The purpose of this manuscript is to provide the reader with a qualitative insight into the, ‘mind of a medic who has manic-depressive illness’. The article contains a succinct description of the cultural and spiritual factors that have shaped my mindset. I then go on to signpost my own personal trajectory and I also refer to diverse source material, from Dante to Kipling, to illustrate how bipolar disorder has transformed the inner landscapes of my mind and how it has profoundly influenced my values and attitude towards life. It is my hope that my exposition will be comforting for those who derive solace from shared experience. I also hope that it will aid me in my quest to banish the stigma, certainly in the medical profession, towards doctors who have a psychiatric disorder.
Keywords: autobiographical narrative, psychopathology, manic-depressive illness