This December will mark 10 years since my hospitalization, where I received my diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder.
With this in mind, I am always thinking of what I needed to hear back then and even on the journey to get to where I am now (still always learning).
A beautiful person who embodies everything I wish I knew all those years ago is this week’s guest in episode 202, Ginelle Testa.
“I made homes in behaviors, substances, and people instead of in myself.
And I tried to seek comfort and meaning and value and worth in other places.
And then I learned to find that within myself.”
Just as Ginelle describes, she made homes in things that did not serve her. She speaks about the impact of this inside her upcoming memoir, Make a Home Out of You.
The reason I wanted to share Ginelle’s story is for you to hear from another person living with bipolar who has overcome the obstacles so many of us faced or still do.
Topics we explore:
Ginelle’s experience with 7 hospitalizations and ECT
The role sobriety played for Ginelle and hitting 10 years of sobriety!
How hypersexuality fueled the fire and where it stemmed from
The path to writing her book and the moment she knew she had to tell her story
Small ways we can recognize our own worth and forgive ourselves
Stay connected with Ginelle here!
This is a great episode if you have ever struggled with feeling like you are not enough. It was my honor to bring it to you to keep the conversation going to end shame around these topics.
Have you ever struggled with finding comfort and value within yourself rather than external sources?
This line here is so powerful "I made homes in behaviors, substances, and people instead of in myself."