My first post #introduceyourself

         Hey everyone, 

          I am new to Steemit (was introduced by @riggsyfort) and was excited by the supportive community aspect of it. I am still learning how to use Steemit, but I figured what better way to get my feet wet than to make a post. I wrote this a couple months ago as a personal statement and figured with some edits it was a good way to introduce myself. Any feedback would be much appreciated:

      My manic episodes became destructive once I turned 16, which coincided with getting a driver’s license. Unfortunately, I did not understand the source of my obsession with reckless driving, as I was not yet diagnosed. On May 24th, 2004, one year after getting my license, I plowed into a tree at excessive speeds with my friends in the car. I was hospitalized and could not walk for four months. I was the first one that returned home since my friends’ injuries were even worse, which left me with survivor’s guilt and PTSD, leading to a deep depression. I knew something was wrong, but I felt I deserved it because of what I had done, so I never sought out treatment or asked for help.  

      This guilt generated several manic and depressive episodes during my years at UC Irvine and led to withdrawing for an academic quarter in 2006, as well as contributing to a misdemeanor DUI in 2008 when I felt ‘invincible.’ It was not until I graduated in 2009 that I went on such an extreme manic episode I ended up on a 5150 hold in a psych ward for 72 hours. It was then at the age of 23 that I was diagnosed with bipolar type I disorder. I received medication and had therapy, yet was in denial that I had a problem, so I never did it consistently. I was able to get myself together and stay functional without a treatment plan, and landed a job teaching English in Japan. Bringing medication with me and keeping up with therapy was the last thing on my mind. I did well for the first year, but once I had a manic episode, I got into a fight and ended up in jail for 22 days. Being locked up abroad without a way to contact my family or friends left a severe impression on my mind. 

       My perceived failure in Japan led to another depressive episode when I came back home to California, culminating with a suicide attempt and subsequent 5150 72-hour hold in a psych ward. After I got out of the psych ward, I just wanted to get out of the country again, so I moved to Vietnam. As a developing country, Vietnam’s institutions are not as effective as the U.S. or Japan. I was on one of the longest manic episodes of my life out there, as there were no real institutions to be confined to. I was free to do whatever I wanted, descending on a path of self-destruction. What changed my life was when my soulmate that I had met in my first month in Vietnam (now my wife) told me she was pregnant. I realized that even if I had no desire to take care of myself; I was now responsible for a new life. This meant I would have to stick to a treatment plan of medication and therapy. As there is a lack of mental health professionals in Vietnam, I decided it was best to move my new family to the U.S. and start a new life.   

        It was around the same time that I reconnected with an old friend I had grown up with in Ohio. He told me how he had been in prison longer than he had been out since we last met. He told me that he was also diagnosed as bipolar, and had received help in prison. The psychologist he worked with while in the prison motivated him to get on medication to treat his disorder, with sobriety, with gaining skills to perform a legitimate job, and with parenting skills. This sparked something within me, as I was reminded of my jail time in Japan. Being able to relate to some of my friend’s struggles and hearing about how he had received help when he was at his lowest inspired me to work in the field of psychology. I felt like I could help myself while helping others.  

        After returning to California, I got on medication and started regularly seeing a therapist. Once I gained some stability, my first job back was as a behavior therapist working with kids on the autism spectrum. It was healing for me to help those who were in need, and I wanted to learn more about psychology so I could better understand my clients, and also myself. Although I enjoyed behavior therapy, I decided not to pursue my BCBA, I wanted to follow my heart to become a therapist. I started working for Lyft/Uber so I could take psychology classes at my local community college to prepare myself for a master’s program in Clinical Psychology.   

         That’s where I’m at in life and I’m hoping to become a part of the Steemit community. I do not know exactly what I’ll be doing here, but given my story, if you have any suggestions of things to follow I would be grateful. Thanks for reading! Below is a picture of me and my family during Lunar New Year: