When Lil Nas X recently disclosed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, one part of his story stood out to me more than the diagnosis itself. For years, he had suspected something was wrong. Yet he resisted seeking treatment because he feared medication.
This is a paradox that exists at the intersection of mental health, identity, and achievement. The people who are most capable of recognizing that something is wrong are often the same people most reluctant to accept help. Not because they deny their suffering, but because they have come to view suffering as an inseparable part of their success.