Managing Bipolar Affective Disorder

Managing bi polar affective disorder, otherwise known as manic depression can be really hard alone. That is why we at Flippinmental mental have come together to form a group in Sheffield so that we can learn together. We believe that knowledge is essential when it comes to managing your own mental health. Why am I ‘flippinmental’?. I am ‘flippinmental’ because I have for the most part of my life flip flopped from one extreme mood to another. Often being the life and soul of the party getting up to all kinds of crazy adventures but then on the flip side there has always been a dark side to my personality, spending months at a time deeply morose, sad and very lonely. I had always known that there was something different about me, not that I didn’t have friends or I was a loner or anything, just different. Now I know why that is my life has been enriched as I finally belong to a community with other people who are as bonkers as I. I, probably like many of you reading this, have been thrown into the world of mental health without much warning and certainly not by choice. Up until two years ago I never would have considered myself to have a mental health problem, despite the fact that I have lived for the last 20 years of my life feeling as if on the edge of something quite scary. Something happened to me two years ago that has changed the course of my life forever. At best this illness has allowed me to fulfil my creative potential where I have learned how to write from the heart, created art work and had the confidence to deliver powerful and passionate speeches. At worst this illness has very nearly cost me my life. After a long struggle of non acceptance and denial I am now learning to live with my illness and although the personal cost has been tremendously high and the stigma associated with mental ill health and suicide attempts is still very much all around me, I have learned to love myself for who I am and know that it is not me who has caused this to happen. The key to recovery is learning coping strategies, manic depression isn’t going to go away but there are ways, alongside medication, that we can manage to live normal lives. Check out Bipolar Focus, they have a great web site filled with ideas and good clear information on coping skills http://www.moodswing.org/bpcoping.htm#doctor. On this web site you will find Mood Charts and some wonderful information on suicidal thoughts and feelings. http://www.survivingbipolar.com/ is an anonymous open forum for you to share ideas, look at research and talk to professionals. One of the things that has really helped me in my recovery is being able to talk to others who have the same condition. I am fortunate in the fact in the area that I live in there is a support group run by the Manic depression Fellowship, http://www.mdf.org.uk/ where I have met like minded people with whom I have been able to talk and share ideas. The internet has many different chat rooms available for bi polar sufferers which can be a great source of support. Check out http://www.stepchat.com/bipolar/room1.htm here you will find a large group of people, some of who have lived with this illness for many years and are experts on manic depression.