Out of Stigma’s Shadow: Zach’s Story

“I didn’t fully grasp what was happening to me.” 

“My intuition was, ‘This is not right.’” 

“I’m still here to tell the story.” 

For Zach, an SSRI prescription had an unexpected outcome: He stopped sleeping and careened into manic bouts. After a psychotic episode that resulted in an inpatient hospitalization, Zach was given a diagnosis of bipolar. Today, he adheres to a careful regimen of medications that keep him focused and stable.