A shared lived experience of a psychologist battling a mental health crisis

This article is a combined 1st-person narrative of a mental health professional with a mental illness, referred to as a prosumer, and her psychologist friend who stood by her during her 1st manic episode with psychosis. Challenges prosumers face are highlighted. These include stigma, questions about the impact of illness on ability to work in the field, and the choice of whether to disclose about the illness and to whom. Disclosures about lived experience within public settings, outside of the therapy room, are encouraged for several reasons. Visibility can reinforce recovery, promote understanding and accurate empathy, encourage help-seeking behavior, destigmatize mental illness, and reinforce the development of trustworthy and credible supports. This frank and detailed narrative provides an example of a psychologist with bipolar disorder who, with support and active treatment, bravely overcame a mental health crisis and returned to wellness and contribution to the mental health field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).