Robert “Coach V” Villanueva grew up in East Bay of San Francisco amidst undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Seeking a better life away from a dysfunctional home, Robert left home at 15 before experiencing his darkest moments with depression and mania. At the brink of despair, Robert found solace among other patients and a glimmer of hope that would change his life forever.
Hosted by Dr. Erin Michalak.
Chapters and Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:55 First Symptoms
06:01 Darkest Days: Leaving Home & Ending It
09:40 Hospital “First Time That I Was Ever Taken Care Of”
12:49 The Hardest Phone Call
15:55 Learning to Accept Bipolar Disorder
18:35 “I Don’t Want to Live in Fear”
21:33 Telling My Story Through Advocacy
23:39 It Is Possible To Manage Bipolar Disorder
26:20 Thank Yous & Family
30:03 “They Believed in Me”
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National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): nami.org
Another Kind of Madness: A Journey Through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness by Stephen Hinshaw (Amazon)
The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change (Amazon)
bipolarinthebay.com
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