It was only during a diagnostic interview1 for a research study I was participating in that I realized the whole succession of psychotic symptoms I had. In hindsight, mine was a textbook manic episode, which together with my family history and subsequent episodes of depression assured a diagnosis of Bipolar Affective Disorder, Type I. Yet diagnostic checklists cannot fully explain the experience of developing, living and recovering from psychosis; nor how such experiences affect working as a clinician. I make no apologies for this richer and necessarily unsanitized account of accessing and working in Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services. In this piece I will describe a little of my experiences of manic psychosis and my experience of accessing an EIP service. I will then reflect on my experience of working clinically in light of what I have experienced.