{"id":62547,"date":"2022-03-30T01:26:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T01:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:02:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:02:53","slug":"forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isbd.org\/world-bipolar-day\" target=\"_blank\">World Bipolar Day<\/a> is observed on March 30 every year, which was artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rethink.org\/get-involved\/awareness-days-and-events\/world-bipolar-day\/\" target=\"_blank\">Vincent Van Gogh\u2019s birthday<\/a>. Van Gogh was posthumously diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">World Bipolar Day is a day to focus on a serious mental\/brain illness that afflicts <a href=\"https:\/\/ibpf.org\/#:~:text=60%20million%20people%20worldwide%20have%20bipolar%20disorder%2C%20and%201%20in%204%20people%20experience%20some%20type%20of%20mental%20illness.\" target=\"_blank\">60 million people worldwide<\/a>, even more because statistics for children are not counted. This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbsalliance.org\/education\/bipolar-disorder\/bipolar-disorder-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\">5.7 million American adults<\/a>, or 2.6 percent of the adult population in the U.S., which may encompass more than 50,000 servicemembers [calculated by extrapolation] and 700,000 veterans, according to VA data; and that likely affects more than 80 million Americans \u2014 family members, friends and work colleagues. The swath of destruction is vast and tragic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bipolar disorder, left unchecked, can wreck marriages, families, careers, finances and friendships; it can lead to addictions, homelessness, prison and suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, many people with the disease are unaware they have it, often resist medical help, and even when they get help, are misdiagnosed. In my case, I was unaware for 11 years, then misdiagnosed as \u201cfit for duty\u201d three times when my symptoms were severe, and only diagnosed correctly after I had crashed into crippling depression and was virtually non-functional, making it easy to recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s the bad news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news is that, if treated, the disease can be brought under control and managed, and the afflicted person can live a healthy, happy, successful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2021\/09\/20\/the-three-headed-monster-we-must-now-defeat-mental-illness-stigma-and-suicide\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MGMartin2.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The three-headed monster we must now defeat: mental illness, stigma, and suicide<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">In looking back, I have often wondered, how was my bipolar missed for so many years by me, my family, and the Army?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I know and <a href=\"https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/opinion\/bipolar-disorder-gregg-martin-military-veterans\/\" target=\"_blank\">told my story a year ago in <i>Task &amp; Purpose<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a bipolar survivor, I unknowingly served for more than a decade with serious, then acute bipolar, then battled for my life against the disease, spending weeks in a VA inpatient facility, and years undergoing a plethora of treatments, therapies and medications, including electroconvulsive therapy. After a punishing crisis and recovery, I stabilized and then rebuilt my shattered life into one of health, happiness and purpose. But I will always have bipolar in my brain. There is currently no cure. I am fighting a \u201cforever war\u201d to manage and contain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are my key take-aways on bipolar disorder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Learn to recognize the basic symptoms of bipolar and other mental\/brain disorders, and if you detect them, help the afflicted person get medical help, then follow up.<\/li><li>If you suspect that you or someone you care about might have bipolar \u2014 which is essentially the cycling between mania, or an elevated mood, with increased energy, grandiose thoughts and beliefs, rapid speech, speedy flights of ideas, recklessness, increased libido, agitation and more; and depression, or feeling down, hopeless, worthless, disinterested in previously enjoyable activities, excessively tired and more \u2014 go get medical help ASAP. It could be a matter of life and death. And this applies to other mental\/brain disorders as well. [For more details on bipolar and other mental\/brain disorders, see the <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders<\/i>, Fifth Edition, by the American Psychiatric Association, 2013.]<\/li><li>Bipolar normally strikes between the ages of 18 and 25, although it also afflicts children as well as older adults, reaching into their 30\u2032s, 40\u2032s, 50\u2032s and 60\u2032s. My bipolar struck when I was a 47-year old colonel and brigade commander, which is known as \u201clate onset bipolar.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Normalizing discussion of bipolar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is a physiological brain disorder, based largely on genetic predisposition. And like cancer, diabetes or heart disease, it isn\u2019t due to a lack of character or willpower, or a moral failing. There is no stigma associated with these diseases and neither should there be for bipolar or other mental\/brain disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s okay to not be okay, and getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mental\/brain health should be viewed and treated with the same importance as physical health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those battling bipolar should view their recovery and new life with pride and be seen as survivors who are fighting a heroic cause, like women battling breast cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diagnosis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Counterintuitively, bipolar helped me and boosted my performance for years, until the up\/down swings became too extreme and led to my removal from command and the end of my career. This is important to know because the positive attributes of many high performers \u2014 abundant energy, drive, enthusiasm, creativity, etc. \u2014 mask bipolar symptoms, making it difficult to detect, until it becomes extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are diagnosed, embrace it, and be grateful that you know what the problem is, and you can go about recovering and managing it. And if you are misdiagnosed \u2014 like I was three times \u2014 continue to persevere, and if necessary, find a new doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prevention\/mitigation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Total fitness \u2014 mind, body, spirit, sleep, water, minimizing stress, avoiding agitation and anger, minimizing alcohol, no drugs, etc. \u2014 can help mitigate the effects of bipolar and other mental\/brain illnesses and are key to recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to medical care, build connections and hope. Find and ground yourself in <i>\u201cpeople, place and purpose.