My mental difference is my ‘Super Power’

I can’t say where or who because it was a confidential internal session, but I was at an event this morning where one of the panellists described his type one bipolar as his ‘Super Power’.

I chuckled and we had an extremely humorous discussion afterwards because I’ve been calling my OCD my ‘Spider-Sense’ since I came to terms with it, and recognised it has given me heightened awareness, a razor sharp attention to detail (including scaring people with my ability to proof read their work), and an exceptionally high risk radar and moral compass.

We take a step back every time someone with influence says something along the lines of men should ‘man up’ and maintain a still upper lip, rather than ‘open up’, but we are taking so many big strides forward these days, that I’m starting to believe the negativity of the headline grabbers is being smothered with positivity.

The awareness surrounding mental health, ill health and difference is at an all-time high, with more and more events and people harbouring, and having, positive and supportive conversations, fuelling the momentum which is seemingly snowballing day by day.

So I would love to see the conversation move on as well as escalate. I would love for others to confirm what skills, qualities and capabilities their intimate mental health experience, and exposure to coping strategies and remedies, has given them.

I would love to know what ‘Super Powers’ others have and how they have enabled then to contribute more effectively than others, both personally and professionally.

I’ve suggested that ‘normal’ is the latest minority and that there is in fact ‘no normal’. Maybe I’m right and the richest and most powerful in the world are those with difference!