Where do I begin?

Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was totally surprised. I went through the variable stages of shock, disbelief, fear, and confusion.

Who, me?, I asked myself.

I was 23 and at the height of my career, but I had just broken up with my live-in boyfriend. I packed all of my belongings and moved back in with parents. Between the break-up and my demanding career I was an emotional wreck.

I broke down.

My mother found me in my room, crying my heart out. It was all just too much to bear. She noticed that I was acting differently and wasn't coherent, so she immediately took me to the hospital. My mother had no idea what was happening, and I definitely didn't know that from that day forward, my life would be changed forever. I was checked into a behavioral center for one week.

This would be the first of many episodes.