Extreme mood swings are not uncommon among some people and hence often neglected. If not treated in time, it may be the beginning of bipolar disorder, a serious mental illness, that can take a toll on one’s life.
Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch impressionist painter, would have been the most famous patient of bipolar disorder had it been correctly diagnosed. His birthday, which falls on March 30, is observed as World Bipolar Day every year under the aegis of the International Society for Bipolar disorders (ISBD) and the Asian Network of Bipolar Disorder (ANBD) along with the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) with the aim to enhance global education on BD, to encourage open discussions, and to ensure improved sensitivity about the disease.
“For BD patients, there may be phases of extreme highs to the level of a maniac to that of extreme low that may be characterised by depression,” said T. Manoj Kumar, director, Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT), that offers free community-based mental health care to economically backward sections and support activities.
BD is incurable, but treatable to the extent that the patients could lead a normal life. “A patient cannot control one’s bipolar nature themselves. Only proper treatment helps,” Dr. Manoj Kumar said. It is not wise to ignore BD, thinking it will go away eventually. It becomes worse the longer it remains untreated. It can have a huge impact on the patient’s life, adversely affecting studies, career, relationships, and health. “In a state of low, patients may show suicidal tendencies too,” Dr. Manoj Kumar added.
On World Bipolar Day, MHAT will organise an interactive session with those who have survived BD on MHAT campus at Chalappuram at 2.30 p.m. Expert psychiatrists will speak on several aspects of the disease on the occasion.
