Editorial: Living Out Loud With Bipolar Disorder and OCD — And Why Mental Health Awareness Month Matters

By Michele L Weichman
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“This month — and every month — I choose to speak up, not in bitterness, but in hope. Because if even one person sees this and feels less alone, then my story is worth telling.” (Source photo by Michele L Weichman)

I have lived with mental illness for as long as I can remember, though I didn’t have the words to describe it when I was a child. I just knew I felt things more deeply than others, that my thoughts often looped in endless patterns I couldn’t shut off, and that I moved between states of hyper-enthusiasm and exhaustion that made everyday life unpredictable. But it wasn’t until I got clean and sober at the age of 30 that I finally received an official diagnosis: bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

That moment, though painful, was a turning point. It gave a name to what I had been living with for decades, silently and often in shame. But before I found understanding, I endured years of confusion, emotional upheaval, and, at times, despair.

Growing up in the 1980s, mental illness was barely acknowledged, let alone discussed. The idea that a child could have a legitimate psychiatric condition was foreign, and I was often labeled as overly sensitive, dramatic, or simply “too much.” My mother was a single parent doing the best she could, but like many families at that time, she didn’t have the tools or language to understand what was really going on. There was no access to therapy, no school counselor with mental health training, no safe space to say, “I’m not okay.”

I share this now because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and stories like mine still happen far too often. While we’ve made progress in destigmatizing mental illness, we have a long way to go — especially when it comes to institutional accountability and societal empathy.

I was most recently reminded of this when I faced discrimination at my last place of employment — an educational institution that claimed to stand for equity and inclusivity. After being hospitalized due to a medication crisis — an overdose caused by being overmedicated by a former psychiatrist — I became the target of rumors and harmful speculation. Even though I had never experienced an episode at work, people whispered that I was “unhinged.” Their words, fueled by ignorance and fear, spread quickly across the island. The toxic environment forced me to resign, not because I couldn’t do my job, but because I was no longer safe there.

The trauma of that experience still lingers. It’s a betrayal that cuts deep, especially because I have never hidden my mental health conditions. I’ve always been open, not because I owe anyone an explanation, but because I believe there is strength in vulnerability. I speak openly in the hope that others who are struggling will see themselves in my story and know that they are not alone.

Mental illness is not a moral failing. It is not a lack of willpower or a character flaw. It is a health condition, just like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. The difference is that it’s invisible, and because of that, it’s often misunderstood or dismissed. We don’t tell someone with a broken leg to just “walk it off,” but we still tell people with depression to “cheer up” or those with anxiety to “relax.” We need to stop.

Bipolar disorder and OCD have certainly challenged me, but they have also shaped me in powerful ways. They’ve given me empathy, insight, creativity, and resilience. I know how to rebuild myself. I know how to sit with people in pain. And I know how to fight for those whose voices are often silenced or ignored.

To those who may be reading this with discomfort, confusion, or even skepticism, I urge you: educate yourself. Ask questions. Be willing to learn. And most importantly, listen. Mental illness is far more common than you think. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year. That means someone you love — maybe even you — knows exactly what I’m talking about.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s do more than just post a graphic or wear a ribbon. Let’s check in on our friends — the ones who seem to be struggling and especially the ones who seem “fine.” Because often, those of us who appear the strongest are the ones hiding the most pain. We become experts at masking because we’ve learned that being open can come with harsh consequences.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I dream of a world where people with mental illness are treated with compassion, not suspicion. Where we don’t have to choose between our health and our careers. Where institutions live up to their values and create truly inclusive spaces. Where a person like me doesn’t have to resign to protect her dignity.

We are not broken. We are not “crazy.” We are human beings living with an illness. And like anyone else, we deserve love, dignity, safety, and respect.

This month — and every month — I choose to speak up, not in bitterness, but in hope. Because if even one person sees this and feels less alone, then my story is worth telling.

Let’s end the stigma. Let’s lead with empathy. And let’s remind each other that mental health is health.

— Michele L Weichman is a longtime St. Thomas resident, business owner, educator, writer, advocacy worker, mentor and the main editor for the Source. 

Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com. 

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National Mental Health Resources

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

  • 988 (Call or text 24/7)
  • 988lifeline.org
    Free and confidential support for people in distress.

National Alliance on Mental Illness 

  • 800-950-NAMI (6264)
  • nami.org
    Education, advocacy, support groups for individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Crisis Text Line

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

  • 800-662-HELP (4357)
  • samhsa.gov
    National helpline for mental health and substance use treatment referrals.

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth)

  • 1-866-488-7386
  • Text START to 678678
  • thetrevorproject.org
    24/7 crisis support and resources for LGBTQ+ youth.

Veterans Crisis Line

U.S. Virgin Islands Local Resources

V.I. Health Department – Behavioral Health Services

  • St. Thomas-St. John district: 340-774-9000
  • St. Croix district: 340-718-1311
  • doh.vi.gov
    Outpatient mental health services, case management, and crisis response.

Frederiksted Health Care, Inc. – Behavioral Health

  • 516 Strand Street, Frederiksted, St. Croix
  • 340-772-0260
  • http://fhc-inc.net/
    Offers therapy, psychiatric evaluations, and substance abuse services.

East End Medical Center Corporation – Behavioral Health

  • 4605 Tutu Park Mall, St. Thomas
  • 340-775-3700
  • https://steemcc.org/savant/
    Comprehensive medical and behavioral health services on St. Thomas.

Private Mental Health Providers

Local Peer Support & Recovery

AA – U.S. Virgin Islands