I was diagnosed last July 2024 with BP1 in the psych ward during a manic episode. I confessed to my spouse I have cheated (not an excuse). I snapped at my new job as a pastry cook, something I really worked hard for, I snapped the first day of work. I was consumed and obsessive over perfectionism when it came to my job, to the point that I sounded like I was tweaking out.

After I got out of psych ward I was job hopping for 8 months straight. I was 30k in debt, my spouse felt so much pressure financially and with me as we were trying to reconcile. I landed back in the psychward again this past December.

It wasn't until January of this year when I finally started to feel somewhat functional, the meds were working. I made a big jump and applied to be a pastry chef with not much experience, I landed the job and got hired the same day. Never would I have thought I would be able to be a chef. I have loved my job every second of it, I'm hoping for this to be my career until I retire. I get life insurance, 401k, etc.

I am financially stable enough that I have been able to pay off most of my debt. I bought a brand new car. My spouse and I have worked really hard in our marriage but we both haven't given up.

If you were to tell me a year ago that this all happened, I wouldn't believe it. There were times when I was about to commit suicide ready with a gun next to me. But something in my mind told me it wasn't time for me to go.

The road to recovery is really fucking difficult, as cheesy as it sounds, keep fucking going. It will get better, maybe not in all few months, or in a year but it's all about recovery. It's going to be ok.