Happiful February 2020

Find out more about Dan at
dankeeley.co, and follow him
on Twitter @iamdankeeley
I felt lighter every
time I shared
my story. And
on pretty much
every occasion,
sharing my story
gave permission
for others to
share theirs
moment, my Rome To
Home project was born!
And we smashed it!
‘We’ as in everyone who
supported me on this
mental adventure over the
years, who were with me
in spirit every step of the
way – and without whom I
could not have done it.
This was majestic. This
was an oil painting I was
lucky enough to live in for
65 days, waking up every
day with an overwhelming
sense of gratitude to be
out there, five years on,
having responded to those
big questions I asked
myself when I was pinned
to my bed for six months.
Having given myself the
time to get my mental
health in the best shape to
take on this adventure.
And this time, without
knowing it (until someone
whispered this in my ear
when I finally arrived at
the London Eye), I was
now truly showing the
world how we can slow
down and follow our
hearts, on a massive scale.
Each step of the
adventure lit up my five
light bulbs: my health (I
was in the best shape of
my life), my relationships
(imagine the people I met,
and the support online),
my passions (obviously),
my growth (beyond
words), and being in
service to other people (I
raised more than £15,000
for the Campaign Against
Living Miserably, who
were absolute rock stars
behind the scenes). This
was life-affirming.
I’ll say it again, bipolar
disorder can be a
b*tch. But without the
experiences of 2012, would
I have taken on such an
adventure, one which
kick-started my career as a
professional speaker and
mental health activist, one
where I get to wake up
every day and empower
everyone across the UK
to speak up when we’re
suffering? No chance.
What advice would I give
to anyone going through
a similar struggle? To
hold on, to know that
we’re all in this together,
to know that every single
one of us is suffering
with something and that
together – by speaking up
– we truly can show future
generations how it’s done.
So, I’m telling you that
whatever you may be
going through right now,
just remember this – that
when suffering finds
meaning, it ceases to be
suffering.
We’ve got this.
OUR EXPERT SAYS
Dan’s bipolar hit a
crisis with his extreme
changing moods, which
took him from euphoric
to despairing. With the
support of professionals
and his friends, he started
his journey to recovery,
slowly finding out what he
needed, and focusing on
what was core to him as a
person. Through setting
himself the challenge
of running home from
Rome, he revisited his
recovery in an emotional
way, which helped him
to have purpose. So often
finding meaning
in our lives
can help us to
cope better with
suffering.
Graeme Orr | MBACP (Accred) UKRCP
Reg Ind counsellor
February 2020 • happiful.com • 59