Living With Bipolar Disorder: Michelle Yang on Stigma, Resilience, and Mental Health Advocacy

What does it take to move from struggling in silence to becoming a mental health advocate?

In this candid episode, writer and advocate Michelle Yang shares her powerful journey of living with bipolar I disorder, from being overlooked as a high-achieving student to experiencing a life-threatening manic episode while studying abroad.

Michelle opens up about her delayed diagnosis, the stigma that kept her silent for years, and the turning point when she realized hiding her condition only reinforced shame. Today, she is a proud advocate, helping others see that life with bipolar disorder can be full, successful, and joyful.

Hosts Terry and Dr. Anita Sanz guide the conversation, exploring what it means to challenge stereotypes, balance treatment, and embrace authenticity while living with a serious mental health condition.

This episode is both eye-opening and deeply validating—reminding us that mental illness does not define us.

Link to Michelle's Blog: www.livingwellhappily.com/

Primary Topics Covered:

• Michelle’s childhood pressures as a first-generation immigrant student
• Why good grades and achievements often mask serious mental health struggles
• Her first major depressive and manic episodes during college abroad
• Receiving a bipolar I diagnosis after years of being misdiagnosed
• The importance of taking a break from school and finding the right treatment
• Returning to school, graduating with distinction, and building a career
• How stigma and secrecy limited her confidence and opportunities at work
• The turning point: choosing to “come out” about her diagnosis
• Challenging myths about bipolar disorder and treatment
• Why lived-experience stories are essential to changing stigma

Timestamps

00:11 Introduction and welcome
 01:10 Michelle Yang’s immigrant childhood and early responsibilities
 01:56 Mental health struggles overlooked due to grades and achievement
 03:19 “Good grades ≠ good mental health” — Michelle’s advocacy message
 04:15 First major depressive episode and study abroad struggles
 05:18 Pressure from her father and a triggering manic episode in Beijing
 06:59 Crisis leads to hospitalization and first bipolar diagnosis
 08:52 The importance of therapy and taking a break from school
 09:33 Returning to school, graduating with honors, and pursuing an MBA
 10:17 Building a career while hiding her diagnosis out of fear of stigma
 11:10 The personal and professional costs of keeping bipolar a secret
 11:18 Challenging misconceptions about bipolar disorder and treatment
 12:54 Recognizing the difference between untreated and treated illness
 13:12 “Like sucking in your gut for 20 years” — her metaphor for hiding
 13:19 Choosing authenticity and becoming a mental health advocate
 14:30 Living a full life: mother, professional, and person with bipolar
 15:11 Why advocacy matters: breaking silence and stigma
 16:53 Stigma persists because we only see people in crisis, not in recovery
 17:55 Michelle’s forthcoming memoir: Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian Girl With Bipolar Found Love (2024)
18:38 Closing reflections and reminders for listeners

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/