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

<h3>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.</h3> 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. <h3>About Paris Prynkiewicz</h3> <p>Paris is the author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3tI8QHM" target= "_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Crooked Illness: Lessons from Inside and Outside Hospital Walls,</em></a> in which she shares her own journey and struggles with bipolar disorder alongside steps that people can take to shatter the stigma and craft the life they have always dreamed of living. She wrote her story to help others come out of the dark moments. Paris is also the host of The Master Your Mental Podcast. Her content and interviews help to make mental health challenges more normalized and less stigmatized.</p> <h3>Why do things happen</h3> <p>Robyn emphasized her belief that everything we go through happens for a reason, for us to then help others navigate similar circumstances.</p> <h3>The Stigma Around Mental Health</h3> <p>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.</p> <p>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 comfor