Have you ever had a moment where your brain felt like the biggest threat in the room, and nobody on the outside could see what was happening?
That is the heart of my conversation with Jonathan Kemp. We talked about what life looks like when the struggle is internal, when success on paper does not quiet the chaos in your head, and when you spend decades trying to solve a problem you do not yet have a name for. This episode hit me hard. Not because our stories match beat for beat, but because the feelings are familiar. The shame. The confusion. The drive to fix yourself before you even know what needs fixing.
If any part of your life has been shaped by mental health struggles, neurodivergence, or late diagnosis, you are going to take something from this.
Who is Jonathan Kemp?
Jonathan Kemp is an entrepreneur, former law enforcement officer, and mental health advocate. He is also the creator of a note taking system called SmartWisdom, built from his own need to learn in a way his brain could hold onto. His new memoir, Finding Peace of Mind, shares his story through bipolar disorder, depression, addiction, and dyslexia, plus the tools he uses to stay grounded.
Late Diagnosis and the Relief of a Name
Jonathan did not learn he had dyslexia until age 49. He shared how SmartWisdom came first, built during postgraduate and master’s programs because he knew old study habits would fail him. Then he found out why.
He said, “So I developed smart wisdom as a way of helping me understand the information because it forced me to process it, which meant that it stuck much better. What I didn’t realize was the reason I did it was because I had dyslexia.”
Dyslexia gets misunderstood a lot. Research estimates dyslexia affects about 15 to 20 percent of people worldwide. Many adults live undiagnosed, which tracks with what Jonathan lived for decades.
What stuck with me most was the emotional recoil he felt during testing. He explained how a math question pushed him right back into childhood shame, and “I started crying. So a 49 year old man who’s being tested for dyslexia.” The brain keeps receipts. Even when you think you are past the pain.
His diagnosis did not fix everything overnight, but he described something many of us know well. Over time, “things started to make sense.” That sense making is not small. When you have blamed yourself for your wiring, clarity feels like air.
Dyslexia is not One Look or One Experience
Jonathan broke down dyslexia in a way that felt real and human. He said dyslexia is different person to person, naming strengths and struggles in the same breath.
He shared, “I’m really good at sort of seeing the whole seeing a picture, seeing how everything fits together. But I’m not great at verbal reasoning or numerical reasoning.”
He described slow reading, skipping lines, misreading words, and mental processing overload when someone gives multi step directions. He said, “my brain just scrambles and I just can’t do this.”
One more layer matters here. Dyslexia often comes with stress, anxiety, and depression risk, especially when school and work environments do not support different learning styles. Jonathan named this plainly when he said dyslexia can create “extreme stress,” and stress then triggers bipolar crashes.
If you live with dyslexia, ADHD, or another learning difference, hear this part clearly. A struggle with processing does not equal a lack of intelligence, effort, or character. Your brain works differently. Full stop.
Bipolar Type Two, Hypomania, and the Part People Miss
Jonathan lives with bipolar type two. He described a cycle many listeners might recognize even without the label. The spike into overdrive, then the crash into nothingness.
He said that during postgraduate studies, each coursework packet triggered a crash of fear and hopelessness, followed by a high driven by urgency and perfection. “And these highs and crashes lasted for two years. And I had no idea what was going on.”
Bipolar disorder affects about 2.8 percent of adults in a given year, with about 4.4 percent experiencing bipolar at some point in life. Bipolar type two includes hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes, without full manic episodes.
He described hypomania in terms of behavior patterns, saying, “It was like hyper analysis, hyper planning, hyper organizing, hypertension, hyper socializing.”
Then came the insight that changed how he manages his health. “I just need to manage and try and avoid having these highs because if I don’t have a high, I don’t have a crash.”
That line matters for anyone learning to spot patterns in mood, energy, or behavior. The goal is not moral control. The goal is awareness and support.
Why Getting a Diagnosis Changed His Life
Jonathan said something I want you to sit with if you have spent years guessing what is wrong.
He said, “the greatest freedom that I had, and it really it was a sort of starting block is to get a diagnosis from a medical professional.”
Not because a diagnosis cages you. Because a diagnosis gives you a map. You stop shadowboxing an invisible enemy. You start learning how your brain works, then you build around truth instead of shame.
He shared how reading bipolar books later in life helped him understand type one versus type two, hypomania versus mania, and what his own patterns meant. That curiosity gave him language and direction.
Tools He Swears By When Life Feels Unsafe Inside
Jonathan’s memoir is structured as both story and survival guide. He built parts the way his mind works, analytical, process driven, and rooted in lived experience.
He listed three core elements in his book:
- The thoughts that blocked help. He wrote about beliefs like “taking medicine is a weakness,” then challenged each one with what he knows now.
- Fourteen foundation stones. He put these in priority order for himself. His top two are sleep and mindfulness. He said, “If I don’t get decent sleep, everything else goes kaput.”
- An emergency action list for crashes. First steps are mindset and professional care, then practical supports, books, and resources.
When I asked what someone should do when they start feeling powerless, he kept the answer simple and grounded.
He said, “The one thing I can do, which helps me is mindfulness. I will focus on my breathing until my brain calms down. And then what I then do is I then write a really simple action plan of whatever I need to be doing.”
Here is a starter version you can try today:
- Pause and breathe. Slow in. Slow out. Count if you need structure.
- Write a short action plan. Three items max.
- Start with the easiest or most interesting task. Momentum builds safety.
- Reach out to a trusted person or a qualified clinician if your mind is moving toward harm.
I am not a licensed mental health professional. I share lived experience and supportive tools, not diagnosis or treatment. If you relate to the darker parts of this episode, seek help from a qualified professional in your area. Your safety matters more than any stigma.
Why I Want You to Read ‘Finding Peace of Mind’
Jonathan’s book Finding Peace of Mind is out now. His story speaks to high functioning people who still feel haunted inside, to late diagnosed adults trying to rewrite their self story, and to anyone who needs proof that healing is possible even after decades of chaos.
His closing message in the episode is one I keep thinking about. He said, “Everything that you’re experiencing is completely normal. There’s nothing surprising. and you can get help.”
If your brain has been your loudest critic, I hope this episode and this recap help you name what is happening, reach for support, and keep choosing life.
Much love. Good vibes. – Ky
