As young people we don’t want to know about mental health issues. Why would we? Surely it’s in the realm of the nutty old people you see talking to themselves in the street or the celebs who’ve done too many drugs? Not so. Many young people suffer from some form of mental health issue and it’s worth knowing that 1 in 3 of us will suffer from a mental health disorder (MHD) at some point in our life.

What is ipolar?

Bipolar Affective Disorder, also known as manic depression, is one of the most common MHDs and has been diagnosed in people as young as 6. Bipolar is a personality disorder that affects mood. ‘Bi’ as in two, ‘Polar’ as in the opposites a sufferer may experience in moods. Sometimes very depressed others very manic and energised. In some cases both. There are different scales of Bipolar, some people only have mild mood changes, others suffer severe or potentially dangerous mood swings.

In a manic phase a person can feel incredibly powerful, happy and creative. They might not need as much sleep or feel hungry. In extreme or prolonged manic behaviour people can experience frustration, irritability and psychosis (loss of contact with reality). In a depressed phase, Bipolar people suffer from clinical depression. This isn’t just feeling a bit blue like we all do at times, feelings of intense sadness, anxiety, anger, isolation and hopeless are common. In extreme cases some people can be driven to self harm or even suicide.
I spoke to Kate, 15, who was diagnosed with Bipolar at 13. She described her life during depressive phases, “It can feel like a movie, as if you’re detached from yourself. You’re living in a dark place and no matter what’s going on in your life you can feel completely alone and hopeless”.

“Your head’s like electricity,
sparking all
the time,”

The worst state of Bipolar for some is the mixed phase, although not all sufferers will experience this. Kate explained that instead of feeing elated and powerful, there is anxiety, paranoia and panic, “Your head’s like electricity, sparking all the time, it’s quite scary, you’re constantly on edge.”

Who gets Bipolar?

Bipolar is known to affect about 1% of the population but many people are thought to be undiagnosed. The number of teens it affects is unknown but the illness affects both sexes alike. Anyone can develop Bipolar but around two thirds of sufferers have a parent or close relative with it, highlighting a genetic link.

How is it controlled or treated?

Most people with Bipolar are put on mood stabilising drugs that help to control extreme highs and lows in mood. Most sufferers, unless they are a danger to themselves or others, have the choice of whether they want to try medication. Some prefer to monitor their moods and deal with them through counselling, therapy or other methods. Studies show that around 40% of known suffers are not being treated through conventional medicine. Kate has never taken medication for her condition. She told me “I would rather avoid it because of side effects but if it becomes necessary then I guess I’ll have to.”

“My high phases mean I’m creative and happy.”

It’s not all bad

Hearing all this you may be thinking… life must be terrible if you have Bipolar. So you may be surprised to know, many people with Bipolar feel there are positives to their condition and see it as a part of who they are. Perhaps one of the worse things is that it’s generally misunderstood and stigmatised by society. Many successful people are believed to have benefited from the insight Bipolar has given them and even creative phases brought on through the condition. Vincent Van Gough himself is said to have created most of his masterpieces during manic phases.

In his documentary ‘The secret life of the manic depressive’, author and actor Stephen Fry interviewed a wide range people with Bipolar, young and old alike. After learning of their individual experiences and battles with the condition he asked them all the same question “If you could push a button that would get rid of your Bipolar, would you?” Only one person suffering with very severe depression said yes. Just one person. When I asked Kate the same question she didn’t hesitate in her response, “I wouldn’t give up being Bipolar, it may not be ‘normal’ but it’s normal for me. My high phases mean I’m creative and happy.”

The changing stigmas of mental health problems…

In this day and age it’s unfortunate that mental health problems are still largely seen as unacceptable or embarrassing, as prejudice certainly makes coping harder. I asked friends and editorial members at Cube HQ what they thought, and I wasn’t that surprised when most said they didn’t know much about them. What did surprise me however was that nearly all of them knew someone with a mental health problem.

So why, if more people and even celebs are speaking up, do MHDs still have a stigma? The root of the problem lays in our ignorance in history, when we didn’t have the scientific knowledge or understanding we have today. Not so long ago you would have been locked away by family, shamed and often unnecessarily institutionalised for life, for treatable problems doctors then knew little about.

Although medicine has thankfully changed, the image of ‘crazy’ is being maintained by the media who prefer to concentrate on the entertainment possibilities of MHDs. News coverage of Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears are good examples. Regardless of the fact they highlight that anyone can suffer from mental health issues, including the rich and famous, we still don’t understand them. For example, few of us know that drug and alcohol abuse are related to mental health problems. Young people are still being raised with the idea that people suffering from MHDs are all blights on society or dangerous and many dramas and Hollywood blockblusters encourage this idea.

Fortunately over the last 40 years there has been a gradual change in people’s perceptions of MHDs but we’ve a long way to go. Books and films such as Girl, Interrupted, which highlights the changing attitudes to mental health in the 60s and 70s and classic, One flow over the cuckoo’s nest, have pioneered new understanding. National campaigns are furthering awareness and celebrities such as Stephen Fry are not afraid to speak out. Thanks to these forward steps and young people like Kate, mental health discrimination will in time be widely recognised as just as unacceptable as judging someone on gender, sexuality or race.

If you think you or someone you know has Bipolar, contact your GP or the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 in confidence. back to top