Folk singer-songwriter Cathy-Anne McClintock has just released her self-titled debut album, which includes a track entitled “Up” based on her personal experience growing up with her mother who has bipolar disorder.
I wrote the song because for as long as I can remember my mom has suffered with Bipolar Disorder. It wasn’t until I was about 16 that it was given a “label.” We just always thought she was beautiful, smart, flamboyant, spontaneous, spiritual, very energetic and productive until suddenly she wasn’t. That’s when she’d spend weeks alone in her room crying.
“Up” talks a little about my mom’s childhood and the euphoric “escape” that the manic side of the disorder can bring. It also talks about how we wish we knew more so we could have handled some things better.
If anyone has heard the song, please share your insights.
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Thank you for posting this. I am an outreach director for Erasing The Distance, an organization based in Chicago that uses theatre to shed light on mental illness. We use true stories of people’s experiences with mental illness to ignite empathy and understanding, and dispel stigma and myth. I am always glad to learn about other artists who are using their art to shed light.