In this episode of ‘Conversations With’ Mental Health Advocate Shaley Hoogendoorn talks with fellow advocate Markku Kostamo. Markku shares openly about his experiences living with bipolar disorder. Our conversation is rich and deep. We talked about symptoms, getting a Bipolar diagnosis, hospitalizations and even mental health stigma in faith communities. Markku also gives touching words of encouragement to those walking a similar path. His story is one of perseverance and inspiration. I am so grateful for Markku's honesty in sharing his story with us. Markku’s story is not over yet.   This is bipolar... IG @this.is.bipolar TIkTok @this.is.bipolar If you enjoyed this episode or if this podcast means something to you please hit follow or subscribe button. If you really loved it, would you consider making a small donation to further support the work of 'this is bipolar'. I am forever grateful that I get to do this bipolar advocacy work. About Markku: Markku Kostamo, MSc - Director, Development, Sanctuary Mental Health & CEO, Kaci - Revenue and Growth Strategies Markku has served as an executive in the non-profit sector for over twenty years and is passionate about seeing organizations grow and develop in executing their mission and impact. To enable this, Markku takes an entrepreneurial and relational approach to revenue generation and partnerships. Markku first was first diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder over five years ago and now is a passionate mental health advocate. “ I love having coffee in person or virtually —please DM on IG if you would like to get together! Learn more about Sanctuary Mental Health here:sanctuarymentalhealth.org   #thisisbipolar #bipolar #bipolardisorder #bipolarawareness #mentalillness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness