The Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Spirituality
Bipolar disorder (BPD) often feels like a force that pulls life apart. Yet, for those who face this challenge, there’s a possibility for deeper meaning and growth hidden within its chaos. Spirituality—whether through religious faith or personal practice—can offer solace and a framework for understanding this unique experience. It is through this lens that many find hope and insight. This post argues that what is often viewed as suffering can be changed into a meaningful journey.
For more guidance on bipolar disorder, check out our book and masterclass to reclaim control of your life. You can also check out our free resources.
Spirituality: A Shelter Amidst the Storm
Spirituality is more than just a set of beliefs or practices. It can be the ground beneath your feet when the world feels unsteady. Mental illness, particularly bipolar disorder, presents many trials, and spirituality can infuse these challenges with meaning.
BPH’s founder grew up as a Muslim. His faith gave him strength and comfort. Daily prayers and rituals helped him feel calm and safe, like someone loving was always listening. Some people see God as a power outside themselves. Others see God as a voice inside. Either way, faith can help people feel steady. Even religions like Buddhism, which don’t focus on a god, teach deep thinking and mindfulness.
The spiritual road begins by asking critical questions: Why is this happening? What does this moment seek to teach me? In facing mental illness, these questions can illuminate a path forward. The purpose of this struggle may not be immediately clear. But, through reflection, it often becomes possible to transform pain into understanding.
Trial as Purification
Life’s trials have a way of shaping us, and few trials are as intense as navigating bipolar disorder. However, in many spiritual traditions, there’s a belief that trials are not random—they serve as opportunities for purification. In Islam, hardship is seen as a test of character, a way to cleanse the soul and reconsider one’s choices. It’s a process of refinement, much like gold being purified by fire.
The suffering brought on by bipolar disorder can be viewed through this lens. Bipolar burns away what no longer serves us. When health falters, it forces us to reevaluate the mundane and appreciate moments of peace we may take for granted. Spirituality reminds us that this world, with all its suffering and joys, is temporary. Both the highs and the lows are fleeting, but the lessons learned from them are enduring.
When one reflects on their journey, there is an opportunity to see how the turmoil can lead to a deeper appreciation of life. It is this perspective, gained through a spiritual framework, that transforms suffering into a process of refinement.
Trial as Expansion
Beyond purification, mental illness can also expand our capacity for empathy and compassion. You can’t help but feel a closer connection to the suffering of others after your own trials. The moments of despair and elation widen the emotional bandwidth. Thus, it creates space to understand the pain of those around us more profoundly.
There is a TED Talk by Phil Borges that challenges listeners to think about mental illness differently. In his research, Borges spoke to shamans from different cultures—people who operate temporarily in heightened states of consciousness. So many of these shamans first realized their calling through experiences we in the West would label as “mental illness.” These shamans, guided by elders, learned to ground their heightened awareness and use it in service to their communities. Borges asked a powerful question, “Are we, in the West, misdiagnosing people who are experiencing spiritual awakenings as mentally ill?”
This reframing presents an empowering alternative to the narrative of bipolar disorder as an unchangeable affliction.
What if, instead of merely managing symptoms, we could recognize the potential for awakening that this condition brings? The suffering that once seemed so isolating can become a bridge to an expanded understanding and awareness. The perspective shift from BP as a disability to a potential awakening will take much advocacy, medical research, and courage. People like Phil Borges need the backing of medical experts to create a shift in perspective. At BP Harmony, we believe that this diagnosis can be viewed the way Phil Borges presents.
Trial as Inspiration
Mental illness has long been linked with creativity. Bipolar disorder, in particular, is known for inspiring great works of art, music, and literature. The emotional extremes of the condition allow individuals to access depths of feeling that others do not. This wellspring of emotion often finds an outlet in creative expression.
Vincent Van Gogh, for example, is one of the most famous artists whose work was deeply intertwined with his struggles with bipolar disorder. His paintings capture an intensity of emotion that resonates on a universal level. In the modern era, artists like Mariah Carey, Kanye West, and Demi Lovato have similarly channeled their own experiences of bipolar disorder into their art. They offer the world a window into the depths of human experience.
For this author, poetry became a lifeline during the healing journey. Writing helped make sense of the chaotic emotions. It became a way to transform the turmoil into something beautiful and meaningful. Through creativity, struggle was no longer just as a burden, but as a source of inspiration—a reminder that from suffering, something new and powerful can emerge.
Conclusion
Bipolar disorder is a profound and often difficult experience, but spirituality can offer a way to reframe it. Whether viewed as a path of purification, expansion, or inspiration, the link between bipolar disorder and spirituality is a powerful one. It allows us to find meaning where there might otherwise be only pain, and to see trials as opportunities for growth and transformation.
When we engage with our mental illness from a spiritual perspective, we unlock the potential to transform suffering into something deeper—a tool for self-understanding, compassion, and creative expression. It’s in this alchemy of experience where the true power of spirituality lies: not in erasing the trials, but in finding the strength to navigate them with grace and purpose.
I agree with you 109%, and I think it might be helpful to people suffering to have more detailed info. For instance how do they go about creating the experience of mindfulness. Can it be achieved through prayer, through meditation, through writing or conversation? Where would they find resources to help on this journey. And of course I realize these efforts are entirely personal and there are different degrees of involvement with BP, but maybe a few more targeted suggestions might be helpful for ppl who are wanting to make a change.
It may be that your most powerful message, which I am always so happy to read, is that this is not an end, but is instead a powerful and positive beginning.
I appreciate the hope you share.
Best,
Sally
Hi, Sally! Thanks for your note. For more detailed commentary on spirituality, consider reading the Mindfulness chapter in our book, The Five Pillars of BP Recovery: https://bpharmony.podia.com/ebook-the-five-pillars-of-bipolar-recovery