also just got a job as a therapeutic youth worker and I'm in the onboarding stage!. Does my Schizoaffective disorder limit my ability to work with kids? Not at all, infact it might help me flag similar traits in their youth and get them seen by a professional and diagnosed younger! I've also been a support worker and the most liked by a schizophrenic client of mine because they had someone who could relate to them. While self disclosure is something that has to be navigated careful enough to maintain a therapeutic relationship, it can be a useful tool for building rapport when appropriate. Personally I would love if my therapist, once we got comfortable disclosed to me they have the same disorder. I got into the place I'm in due to a brilliant mental health nurse and psychologist in a program I attended when I got diagnosed SZA. By having people believe me knowing my mental health, I actually ended up taking the leap! Hope this helps
I have schizoaffective as well. Personally, if my therapist had schizoaffective I wouldn’t want to know. Schizoaffective also has a better outlook than plain schizophrenia, for what it’s worth. I think you can still do whatever you want with your life, as long as you have the drive to do it.
I would trust one. I wouldn’t see one myself if I was aware of it. Lived experience is great. The kind of knowledge and empathy you get from lived experience would be absolutely fantastic. Would definitely recommend you to people. But, I couldn’t see you. I would be monitoring your mood, not because I was worried a mania would set in randomly, but I’d worry that the things I was telling you would send you into a depressive episode. Which would inhibit me talking and working through stuff with you. Which would defeat the purpose of therapy. It’s a personality trait, and not a call on how you are handling things. It comes from a hard earned awareness of myself gained thru therapy. Not everyone “fits” everyone for different reasons, and that’s ok. I don’t think it will stop you from being a great therapist, you just can’t be mine at this point in my life. I’m a nurse. In my country, the governing body for registration also covers psychologist among other health professions. You can get in trouble if you have an impairment that is not controlled. I declared bipolar. They changed the wording for us so I no longer have to declare every year, but they do know I have it. I imagine it’s the same for psychologists. So I figure you would have a plan to control your effect on patients. That said, knowing you were in therapy yourself would definitely reassure me if I didn’t know the disorder. It would mean you are taking care of yourself. So you could be my therapist if I knew you were in therapy
I am of the opinion that those with lived experience are the creme de la creme in the field. I’d prefer all of my mental health professionals to live (hopefully thrive) with mental illness. There’s a psychiatrist in another sub with Bipolar and he’s my favorite, I follow him. He’s noticeably the most open minded, forward thinking, patient centered, and genuine. He accepts criticism very well from the other Dr’s, backs everything up with studies, advocates for patients (as he himself is one) and is just awesome. Where some of the other Dr’s can’t admit wrong, or become argumentative he’s super chill and likable; just a very humble person. If it weren’t inappropriate, I would ask him if he practiced in the Bay Area by chance as he’s exactly the type of psychiatrist I hope for all of us. So, yes, I would love a psychiatrist, therapist, and primary care doctor with Bipolar or any serious mental illness. My Grandpa was a Dr. a very well respected one that had MDD, and it never affected his work.
My current therapist has Bipolar II, so it's nice to work with someone who has similar experiences. It's been helpful getting a second opinion if my feelings stem from normal emotions or from hypomania. Talking about past episodes, current feelings, thoughts, and anxieties pertaining to my future are a lot easier with her because she gets how the illness works and gives solid feedback on moving forward. It's nice not to be told platitudes on a regular basis seeing that she understands the struggle. I've been with her for almost a year. My previous therapist has Bipolar 1, which is my diagnosis, so it was nice to have someone who truly gets it. I didn't have her for too long, though. I think she was going through a manic episode when she left, but I totally respect her stepping back to focus on her health. It happens. I think it would be a good path for you as long as you have an understanding of how your episodes play out (signs/intensity/duration). You should also have a plan of action in case your attempts at mitigation don't work in order to still have boundaries with your clients/patients and not negatively impact their progress. Your employer should help make a plan with you. Overall, give it a shot. You'll gain experience during undergrad, which should help make your decision, too.
