Bipolar disorder: 'I still celebrate getting out the door every day'

Niall Sheehy struggled with bipolar disorder until he made an agreement with his mental health team and himself to focus on small daily acts of self-care

Niall Sheehy from Tralee, Co Kerry, says there is no “magic pill” for coping with bipolar disorder. Picture: Domnick Walsh

“When I disclose that I have bipolar disorder, people often say to me, ‘You don’t look like you have bipolar,’” says Niall Sheehy. “Most people think of the classic person who sees god or has psychotic episodes. But that’s not everybody’s experience and there are so many different types of bipolar.”

The 47-year-old IT technician was diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than a decade ago, a mood disorder which affects about 1 in 50 Irish adults and up to 40 million people worldwide.