It is time to act for mental health / and pass comprehensive mental health bill / this year. // We're here because groups like NAMI have helped us understand / that our voices really do matter. // Our stories / really do matter. // We have the power to make a difference, / and we have the personal experience / needed to be taken seriously. // We know what it means / to have our lives, / or the lives of people we love / get off track / because of mental illness. // We understand that mental illness is serious and can be / absolutely devastating. // We also know mental illness can be treatable / when we have access to appropriate, comprehensive care. // I know / that it is largely because of our personal experience with mental illness that each of us is here today. // As I learn more about my own illness / and the experience of others, / I realize how much we all have in common, // even if mental illness / has made a few headlines because of my career. // There's... / there's a number of ways / in which / I've been very lucky, / yet, / even with access to so much, / my journey has not been an easy one by any means. // During my darkest times, / I didn't know why I was alive, / and I definitely didn't like myself. // I had / very low periods / that would so emotionally draining, / that I couldn't find the strength to crawl out of bed / in the morning. // I was withdrawn, / disconnected, / and very angry. // There were stretches / of time where I felt / nothing but shame. // I would medicate myself with drugs and alcohol, / in an effort to feel normal. // Not better, / just normal. // I didn't understand why somebody like me with all the resources / and reasons in the world / to be emotionally well; / I couldn't find happiness. // When I finally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder, / it was a relief / in so many ways. // It helped me to start make sense of my bipolar depression / and all the harm things I was doing / to cope with it. // Getting the right diagnosis didn't happen overnight. // Through the process of being misdiagnosed / and misunderstood, / I learned how important it is / to be open with your doctor, / so that you get to the root of what is going on / as soon as possible. // The journey to living well with bipolar disorder is a process for me involved seeing / a therapist, / being honest with myself / and others, / following my treatment plan, / and taking care of my body. // It requires comprehensive care.