08/08/2025
At ESCAP 2025, Dr. Andrés Martin, a psychiatrist, academic, and patient, offered a rare and powerful glimpse into life with Bipolar II disorder. Sharing his own journey, he challenged assumptions within the profession and called for greater honesty, compassion, and systemic change in how mental illness is viewed, especially within medicine.
High-Functioning, Until the Crash:
Dr. Martin was highly productive, publishing academic papers, writing a PhD, and maintaining a full clinical workload. His hypomanic states supercharged his productivity, but his mental health deteriorated, leading to a crash and psychiatric leave.
Upon returning, colleagues misunderstood his absence, often assuming a physical illness. When he disclosed his Bipolar II diagnosis, many peers, even within psychiatry, responded with misunderstanding and dismissal.
Barriers to Care and Professional Stigma:
Dr. Martin faced significant challenges seeking treatment. Despite being a psychiatrist, many colleagues wouldn’t take him on as a patient, saying his diagnosis wasn’t “severe enough.” He eventually found care from an 87-year-old psychiatrist willing to help.
The experience left him feeling deeply alone and unsupported by the system he worked in.
He also encountered licensing barriers. When applying for his U.S. medical license, he was asked: “Have you ever had a mental illness?” Clicking “yes” nearly shattered his professional dreams.
Shame, guilt, and secrecy followed; a “dark secret” to protect.
The Power of Speaking Out:
Years later, Dr. Martin began sharing his story openly with medical students. He found that honesty broke down walls. It built trust. It inspired others. It challenged stigma.
As he put it: “We all break. Some of us are just stronger at the broken places.”
Why This Matters:
Dr. Martin’s story highlights a painful truth: mental health stigma is alive and well, even among mental health professionals. But it also offers hope. Honesty and connection are powerful antidotes to shame. By speaking openly, we can shift the culture, one conversation at a time. Mental illness doesn’t define worth, even for doctors.
