top of page

The Greatness of a Bipolar Mind

Writer's picture: Eric DuganEric Dugan

Updated: Jul 7, 2022

In 2003, I had my first mania that was both traumatic and spiritual. From that day forward, I began a journey of discovering myself and training my mind to overcome the negatives while lifting up the positives that come with a Bipolar mind. I am where I am today because of how I approached my diagnosis.


This poem touches on my belief on mental illness, including the link to spirituality and art. If you enjoyed the read, go to bottom of page to click like or comment. To get notified of future post, click subscribe at the end of the poem.


My mind is my gift,

but they define me as manic depressant

or Bipolar

I am told I have a disorder

That I am ill

That I am less than

Not equal too

Not as good as


They say my mind comes with

Restlessness

Rapid Speech

Poor concentration

Unrealistic goals

Grandiose thoughts

Hallucinations

Sadness

Hopelessness

or Suicidal thoughts


With this list

How does one remain hopeful?

How does one become positive?

If I listen to what they say I am,

I will fight to merely exist

Exist like the millions that rot in

group homes or day programs

Exist like the millions that survive in

psych wards

or worse, I will cease to exist

If I listen to them, they will profit

while my genius stays tucked away


My gift will be lost in a large sea of labels

Society will knock me down with uppercuts more wicked than Mike Tyson

How do I even get up off the canvas if I listen to them?

If I am told that I am ill

Told that I am less than

Not equal too

Not as good as


Nowhere in their manual can I find the benefits of my mind

But I know better than to listen to them


My mind has elevated

beyond the comprehension of the ones labeled normal

I am not ill

My gift from God is my mind

The same one that they call ill

It's Ironic, isn't it?


If you want to get in touch with God,

get in touch with the diagnosed

Spend a day looking past their madness

& instead towards their messages


If you want to get in touch with God,

get in touch with creative minds that

often are diagnosed as ill

God speaks through them

Whether it is paintings, poems,

a musical masterpiece

or any other art form

People are in awe then go home to judge

the very same minds that created the art

It's ironic, isn't it?


They do not recognize who we are

We, the diagnosed, come from a long bloodline

We are the ones who have broken free

We see the meaning behind the curtain

We, the diagnosed, are the teachers


Let us remind you like a

Beethoven composition

or an Ernest Hemmingway novel

Let us help you Travel inside the mind of Isaac Newton

or witness a Vincent Van Gogh masterpiece


Let us paint the pictures that your mind cannot

Let us help you travel to a spiritual world

Expose you to something more beautiful

More grand

A world more like us


We are not less than but more than

We see, feel and hear what others cannot

We are creative genius that are admired for one thing

while judged for another thing

Our minds are not ill


You should know

It is impossible to reap the benefits of the mind

without the struggles of the mind


Like Yin and yang

We are brilliance and insanity

Creative and destructive

We are the uniqueness that existed before time

We feel pain that this existence

has been left behind

Sometimes this hurt gets the best of us but with the right mindset,

we become the greatness that are minds were designed to be

If only we do not believe what they told us, we are supposed to be


Go to bottom of page to like or comment











217 views4 comments

4 Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
teresa
Jul 07, 2022

Wow, what a profound poem Eric. Knowing others around me who suffer from mental illness the words in this piece can give them the hopeful feeling that they are not alone and can rise through and above what they are going through. Thank you for shining your light and journey for others.🙏🏼❤️

Like
Eric Dugan
Eric Dugan
Jul 08, 2022
Replying to

Thank you! I hope my words can make a difference for others!

Like

anita.mirage
Jul 07, 2022

Eric an absolutely profound, beautiful and brave poem. One that needs to be read by all 🙏🏽

Like
Eric Dugan
Eric Dugan
Jul 08, 2022
Replying to

Thank you!

Like
bottom of page