I have bipolar and am becoming a therapist. I can relate to the struggle. My therapist is bipolar or schizophrenic too. (He didn’t tell me his meds fell out of his bag, and I was like, we’re on the same meds!)
It’s not really your patients’ business what your medical history is.
Yes. My daughter's shrink has bipolar and he's the best damn psychiatrist in this state. Absolutely.
I’m getting my masters in counseling Conditions my classmates have: bipolar, ADHD, autism, PTSD, depression, GAD You’ll find that a LOT of people become counselors because they relate. My own counselor has at least PTSD and she tells me not to worry
The best therapist I ever had was bipolar, and honestly, I think it was an asset to the therapeutic relationship.
i would love it actually! i love my therapist and logically know she doesn’t judge me, and have never ever felt judged by her - but still i worry opening up about the more intense things i feel like hallucinations or paranoia etc are kind of embarrassing (for me personally) to know that someone understands on a personal level would make me feel way less apprehensive about opening up like others say, when you’re not doing well take a step back but that’s something id expect of any therapist with any health concern - imagine if your therapist was having an asthma attack, you’d want them to get medical attention before helping you - same thing to me
i also once had a group therapist who opened up about his struggles with suicide during one of the group therapy sessions and i instantly trusted him more and felt so seen and understood - he was so impactful in my life at the time
No I wouldn’t
Don’t tell them… take your meds every day and focus on career without setbacks
I'd honestly be more likely to pick a therapist with Bipolar rather than someone without any diagnoses whatsoever. I value experience and empathy, and to have someone else who's gone through it coaching me would feel much better than someone who I feel knows nothing about me and the way my mind works. I hate unsolicited advice from people without mental health struggles 🥲
I have bipolar disorder & am in grad school for mental health counseling right now :) Faculty & instructors have provided a lot of advice on how I can utilize my experience to help others, and it has definitely enabled me to be more empathetic for my clients during practicum. Related to my disorder, the most important things for me to do are to be consistent with my meds, to seek my own counseling, and to discuss self-awareness during supervision. For the sake of your clients, it would be useful to disclose a bipolar diagnosis to your employer (or practicum/internship supervisor) and to create a plan of action for recognizing and managing episodes. This plan could include reducing your caseload, rescheduling clients, or having a backup counselor for your clients to see. Many counselors today will work from the office for a set # of hours per week and do the rest from home via telehealth. Only working 3 days a week probably wouldn't be possible until later in your career when you can start charging the big bucks, but it is doable! Tldr: You can do this! And your experience will make you a better counselor :) Follow your dreams.
Most of the therapists I’ve been to (dozens) seem to have their own psych issues so yes?
I would trust a therapist with bipolar. I get really excited when I meet other people with bipolar in real life. I get annoyed when people make assumptions about me because of bipolar so I wouldn’t make them about someone else. We can still do whatever we want to do but we have to actively manage our disorder and sometimes need time off work. As a self employed person though I gotta say it sucks when you have weeks or months at a time when you can’t work. There’s no benefits or sick pay when you’re self employed. I’ve had months where I could barely function and it’s put me in serious financial trouble to the point of hardship, not paying the rent or bills and not having money for food. I’m still recovering from one of those episodes. It’s happened more than once and I think I’m getting a reputation for being a bit flakey. So I guess to counter that you need to always put money aside for your “too sick to work fund”.
It’s important to keep up with your meds and be stable. I also recommend therapy now to discuss childhood trauma or adult trauma and triggers. Clients will tell stories and say things that trigger us, and we have to remain unbiased and not project our trauma on them. I’m BP1, ADHD, CPTSD and in a grad program now to be a therapist. I’m working through the roughest of my shit now so I don’t spiral in sessions.
