Historia de superación: vivir con un trastorno bipolar

Abstract

Abstract (A self-improvement story: living with bipolar disorder) Bipolar disorder is a severe, chronic mental disorder. In most cases, it can disable the patient in his/her daily tasks, arouses important social stigma, which makes the patient feel ashamed of his/her illness. This study is intended to make visible the meaning of this pathology for those people who suffer from it. For this, the biographical essay has been used. An in-depth interview has been conducted to a male patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His personal strength, his spirit of self-improvement and his skills of reflection have made him overcome his illness in spite of the arisen difficulties. He has even succeeded in founding an association for mental-health patients. During his interview, he expounds social stigma patients with mental disorders are exposed to, the difficulties - although it is not impossible to overcome the disease - how he feels, his memories from his childhood and adolescence and how they affected him to develop the disease. As the informant explains, it is important that professionals are aware of the needs and lacks patients and their families have to face up to during care in the health service.