A shared lived experience of a psychologist battling a mental health crisis.

Abstract

This article is a combined 1st-person narrative of a mental health professional with a mental illness, referred to as a prosumer, and her psychologist friend who stood by her during her 1st manic episode with psychosis. Challenges prosumers face are highlighted. These include stigma, questions about the impact of illness on ability to work in the field, and the choice of whether to disclose about the illness and to whom. Disclosures about lived experience within public settings, outside of the therapy room, are encouraged for several reasons. Visibility can reinforce recovery, promote understanding and accurate empathy, encourage help-seeking behavior, destigmatize mental illness, and reinforce the development of trustworthy and credible supports. This frank and detailed narrative provides an example of a psychologist with bipolar disorder who, with support and active treatment, bravely overcame a mental health crisis and returned to wellness and contribution to the mental health field. Impact StatementThis article advances the readers understanding of how mental health professionals diagnosed with mental illnesses can contribute to the mental health field. It further highlights the importance of increased visibility to counter stigma and strengthen the recovery movement.

Only Human: Mental-Health Difficulties Among Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology Faculty and Trainees

“…Furthermore, a recent study on the psychology faculty hiring process did not explicitly assess mental disorders but identified “exhibiting difficult personality traits” as the most strongly endorsed “kiss of death,” highlighting how interpersonal perceptions continue to play a critical role even at the level of faculty selection procedures (Boysen et al, 2019). Anecdotal data highlight the urgency of systematically examining disclosure of mental-health difficulties in academic settings, including whether disclosures may be disincentivized as a result of fears of negative professional consequences, such as failure to obtain funding, promotions, and/or admission to graduate school (Devendorf, 2022; Joseph et al, 2022; Vierthaler & Elliot, 2020).…”

Clinicians with lived experience of mental illness: Introduction to a special section on prosumers, in honor of the late Dr. Fredrick J. Frese III.

“…Two articles provide first person accounts of helping others with mental illness. Vierthaler and Elliott (2022) write as a type of duet, with alternating sections from the point of view of a psychologist who struggled with mania and psychosis, and a colleague who helped her. Having a trusted colleague not only stand by her but also reach out to others as needed is precisely what Dr. Whitten (2022) advocates for.…”