1. CLINICAL CASE STUDIES
Bipolar Disorder: My Traveling Companion
Alice Kan
# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Abstract This article is a personal narrative of how a Chinese woman learns to live with her
bipolar illness and live beyond the disability imposed by the condition. She is glad to see an
emerging and vibrant community of people in recovery from mental illness in Hong Kong.
Keywords Mood disorder. Peer support work . Personal recovery
Born in Hong Kong, the first daughter of the family, I was being diagnosed with schizo-
phrenia in 1991. After 10 years, the diagnosis was changed to bipolar disorder. Upon this
long journey, I have now accepted my illness. Bipolar has gradually become my friend—my
traveling companion.
My Recovery Journey
Following my diagnosis in 1991 I was prescribed with a medication regime to follow but
discontinued from 1995 to 2000. We often equate “recovery” with “not being on medica-
tion”, to me recovery also means coming to a better understanding of the medication one is
taking and discussing treatment options with the psychiatrist (Ng et al. 2008). In my case, I
Int J Ment Health Addiction
DOI 10.1007/s11469-013-9442-5
Since 2010, I have worked (paid, part-time basis) in the Mental Health Recovery research cluster led by Dr.
Samson Tse, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of
Hong Kong. Email: samsont@hku.hk
A. Kan (*)
Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of
Hong Kong, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
e-mail: alicekan888@yahoo.com
A. Kan
Troutman Sanders, Hong Kong, China

2. no longer had any symptoms of depression, my psychiatrist and I agreed that I should stop
taking antidepressants in 1995. However, regular follow-ups with my psychiatrist were still
very important to me. In 2000, I had an episode of mania and thus had to resume my
medication. Since 2008 I have been medication-free again and I have used the following
self-management methods to keep myself well such as knowing and understand myself
more, learning to treasure what I have been gifted and staying positive. I cannot tell if my
bipolar disorder has gone away altogether, but I do know it still affects my life in many
ways. It has been important for me to recognize that not all of life’s challenges are caused by
this traveling companion of mine.
At the end of 2009, I experienced a personal financial crisis, and thought at one point that
I might have to declare bankruptcy. The following January, I was admitted in hospital and
had to stay there as an in-patient for 5 days. During my hospitalization, I took no medication
nor was I given any medical treatment. The stress and challenges I faced were part of the
normal human experience! During that time, the ward was under renovation, rendering both
male and female patients to cram on the same floor. Half of the washrooms and the common
area were being shut down and 30 people needed to share one shower room. We were
confined to having our meals in bed. This particular hospital stay was a very good
experience for me, not only did it helped me practice self-management, I also regain control
of myself and my illness (e.g., re-establishing a sleep routine, refining my problem solving
skills, and changing my perspectives on life) (Wang et al. 2009), and also gave me an
opportunity to understand the distress experienced by my fellow patients.
Bipolar Disorder as my Traveling Companion
Instead of being intimidated by my bipolar disorder, I have come to see it as my traveling
companion. When I am having a manic episode, I see it as an opportunity to capture and
write down all the ideas whirling around in my head. On these days of excitement and vigor,
I feel as if I have unlimited energy and I am rather productive. On the other hand, when I am
feeling a bit “depressed”, I learn to accept that it is okay for me to hide away at home, doing
very little and sleeping a lot.
A traumatic experience in 1980 and the death of my boyfriend in 2007 still cause me pain
and make my ongoing search for an intimate relationship difficult. I believe if I can be brave
enough to live with bipolar disorder, I can find the courage to deal with my vulnerability and
prepare myself well to welcome another traveling companion—my “Mr. Right”.
Being Someone Else’s Traveling Companion- “Advisor for Peer Support Training
Program”
To survive in Hong Kong, a very densely populated and a competitive city, staying in paid
employment is crucial. I have worked as a legal secretary since 1994 and am currently
employed by an international law firm as a night-time secretary. I also worked as a volunteer
teacher on Recovery Approach and as an advisor for a peer support training program for
several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) (Tse et al. 2013). Since my job hours are in
the late afternoon and at night, I have time during the day to contribute to improving the
mental health system by means such as serving on several NGO committees, coaching
newly trained peer support workers, and undertaking public speaking engagements. Nor-
mally, a person in recovery, particularly a Chinese who has a job and a good life in the
Int J Ment Health Addiction

3. community, will choose not to disclose her mental illness to avoid stigma or the possibility
of bringing shame on her family (Tsang et al. 2003; Tse et al. 2012). I am thrilled to see more
of my peers joining me in taking up a role as peer support workers and speaking publicly
about their recovery journey in Hong Kong. Being able to and having an opportunity to
share is a blessing. Though tiring at times, through sharing and helping others, it brings
strength to my own recovery.
I sincerely hope all of you who have read this article found your own traveling compan-
ion and are enjoying your lives.
Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Samson Tse, Dr. Rick Goscha and Ms. Emily Tsoi for their
support and advice in revising the manuscript.
References
Ng, R. M., Pearson, V., Lam, M., Law, C. W., Chiu, C. P., & Chen, E. Y. (2008). What does recovery from schizophrenia
mean? Perceptions of long-term patients. The International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 54(2), 118–130.
Tsang, H. W. H., Tam, P. K. C., Chan, F., & Cheung, W. M. (2003). Stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals with
mental illness in Hong Kong: Implications for recovery. Journal of Community Psychology, 31(4), 383–396.
Tse, S., Cheung, E., Kan, A., Ng, R., & Yau, S. (2012). Recovery in Hong Kong: service user participation in
mental health services. International Review of Psychiatry, 24(1), 40–47.
Tse, S., Tsoi, E., Wong, S., Kan, A., & Kwok, C. (2013). Training mental health peer support workers in a
non-western high-income city: preliminary evaluation and experience. The International Journal of
Social Psychiatry. doi:10.1177/0020764013481427.
Wang, G., Tse, S., & Michalak, E. E. (2009). Self-management techniques and New Zealand Chinese with bipolar
disorder: a qualitative study. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 16(11), 602–608.
Int J Ment Health Addiction