Story by Rachel Shonhiwa
AS the world observes World Bipolar Day, mental health advocates are joining forces to raise awareness and promote understanding of this often-misunderstood condition.
The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Bipolar Strong,” which aims to celebrate the resilience of individuals living with bipolar disorder.
According to health coaches, bipolar disorder is a condition characterised by extreme mood swings, ranging from manic highs to depressive lows. This can be chaotic to manage, but advocates are working to support and empower those affected.
“This is a disorder where someone has mood swings that range from extreme highs to extreme lows. This year, we are celebrating them because they are doing it every day, they are copying, they are managing and we are here to hold hands with them to say they are not in this fight alone. We will stand with them, we will support them and we will listen to them,” mental health coach, Jeceline Mupini said.
“Bipolar disorder is a disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to extreme highs. The extremely high episodes may include symptoms such as high energy, reduced need for sleep and loss of touch with reality. Depressive episodes may include symptoms such as low energy, low motivation and loss of interest in daily activities. Both episodes may also be associated with suicidal thoughts, although it is usually during the extreme lows,” integrative psychotherapist and Director of Insight Well-being, Mertha Mo Nyamande added.
In the African context, addressing mental health issues like bipolar disorder can be challenging due to societal stigma and lack of understanding. However, experts emphasise that treatment options are available.
“In the African, context we have challenges addressing these mental health issues because our society does not appreciate that people really do suffer from these disorders. We can have many interventions such as therapist-to-individuals, they can be on anti-depressants medication, they can also be referred to annex hospitals, here we have Patirenyatwa Annex department,” Mental Health Coach, Fortune Maruta stated.
“Treatment can also be in the form of medication which we call mood stabilisers or talk therapy which helps to understand what is happening in the mind of the person with the disorder. And also the social element where we look at the environment and see what is going on around them so that we can help to remedy those difficulties and help this person stabilise and be able to deal with life in general,” Nyamande added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 40 million people globally live with bipolar disorder, and to raise awareness, understanding, and support for those affected, World Bipolar Day is observed annually on March 30.
