No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War

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No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War

by Hiroo Onoda

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1446 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	226 pages

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In 1988, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was 22 years old and had just finished college. I had a promising career ahead of me, but my illness would soon derail my life.

Over the next three decades, I would battle depression, mania, and psychosis. I would spend time in mental hospitals, lose jobs, and alienate friends and family. But through it all, I never gave up hope.

This is my story. It is a story of pain, but also of hope. It is a story of surrender, but also of fighting back. It is a story of madness, but also of survival.

The Early Years

I grew up in a loving home with supportive parents. I was a bright child and did well in school. But from a young age, I also struggled with anxiety and depression.

When I was 15, I had my first major depressive episode. I stopped going to school and spent most of my time in bed. I felt worthless and hopeless. I thought about suicide every day.

My parents took me to a therapist, who diagnosed me with depression and prescribed me medication. The medication helped, and I was able to finish high school and go on to college.

College and the Onset of Bipolar Disorder

In college, I started to experience episodes of mania. I would stay up all night, talking a mile a minute and making grandiose plans. I felt invincible and unstoppable.

At first, I enjoyed the mania. It made me feel creative and productive. But soon, the episodes started to get out of control. I would spend money I didn't have, start projects I couldn't finish, and make impulsive decisions that would have serious consequences.

In 1988, after a particularly severe manic episode, I was hospitalized for the first time. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed mood stabilizers.

The Long Battle

Over the next three decades, I would battle bipolar disorder with varying degrees of success. I would have periods of stability, but I would also have periods of severe depression and mania.

I lost jobs, I alienated friends and family, and I spent time in mental hospitals. But through it all, I never gave up hope.

I learned to manage my illness with medication, therapy, and self-help strategies. I also learned to accept my illness and to find meaning and purpose in my life.

The Turning Point

In 2010, I had a major depressive episode that lasted for several months. I was unable to work or take care of myself. I was suicidal and thought about ending my life every day.

Finally, I reached out for help. I went to the hospital and was admitted to the psychiatric ward. After a few weeks of treatment, I started to feel better.

This hospitalization was a turning point in my life. I realized that I could not continue to live with my illness untreated. I committed myself to getting better, and I have been stable ever since.

Life After Bipolar

I am now 56 years old and have been living with bipolar disorder for 30 years. I am grateful to be alive and to have found a way to manage my illness.

I have a job that I love, I have a supportive family and friends, and I am actively involved in my community. I am also a writer and public speaker, and I share my story to help others who are struggling with mental illness.

I know that bipolar disorder will always be a part of my life, but it does not define me. I am more than my illness. I am a survivor.

No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War is a story of hope and survival. It is a story that shows that even in the darkest of times, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

If you are struggling with mental illness, please know that you are not alone. There is help available, and you can get better. Never give up hope.

No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War

by Hiroo Onoda

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1446 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	226 pages

FREE