How living with bipolar disorder inspired her to shatter the stigma around mental illness with Paris Prynkiewicz

Living with bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses can seem isolating and miserable because of fear of judgment. But Paris Prynkiewicz is working to shatter the stigma so that people can share their diagnoses and live with gratitude and joy while building healthy lifestyles. While living with bipolar disorder has been more than challenging, Paris Prynkiewicz has found gratitude and courage to share her journey to help shatter the stigma around mental illness and help others navigate it. Why do things happen Robyn emphasized her belief that everything we go through happens for a reason, for us to then help others navigate similar circumstances. The Stigma Around Mental Health Mental health is a disease state like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes are disease states. When people are diagnosed with any of the latter others tend to be compassionate and feel bad for them. But when people are diagnosed with mental health challenges, there are often stereotypes, they are weird, strange, or crazy. As a result people often have to navigate their diagnosis alone. Robyn mentioned that she is an advocate for the homeless population and so many of them are homeless as a result of mental illness. Shattering the stigma around mental illness is why Paris started her show and wrote her book. Paris discovered that if we are willing to be vulnerable, we will become more comfortable talking about mental health. Accepting vulnerability allows you to share your stories and connect with others, which will help you heal. Often people who have a mental health diagnosis are afraid to share the diagnosis because they don't want to be judged. Therefore, they live behind a mask, a facade. Paris did this, and the result is a crash and burn because of neglect of emotions. Many times the root of this is trauma. Recognizing the need for help It is important to recognize the triggers. Without a diagnosis, people are often confused about why they are feeling this way, and because of fear of stigma and they don't get help. You need to be your own advocate for healthcare. Because mental health benefits are always less than other health benefits, there is a more significant risk of not getting the help needed.  The lack of benefits lends to more stigmatization because people don't see it as important. Robyn emphasized that there is nothing to be ashamed of when you have a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. But it is important to be your own advocate and get the help needed to navigate it. Read the full show notes and access all links.  Navigating mental health doesn't have to be isolating and miserable. We are here for you. To start developing healthy habits for a healthy mind, download this free eBook today here.