This work is my personal exploration of what it can feel like to be in an altered state of mind caused by a mood disorder. It is based on some scribblings and doodles I made when I was unwell. Translating what was frenetically drawn or written into the slower, calmer medium of embroidery, stitch by stitch, allowed me to reflect upon and make sense of my diagnosis. It also enabled me to grapple with the harmful stereotype that Bipolar Disorder is a ‘quirk’ of the creative mind, and a ‘price’ that some pay for creativity. While there has recently been more public awareness raising about depression and anxiety, conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia are still heavily stereotyped, sometimes trivialised, and stigmatised to the point of being discriminatory and harmful to sufferers. While these conditions are not easy to live with, many people with these illnesses are able to live healthy lives and flourish when they receive the right treatment and management.