From 2020 to 2025 Monica tried most of the available medications for bipolar disorder, mainly atypical antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, one at a time. In May 2023 she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. People with bipolar disorder have about double the risk, and some of these medications cause weight gain and insulin resistance.
It was a sign that her mental and metabolic health were more connected than we’d understood, and it pushed us to look at what might connect them.