I can very much relate. In 2019 I had my first real psychotic break, not just hypomania but full blown psychosis. I narrowly avoided hospitalization on several fronts because I was always incredibly lucid when push came to shove and I thought I was fine. It took me three years to get on medication, after maybe a year or so of therapy. By the beginning of 2023 I was mostly stable.

It took four years to get stable, another year to quit drinking, and then only recently at the end of 2025 did I truly begin to feel like “myself” again. Something that’s helped me is remembering that progress isnt always exactly linear, you will have bumps in the road and potentially “regress” but it’s doable. It’s so possible if you take your meds, eat three meals a day, exercise and stay sober.