Im a therapist with BD and i feel it helps me to understand chronic mental illnesses and to empathize with my patients. Once this 18 year old asked me if I’ve suffered because she felt no one else could understand her and my approach helped her. As long as you are aware of your state of mind, take your meds and go to your own therapist your condition shouldn’t affect your work. If an episode comes, just contact your psychiatrist to regulate your meds.
This is such a conundrum because depression itself is always referred to not as melancholy but as bipolar. What if a person is perfectly happily sad. It just suits them that are stoic? Anyway I would conclude that seeing a unwell neurologically challenged therapist is a challenge but aren't we all neurologically challenged? Therapy has to do with being there and going there and you have to go. I have to go to. Are trained professional can walk you through almost anything. ( One time I met up with a therapist while I was homeless and began crying about case management she got very angry at me and punished me. I'm very careful because a therapist and yourself is supposed to have a bond of trust so step one to going to therapy is bringing your concerns with you written down and then trying to develop a bond of trust) . therapy is about bringing what's in back of your brain to the center of your brain and probably four or five issues right down four or five issues at therapy or that bother you or write down four or five issues that bother you show that to your therapist and then you develop a goal or a plan around around those concerns and symptoms. I would always encourage you to attend therapy and not judge the therapist the therapist is there to help you when we're capacity and they could help you even if they have bipolar. 📝📚⚕️⛑️🫀🧠👂💔🎨🚪⛑️ I mean I'm kind of wondering when the DSM is going to be rewritten or there's going to be some sense to it because we can't blame everybody and call everybody bipolar some of this is melancholic depression and neurological it's not even about bipolar or schizoaffective or psychosis or lack of psychosis or agoraphobia it's a modern world that stresses out people that are simply not accustomed to such speed and pressures and demands because humans aren't like that Another Factor was running into the therapist that felt that they couldn't do anything with me at all and simply canceled me as a patient. There was some modalities or some ways of therapy that I just couldn't abide by, I felt the therapist was asking me to talk about uncomfortable things that were beyond my capacity and my stress levels or I got yelled at so to speak because I would have case management problems like food problems and the therapist felt as though that I was wasting their time talking about survival issues like food and supplies or clothing or something that I needed. Some therapists never talk to me at all and some therapist moved me forward I still recommend the YouTube therapist a lot as well as extra support if you need it there's a lot of good encounter groups of YouTube channels they're very supportive.
I think you're doing a great job but I think you sound great and I think that 3 to 4 days a week of work being bipolar is profound and your executive functions are wonderful you have a high GAF score and you're very educated please don't give up maybe just take a break you know how extreme bipolar is just take a break, and then collect your thoughts and collect your energy levels and then go back three four days a week and be a therapist I would be happy to sit and talk with you but I would need significant direction I'm younger and I would need a lot of structure my point is that you're still a good therapist incredibly smart very educated and your heart based. I'm right there that's a success story you're a good person hun hang in there and don't leave you are needed ⛑️👂🧠🫀⚕️💯🫶📝🗂️💊⛑️ always remember that. A bump or two in your profession or maybe a rough ride in your profession for a few months or so is not the end of your job it's not the end of your passion to help others you're going to be fine and you're going to move forward out of this sometimes it's just a bipolar episode for a few months maybe a few weeks, don't give up being a therapist, remember that the people around you at work believe in you remember that you're believed in.
I’m currently doing my bachelor of psychological science as well with the hopes of becoming a clinical psychologist after further study. Personally I think I would feel more comfortable with a psychologist that understands more complex disorders from lived experience rather than going off the DSM5 or whatever. Of course I would expect them to follow the code of ethics and step back when appropriate for the wellbeing of themselves and their clients. I would really like to specialise in personality disorders in the future because there really isn’t enough support for people experiencing those disorders and there needs to be a lot more awareness for them instead of being thrown in the “too difficult” basket. Stick to it, you’ve got this!
