Episode 9 - How to Live Well With Bipolar with Paris Prynkiewicz
By Jessica Garrison
Paris Prynkiewicz has been on an extraordinary journey in her life, from being misdiagnosed with depression at 16 years old to being hospitalized a few years later before finally being diagnosed properly. From there, she was able to treat the actual mental disorder she has and was able to get back to the life she wanted to live. As it turns out, Paris has bipolar I and, after being diagnosed, she was able to transform her life. She created the Live Well Bipolar podcast to help others who live with being bipolar, and she wants to spread the message to the world that there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Self care wasn’t really part of Paris’s life until she was 23 years old. She attended a personal development conference that helped her realize she wasn’t happy in her situation and needed a change. She began to cut things out of her life that didn’t align with what she truly wanted. She described that her changes started small, like visualizing what she wanted from each day. Now she can visualize what she wants in her future and how she can go about accomplishing those goals while taking proper care of herself.
Like so many of us, it was hard for Paris to say no at first. She worked two jobs and attended school full time before her proper diagnosis at 19 years old. Her psychiatrist thought she was fine because she could hold a job, had straight A’s in school, and was in a consistent relationship. He had no idea about her internal struggles and how she never valued herself. This is a great example of how you have no idea what’s going on in a person’s head, even if everything seems to be okay on the outside. She’s gotten better at recognizing stressors in her life, and those are things she’s able to confidently set a boundary against. She had quite a few negative influences in her life that tried to discourage her from starting her podcast and sharing her story, but she’s been able to block them out and continue with the work she knows is important.
Our talking point about taking care of your emotional health as much as your physical health really resonated with Paris because that was featured on the first episode of her podcast. She and Melissa were really meant to be! It makes so much sense to her that the two are intertwined, especially when she reflects on her past. Her mental health was the biggest block in her life, so to cope, she was reckless with her physical body. Once she was able to get control mentally, she looked at her physical health. Paris cut out alcohol, she eats in moderation, exercises regularly, and is working towards goals she creates. I’m happy to hear that Paris was able to heal not only her mental health, but physical health as well in her journey.
Living out of her own expectations rather than others is a challenging experience for Paris. People have this idea of what being bipolar is in their heads, like extreme mood swings or episodes of mania. However, it doesn’t show up the same way in each person, and Paris wants to share that with the world. She was worried about people looking at her differently once she shared her diagnosis, but she has since gained the confidence to speak out about her experiences. She’s able to coach other people through this, whether it be people in her life or people she meets through the podcast. It’s about what’s best for her, rather than what’s best for those around her and fitting into the mold they want her to fit in.
When it comes to embracing her layers and living out F.E.E.L, Paris has become clear on her thoughts. She doesn’t believe the old stories she used to tell herself, and she understands how to navigate through her life while living with bipolar I. She was used to abuse, whether it be from an ex or herself, but she’s since realized what a healthy relationship is: “When you finally get in front of something healthy, it’s foreign to you.” Paris advises everyone to learn from others who have overcome something like this and stay curious. It’s so incredible how she was able to understand her diagnosis and create something so positive out of it. She’s changing the world with her podcast and the way she shares her experiences. It isn’t easy to put yourself on the spot the way she does everyday, but her courage and intelligence does not go unnoticed.