Nick HutchisonFounder and CEO, BookThinkers

Chris shares his experience identifying publicly as bipolar

26 Nov 2022 · 2 min

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In a podcast interview, Nick Hutchison asks Chris whether publicly identifying as bipolar and repeatedly discussing it on a widely‑listened platform helps him feel more comfortable and productive. Chris explains that bipolar carries a heavy stigma and that he was forced to make a public statement because of his role as a public figure. He describes the discomfort of receiving sympathy (“how are you feeling?”) versus the gratitude he prefers when people ask about his work. The sympathy made him miserable, leading him to avoid the topic for a period of about two years. After that time he returned to his previous professional rhythm, focusing on his projects and books, and now conversations revolve around his creative output rather than his diagnosis. Chris suggests that while it’s natural for others to check in, the key is to steer the dialogue toward gratitude and productive work rather than sympathy.

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I'm so curious on this subject. Do you think that identifying as bipolar and being comfortable saying that on a podcast that's going to be listened to or watched by thousands of people over and over and over again— I'm sure you do this every week— uh, do you think that helps you step into it, be more productive, be more comfortable in your own skin? Because I'm sure there are a lot of people listening that like can't speak to the world. Yeah, there's a lot of shame.
There's a lot of shame. There's such a negative association with being bipolar. But what I'll say, Nick, is I don't talk about it all the time. I just talk about it when it comes up the way it came up. But you know what? We had to I had to make a public statement about it. We had to make a public statement from my company because I was a public figure. And what happens is everybody says, how you doing? And it's a very fair question. And I know they're not trying to trigger me. But I hate sympathy. I love gratitude. I'm used to people saying, what are you working on? What, you're gonna do another book soon? That's the conversation I'm so used to. So when it just got 180'd back at me about how's it going? How you feeling? I hated it. I was miserable. So I didn't bring it up because everybody else did, to be honest, Nick. And so then after a year, year and a half, 2 years, I got myself back out there. I started grinding again. I kind of got back into being my old self. And now it doesn't come up. Now what comes up is I love the Chrysalis. Now what comes up is your book's amazing. I never do more than one thing from a book. I did 100 things from your book. That's my happy place. So maybe that'll help somebody get out of a tough spot is just that you don't like the sympathy, but it's also unfair to expect people not to check on you. Yeah.