The brightest way to shine is by being fully, imperfectly yourself.
Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.
Posted June 9, 2025 Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
Amy Tee knows a thing or two about bipolar disorder.
She had a vibrant career as a nationally touring comic and was a featured comedian in the film Laughing Matters: The Next Generation, but behind all that success, battles with alcoholism and undiagnosed mental illness were simmering.
In her mid-30s, the stand-up comedian was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after finding herself $62,000 in debt, 60-plus pounds overweight, and watching her car get repossessed.
The mental illness diagnosis was not a source of shame for Amy, however. In a performance on This is My Brave – The Show, she said, “Being diagnosed with mental illness saved my life. It gave a name to the shame about the person I had become. It’s also been the explanation, not the excuse, that has allowed me to be someone living with mental illness rather than someone who is suffering from it.”
Nine years after receiving her bipolar diagnosis and embarking on treatment, Amy has lost the 60 pounds, quit drinking, was identified as a rising star by The Boston Globe, and is living a happier, healthier life with her wife and three pugs. Her stand-up addresses the stigmas and stereotypes of mental illness, as well as how the media’s image of mental illness differs from reality.
Amy’s struggles and experiences have sparked her passion for helping others with mental illness. Her work extends beyond the stage into a full-service event production company that specializes in creating comedy-centric events and functions, called ExperiMENTAL Comedy Therapy (ECT).
The stated goal of ECT is to “entertain and unify groups of people through laughter while breaking down stigmas attached to a variety of mental health issues.” Their motto is, “Humor with Humanity.” The company donates a percentage of proceeds to mental health organizations and individuals in need who are severely impacted by mental health or addiction issues.
You can’t watch Amy’s performance on This is My Brave – The Show without feeling her deep and sincere gratitude for the health, happiness, and wellness that her diagnosis made possible. She can laugh at her past pains and current struggles and remain strong, knowing she’s the one in control now, not her illness.
Amy’s humor invites us all to be a little less hard on ourselves and a little more understanding. She points out in her act that 1 in 4 people are diagnosed with mental illness every year, and makes the highly astute comment that, “We all have a little something.”
That line, “We all have a little something,” is at the crux of why it’s so funny and freeing to hear comedians make jokes about their own foibles and frustrations. There truly is no perfect person, no “flawless normal.”
Both humor and resilience can be found in looking squarely at our mental illnesses, flaws, struggles, and pains, owning them, and finding ways to address them that enrich and enhance our lives.
As Amy Tee knows well, humor is an exceptionally useful tool for navigating healthier paths after a mental illness diagnosis.
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes significant shifts in energy, mood, and activity levels. The moods range from being extremely “up,” energized, and elated (manic episodes), to intensely “down,” sad, and hopeless (depressive episodes). The disorder can severely impact the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
People with bipolar disorder will experience unusually intense emotions at both extremes, which can lead to odd and uncharacteristic behaviors. Deep shame, regret, and self-recrimination following these behaviors can propel the individual back into a depressive episode, continuing the endless cycle.
With proper diagnosis and adequate treatment, people with bipolar disorder can lead healthy and productive lives. It can be successfully controlled using a combination of psychotherapy and medications.
Along with the therapy and medication, if you can take a page out of Amy’s book and find a way to see a lighter side to the many challenges you may have survived, your mental health and your recovery may get an extra boost.
Some pain cuts too deep to ever be the source of laughter. But comedians like Amy teach us how to reach into some of those depths of shared struggles to find hope and light when the only alternative is darkness.
It can be a difficult skill for the profoundly emotionally wounded to consider developing, but it is always attainable. Watching the stand-up of comedians like Amy Tee, who address mental health issues in their acts, is an excellent place to start.
We make a mistake when we dismiss humor as pure silliness or a sign of superficiality. It is a highly effective tool for psychologically controlling and overcoming circumstances and situations that could otherwise destroy us.
In the documentary, It’s Not That Funny, Sarah Silverman said, “100% of comedians become comedians because somewhere in their childhood, they needed to be funny in order to survive.”
We laugh at them and take them lightly, but comedians are, at their heart, survivors. Don’t underestimate the power of humor and laughter to help you fight and survive the battles you face when diagnosed with bipolar disorder, or any mental illness. Let your favorite comedian and survivor be your guide.
Nichole Force, M.A., is a researcher-writer focusing on the role of neuroplasticity in the development of psychological resilience, and the author of Humor’s Hidden Power: Weapon, Shield & Psychological Salve.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
Psychology Today © 2025 Sussex Publishers, LLC
The brightest way to shine is by being fully, imperfectly yourself.
Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.