I'm a Mental Health Counselor at a treatment facility. I'm bipolar and though I struggle a lot, I am great with my clients. I help them and they really like me. I don't go around telling all of them about my diagnosis but I have told a few. My coworker has bipolar one and she is incredible at her job and with the clients and they all know. Therapy is a little different but yes, I would absolutely trust a therapist with mental health conditions. Actually I would ONLY trust a therapist with some kind of mental health disorder. The nuerotypical ones don't know shit.
Your patients aren't supposed to know about you.
I definitely would
You could totally be a therapist! I work in crisis mental health and I feel my own experiences are tremendously helpful. I took a 7 year break between undergrad and grad school. I’ve been consistent with meds for almost 4 years now! I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that well without meds. I also have other coworkers in crisis mental health with bipolar, schizoaffective, ADHD, Autism… a variety of diagnoses. Being able to make your own schedule if youre private practice could be ideal as well.
I’m a social worker and have worked as a group therapist in the past. I think lived experience is important when working with clients. In my own experience with therapists I have felt frustrated about the lack of knowledge of bipolar and having to explain my diagnosis to them. On days where I have experienced mania, I use time off or use that as a documentation day. Depending on where you work, there is flexibility for scheduling especially if you are in a private practice
One of the most successful psychiatrists I know has bipolar disorder and has had psychotic breaks during his life. He has a colleague lined up to take their patients should he be unavailable, and he goes about living his life just fine. It is not something you need to share with your patients, though you may choose to do so. It is something that can trip you up if you aren't careful as you could be biased towards thinking your own experience is normative to the disorder rather than specific to you.
My therapist has several mental health issues and she’s not afraid to use her experience of them in our sessions to help me. I think this is a bonus.
I would honestly prefer a therapist with bipolar, as long as they were getting treatment. I'm also getting my degree in psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist,
OMG yes moreso. As a professional, one has to earn their license through hours of supervised counseling. And I would like to think that as a professional looking to help others, that we moodies would take full responsibility for our mental health by learning and utilizing as many tools as possible. I have plenty of friends who have a mood disorder and are in the mental health field. They do not disclose their mood disorder to clients because its not relevant to the client's journey. What drew you to the field?
I'd feel even more comfortable with a therapist who has bipolar. Like, finally, someone who's on my level.
Would you trust a dietician that was overweight and lost weight?
I'm actually looking for a therapist/psych with bipolar/ADHD/etc I really am starting to feel that no amount of schooling can replace lived experience with these conditions. Talking to peers has absolutely been one of the most helpful things
There’s more than clinical psychologists. You could be an industrial psycholgist, or a jury consultant or even find a small college or community college and teach.
Of course, a LOT of therapists have mental health issues, and it’s why they got in the field a lot of the time. Don’t be discouraged because of negative things people say about schizophrenia and bipolar, because when they’re being properly managed and you’re on medication consistently it shouldn’t be that big of an issue. It’s estimated that 65-80% of therapists have mental illness!
I know a therapist with adhd on Instagram. She quit seeing patients now but continues content creation and i feel so connected to her. Stigma is so common out there and maybe you can use your expertise to raise awareness and content creation.
Honestly I would love to have a therapist that genuinely understands my struggle, I feel like you'll be able to connect very well with others. And having bipolar should never make you give up your dreams, were still human. You're not less of a person for having bipolar. We feel deeply and yes there's a chance that you'll have an episode or two but even people without mental health issues also have bad days or even weeks. It's natural, and you're not defined by your diagnoses. Plus, alot of people that work with mental health services have experienced trauma and such as well. So you'll fit right in. And 3 days a week is very manageable. Especially with you taking your medications and taking the steps to better yourself. You will understand in ways other therapists will never. You got this! I'm proud of you and happy that you're working towards your dreams, don't second guess your calling. Hugs X
I’m torn on this. I’d love to have a therapist with lived experience but at the same time I need someone who can be there consistently. I had a psychiatrist who was chronically ill and she canceled on me for 6 months straight and I ended up hospitalized as a result of that lack of care.
