In this reflection from a Courage Circle conversation, I open up about the realities of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the middle of a high-stakes career. What followed wasn’t just recovery—it was reckoning with shame, workplace stigma, and learning to advocate for myself and others.

My crash was a wake-up call. In this chapter, I reflect on hitting rock bottom, what I learned, and how I rebuilt my life with a new understanding of mental health.