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a vast network of connections and hope to tap into. The following are good places to start:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/ibpf.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">International Bipolar Foundation<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbsalliance.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Association of Mental Illness<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Institute of Mental Health<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, which offers a crisis line specifically for service members and veterans. Veterans, troops or their family members can also visit&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/veteranscrisisline.net\/\">VeteransCrisisLine.net<\/a>&nbsp;or text 838255 for assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s all be informed, and do our part to help stop the stigma and save lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.generalgreggmartin.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Gregg F. Martin<\/i><\/a><i>, PhD, is a 36-year Army combat veteran, retired two-star general and bipolar survivor. He is a graduate of West Point and MIT, as well as a former president of the National Defense University. He lives with his wife in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he is an ardent mental health advocate. His forthcoming book is entitled \u201cBipolar General: My \u2018Forever War\u2019 with Mental Illness.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>These views are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Government or Department of Defense.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have an opinion?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>This article is an Op-Ed and as such, the opinions expressed are those of the authors. If you would like to respond, or have an editorial of your own you would like to submit, please <\/i><a href=\"mailto:kmiller@militarytimes.com\"><i>email Military Times Senior Managing Editor Kent Miller<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Want more perspectives like this sent straight to you? <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/link.militarytimes.com\/join\/5b9\/sign-up-opinion\"><i>Subscribe to get our Commentary &amp; Opinion newsletter<\/i><\/a><i> once a week.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":89403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":78,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[78,100,22,23,93,25,14],"tags":[],"coauthors":[6216],"class_list":["post-62547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-home","category-middle-column","category-newsletters","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"R5UE7TXDLJE4NKDTHHRRRFY3JI","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/29\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Army Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-30T01:26:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:02:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gregg F. Martin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gregg F. Martin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-03-30T01:26:00+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T11:02:53+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1069,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Commentary\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Disaster | Advertiser Safety\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder - Army Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-03-30T01:26:00+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T11:02:53+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/30\\\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Opinion\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"opinion\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Commentary\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"commentary\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Army Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder - Army Times","description":"World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder","og_description":"World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/","og_site_name":"Army Times","article_published_time":"2022-03-30T01:26:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T11:02:53+00:00","author":"Gregg F. Martin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gregg F. Martin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder","datePublished":"2022-03-30T01:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T11:02:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/"},"wordCount":1069,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg","articleSection":["Commentary","Daily News Roundup","Disaster | Advertiser Safety","Home","Middle Column","Newsletters","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/","name":"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder - Army Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg","datePublished":"2022-03-30T01:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T11:02:53+00:00","description":"World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2022\/03\/30\/forever-war-what-its-like-to-live-with-bipolar-disorder\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Opinion","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/","ad_zone":"opinion"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Commentary","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/","ad_zone":"commentary"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"\u2018Forever war:\u2019 What it\u2019s like to live with bipolar disorder"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","name":"Army Times","description":"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization","name":"Army Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","caption":"Army Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Army Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3796831.jpg_ea479f.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62547"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62558,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62547\/revisions\/62558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62547"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=62547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}