Time takes a toll on everyone’s mental sharpness, but with bipolar disorder, it’s different. It’s not just the highs and lows that wear you down, the medications do too. Sometimes, the sedation is so strong that even speaking becomes a challenge.

It’s frustrating to stand in front of someone and struggle to find the words. To pause because your voice won’t respond, to feel it tremble or break, to stutter without control. It’s not a lack of thoughts, it’s the weight of a necessary treatment. And even if no one notices, we carry it every day.