"The problem is not that we are mentally ill; the problem is that we experience 150 percent of what 'normal' people do and we are frustrated that we have not yet learned how to handle it."
- The Depression Advantage1
After writing this book for several months while in a very deep depression, I find myself in a mania triggered by the excitement of nearing completion. Enjoying the grandiosity, I find myself contemplating what the world will be like when enough people share the perspective of Bipolar In Order.
Imagine if The Juilliard School had the insight to recognize Nathaniel Ayers' condition before he lost control, and the wisdom to match him with a peer that had the condition "in order." Steve Lopez would have had to use his genius on another subject, and the world would be deprived of a masterpiece of both writing2and cinema,3 but what could Nathaniel have become?
It is not too late for Nathaniel or many others that were left behind by the culture of low expectations in current recovery models. Now we can see depression, mania, hallucination, and delusion from a different perspective. What of the millions of people who's diagnosis can be the beginning of a life of greatness? Instead of having to unlearn negative beliefs and fears that are deeply imbedded in the current paradigm of mental illness, they could begin on a path to understanding and power over their conditions right away.
It will take time to create this paradigm shift, but it has already begun. The ideas in this book seem radical, but from my perspective they are so obvious that it is only a matter of persuading more people to try. We are actually a lot further along than one might think. It is encouraging that mental health professionals, therapists, and families everywhere have found the goals presented here and in my talks to be logical and attainable.
Thousands of people have already accepted the value of Insight, Freedom, Stability, Self-Mastery, and Equanimity. Many have contacted us with their stories of success on the path to Bipolar In Order. What we need most is for you to make the effort to get your own life "in order." Whether you have a mental condition, or are a therapist, psychiatrist, or family member, changing the status quo in mental health is a goal worth striving for.
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