I’m using my mind and my thoughts, to deal with bipolar. One day I hope I can reach out to young people out there in time, so they don’t have to go through what I went through. This was written when I was about 21. Now I’m 28 ? living, learning and helping.

When I was growing up, my life was a real living roller coaster ride. Between 2000 and 2003 I went through some high times, but an awful lot of sad, dark, bad days which, at the time, would never end. I hope the youth of today don’t have to go through or see what I went through ? it?s not nice at all! It?s like I got put in a washing machine in 2000 and came out in 2003, a new clean honest young man, with dreams, friends, and most of all, hope.

If you can’t dream of better days, it’s hard to get up, face the world and walk down the street with a big fat smile on your face, pride and joy in your heart, and your head held high. Why, I say, did I have to be given a mental illness!
It?s hard for me sometimes to feel love and sadness for people. Did they get locked up in square rooms with a single bed for days, pumped full of drugs which are meant to help, when all they do is make you sleep, or even worse, you lose all sight of who you are?!

People say they’ve been on mad drugs, most of those people wouldn’t know what?s mad. I’ve taken so many pills it?s crazy – blue, purple, green, white, big and small, round and oval, fluid. I’ve had all these and more. Do they help? Yes and no.

What helped me the most, were smiling happy faces who didn’t judge me. I guess I’m lucky. I didn’t realise how many friends I had who stood by me, helped me and who always were there for me.

Love, life, hope, heart, like, hurt, freedom, destiny – these are only words on paper. Used right – in songs, poems, letters, speeches – these words can empower people to greatness. Used in the wrong way, they can destroy a person. Think hard before you say what you’re going to!