In 2013 I was diagnosed Bipolar 1 after having a string of manic episodes and delusions and was finally admitted into a psych ward where I was put on mood stabilizers and antipsychotics to stop the mania. After being discharged from the hospital, I remained on medication for over 7 years and began my healing journey with the help of psychologists, psychiatrists, my PCP, coaches, and my insanely supportive family and friends.

On Dec. 31, 2021 I was finally able to successfully taper off of my medications and was medicine free for 2.5 years with no manic episodes. Recently this past summer in 2024 however, I endured another unexpected manic episode, and I was placed back in the psych ward for 3 weeks. Many lessons have been learned, and I'm continuing to move forward in life with optimism and the loving support of my family and friends.

Without getting too heavy into my story, I suffered 4 distinct manic episodes that crippled me in every way imaginable (emotionally, physically, & financially), and also suffered 1 severe depressive episode that left me bedridden for months. My 2nd manic episode was the absolute worst where I suffered immeasurable losses. At this point in time, I was severely delusional and had convinced myself that the president of the United States at the time, Barack Obama, was trapped in an underground bunker in my neighbor's house, and I broke into their house to save the president (I know...insane but true!). Here is a 1 minute clip below from my keynote speech talking about that situation. A big thank you to the kind student that captured this video!

Again, I'd sincerely like to thank Luul and Lisa from Thomas College for giving me the opportunity to share my story. I'd like to thank all the students and faculty for coming to listen, and I'd like to thank all of my friends and family on social media for the warm praise you've given me about sharing my story. This has been something I've been wanting to do for some time now as I feel mental health is SUPER important and also misinterpreted by many. I also feel that this is one of my main purposes in life, to help spread mental health awareness, and also to motivate others to reach the highest versions of themselves.

I created a 5 part series on Youtube sharing my story about dealing with bipolar disorder over the past 10+ years. In this series I talk about my 4 manic episodes and my 1 severe depressive episode. If you think you might like me to talk at your next event, please email me directly at jjlong@jjartworks.com or call the studio line at 617-803-7804. I'm traveling globally for events and would love to add value to your organization. Please let me know if I can be of service!