From Mania to Mic: Dailyn's Story of Bipolar, Poetry & Healing

In this episode of This Is Bipolar, host Shaley Hoogendoorn sits down with Cuban-American spoken-word poet and mental health advocate Dailyn Santana to share her powerful lived experience with bipolar I disorder.

Dailyn opens up about the earliest signs she noticed in middle school, the challenges of navigating undiagnosed symptoms, and a significant manic episode that led to hospitalization during college. She reflects on how these experiences shaped her family life, her cultural identity, and her ongoing journey through stigma and misunderstanding.

Through her story, Dailyn highlights the healing power of poetry, community, and compassion. Together, Shaley and Dailyn explore the importance of peer support, advocacy, and authentic storytelling in recovery, while also unpacking the complex intersection of creativity, culture, and mental health.

This candid conversation offers both hope and honesty — showing how art can be a lifeline, a way to reclaim identity, and a tool to shift the conversation around bipolar disorder.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Dailyn’s early signs and symptoms of bipolar I during adolescence

• The impact of manic episodes and hospitalization on her life and relationships

• How stigma and cultural expectations shaped her mental health journey

• The role of poetry and spoken word in expressing truth and finding community

• The power of peer support, advocacy, and compassion in recovery

• A hopeful look at how art can change the mental health conversation

• Be sure to listen at (00:49:23) hear the most beautiful and encouraging poem. It may or may not have brought Shaley to tears.Her words are raw, vulnerable, and powerful.

this is bipolar...

About Today’s Guest: Dailyn Santana is a Cuban-American poet, actress, motivational speaker, and truth-teller mental health advocate from Elizabeth, New Jersey. Through spoken word and storytelling, she shares her lived experience with bipolar I disorder, blending vulnerability with strength and art with activism. Her work has resonated on both intimate stages and national platforms, raising awareness, breaking stigma, and inviting others to find healing and connection through honesty and creativity.

You can connect with Dailyn here:

dailynsantana.com

linkedin: Dailyn Santana

Instagram: Dailyn Santana

TikTok: Dailyn Santana

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening. If this episode or podcast means something to you, I would be forever grateful if you would follow/subscribe the ‘this is bipolar’ podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts so you stay up to date. It would also mean the world to me if you gave a 5 ⭐️ star review- this helps the podcast reach those who need to hear it most.

Much love, Shaley xo

More about your Host:

Shaley Hoogendoorn is a speaker, content creator and currently hosts the popular “this is bipolar” vlog and podcast. She lives with bipolar 2 disorder and shares her story and the stories of others to dismantle the stigma around mental illness.

Shaley is passionate about educating and empowering others about bipolar disorder. She has contributed to publications for Sanctuary Ministries, Psych Central and BP Hope magazine. She hosted a series interviewing women living with mental illnesses at SheLoves Magazine in a series named "Sisters in Mental Illness."

Shaley’s greatest hope is that creating safe spaces to connect will give hope and comfort those that struggle.

#thisisbipolar #bipolar #bipolardisorder #bipolarawareness