A Message of Encouragement to People with Bipolar Disorder

Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition – March 20, 1999

A man in his forties, suffering from both mental illness and glaucoma, and who lost his hearing in an accident, persevered through rehabilitation and returned to society for the first time in twenty years. I was deeply moved when his elderly mother said with emotion, “He really did his best.” Of course, it wasn’t just the patient and his family who were encouraged by his story.

The classic film The Miracle Worker (1962, USA), which left a mark in cinematic history, tells the story of Helen Keller, who at 19 months old was struck by a fever that left her blind, deaf, and mute.

Her teacher, Miss Sullivan, treated Helen firmly as a "human being," rather than pampering her like a "pet," as her parents had done. Helen would quickly become violent when things didn’t go her way, clashing fiercely with Miss Sullivan.

Though Helen learned words through finger spelling as a conditioned response, she didn’t understand their meanings. The scene where she touches water drawn from a well and cries out “wah-wah” (water), realizing for the first time that the words she had been taught were names for things, was truly moving.

Patty Duke, who won an Oscar for portraying Helen in the film and rose to fame, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age eighteen. Drawing from her long struggle with the illness, during which she continued taking lithium and antidepressants, she published A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness in 1992 in the U.S. In it, she offered words of encouragement to those with bipolar disorder, a condition that was often seen as a personal weakness rather than a legitimate illness. It could be said that through her own mental health journey, she reenacted the drama she had portrayed in film.

Bipolar disorder is common among highly talented individuals. When in a manic state, people become overly energetic and burn out, leading to depression. In a depressive state, they long to return to the euphoric highs, and once they do, they are driven to make up for lost time. It is difficult to break this vicious cycle. Even if life seems mundane, it’s better to live slowly and steadily.

By the way, what happened to Anne Bancroft, who played Miss Sullivan? Five years later, she played the iconic Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.