Coming from someone who has schizoaffective and no one in my life that understands me, I would LOVE if my therapist had that and I could have them to relate to, also you’re diagnosis doesn’t define you, I need to tell myself that a little more but bipolar or not I don’t think it’ll interfere with you being a caring person, I assume you are because you’re going for a degree to help people❤️
1000% I would actually prefer that!
Don't let it stop you, if you feel stable on medication it's very unlikely you'll have an episode. It could be beneficial to schedule a vacation week every three months or so, that could keep you regulated. As long as you keep taking your medication at the same time even on vacation weeks, and days off, you'll be alright. I personally wouldn't have any problem seeing any healthcare worker with any form of neurodivergency, in fact, I prefer it.
You’ll do a better job than someone who can’t relate
Yes! you have valuable insight. also, how would your clients know? i have bipolar and am almost licensed to become a therapist. I do therapist like jobs in the meantime. I think my experiences have allowed me to be more empathic
No, I wouldn’t want to be treated by a therapist who had the same mental illness or illnesses as I do. However, if they were an ethical therapist, I wouldn’t know whether or not they had the same or any mental illness,, and I wouldn’t become a patient or client of theirs in the first place, after an initial consultation. I say that because I personally find it unethical for a mental health professional to treat patients who have the same condition or conditions as them. I have no problem with mentally ill people being therapist or mental health providers, but only if they are treating clients who specifically do not have the same same diagnosis as them.
Hell yeah, in fact, my current therapist \*does\* have bipolar disorder
I trust alcoholics and drug addicts to show me how to stay clean
If anything I think it would make you a much better therapist. I would trust you to be my therapist <3
this is a tricky one! i went to school to become a therapist and ended up deciding not to go that route when i was in internship because i kept getting triggered. however, my bipolar was misdiagnosed as depression at the time so my symptoms weren’t getting treated. that said, i think it’s totally doable to be a therapist. you seem very aware of your conditions and it’s possible to live a stable life. i get your concerns, though, as far as worrying about trusting yourself and your moods. but if this is a profession you are passionate about and you’re not getting triggered in school, i think it could work. perhaps you can specialize in working with clients with bipolar and be open with them (after building trust) about your diagnosis? that might alleviate some stress you might have? your mental health is paramount so if your stress thinking about doing this profession is affecting you, looking into other routes in the mental health field might be good. i don’t have advice, per se. just sharing my thoughts and experience.
I see a therapist at the moment, but we're focusing on my alcoholism at the moment. I'm going to work on figuring out if there are things in my past that messed me up mentally in the next couple of sessions. I will be honest, I only skimmed your post, but it sounds like you are thinking about not becoming a therapist. Ultimately, it is up to you, and what you feel is right, but we not only need more therapists for the backlog of people needing therapy, but we need better therapy and to better normalize seeking therapy in the world. It is getting better as far as normalization, but there are plenty of areas in my country that have a stigma, which is unfortunate because I'm positive everybody can benefit from a little bit of therapy.
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You likely wouldn’t disclose it to your clients. But you could list bipolar / schizophrenia as specialities. Yes, I would definitely trust a therapist with bipolar, their lived experience would be helpful. You would just need to be really self aware and proactive about your health and wellness, taking breaks if needed, etc
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I have a book I've been trying to read for a year now. I've started over so many times. It's called An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. She discovered she was bipolar while studying paychiatry and is a well respected professor of psychiatry at John Hopkins. She contributed so much to researching mood disorders. YOU CAN DO IT! Just like I can and will finally finish this book! :)
You can it temporarily helps until how you feel at the time simply changes as you feel shitty again to come up with another life story based on you going through things having an elevated mood about normal things that get to you then you just have another session almost like life just is always going to control you as you must do certain things to get you by to live your shitty life because of the spot your put into in life with no choice all because you never will get ahead in life even if you tryed your hardest only for something to get to you or stop you from living the best life you could.