Learning How to Live After a Mental Illness

How does one look for inspiration in terms of what to do with their life, if they themselves have spent nearly the last decade, experiencing turbulence with their mental health?

In 2018, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type II, and predominantly experienced severe depression along with some hypomania. My psychiatrist noted that I endured both rapid cycling, and mixed episodes - which consisted of the two states alternating rather quickly, or happening simultaneously at once.

For many years, I suffered with this condition, switching between about 14 different medications during that period of time, before I finally found a combination that worked, during the summer of 2025.

Now that I’ve been stable for over half a year, I’m rediscovering myself, and what it means to live and not just survive.

Alongside my medication, my mentality has shifted as well, pertaining to certain stressors that probably made my condition worse.

For instance, the non-profit sector in which I was working in from about 2021 - 2025, involved instances of crisis intervention and suicide prevention skills, on top of an already stressful workload. Imagine having a caseload of 228 clients by yourself, to tend to over the same period of time. Total insanity.

Given those circumstances, I’d say that despite everything that I was going through with my mental health, I was still considered pretty high-functioning, for the most part.

That being said, I am happy to say that for my job hunt in 2026, I am looking to adjust the field in which I work. Aiming to utilize my transferable skills, into an administrative/customer service and data entry role. Something where I can still make a difference in brightening someone’s day, but on a lower scale, with a lesser cost to my own wellbeing.

In contrast to rebuilding my career and doing the things which I need to do, I’ve been trying to figure out what it is that I genuinely want to do. When you have major depression, you tend to become apathetic and lose interest in a lot of activities or hobbies that you once used to enjoy.

Since becoming stable, I’ve dabbled in those areas, such as the occasional gaming, or watching of a Netflix show or Youtube video. Even recreating a Youtube Channel myself. However, most of the time, I find it hard to sit still and do nothing.

My brain enjoys productivity, and using my time effectively. Thus I’ve dabbled in making digital products, as seen on my etsy and ko-fi shops. I’ve also begun writing for this blog, and I even tried hand sewing for the first time in ages.

Yet, despite the things that I could be doing for myself, I am constantly reverting to things I need to do to survive. Cooking and preparing food for the week, or portioning it out and freezing it for the future. Cleaning my home and doing chores daily to keep up with it as much as I can.

I think that my body and mind hasn’t adjusted to the fact that I’m “okay” now. That I’m no longer in a state of fight or flight. That I’m safe, content with existing, and that I need to figure out how to live.

For many days, I’ve been struggling with the boredom from having excessive time on my hands and nothing to do. I decided today that I would enroll in a complimentary, beginner-friendly reformer pilates class, for the following day, to see if that is something that I would like to do on a regular basis.

Despite wanting to improve my stamina and overall fitness, I find it funny that that’s what my mind gravitates to when feeling out of options. It’s never in the ways that I can “relax” or feel “calm”. It’s always in the way that I can be active, I guess, to expend all this energy inside.

For now, that’s my update, where I’m currently at. I’m sure that as my journey evolves, I’ll write more and post about it. But for now, I simply thank you for reading.

If you yourself are someone who’s been in a similar position as me, what are some things you’ve learned in terms of re-adjusting to life after struggling with a mental illness?

Please consider liking my article, or checking out my shops which I aforementioned.

With much love,

KlaraK.