GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - World Bipolar Day is commemorated every year on 30 March to honour the courage and strength of people living with bipolar disorder.
The day aims to shed light on educating and promoting the spread of information about this mental illness and most importantly, to end the stigma associated with being diagnosed with a bipolar disorder.
"It can happen to anyone at any time in their life," says Dr Anthony Petrie, psychiatrist at George Hospital. Petrie explains that our mental health is "part and parcel" of being human and being alive and that we should seek care for our mental health just as we would for any other health condition.
"I'm dealing with humans; humans are a very fascinating being in their entirety. It's different than dealing with a limb or an organ or a biological system, it is dealing with people as a whole," says Petrie.
Acting operational manager in the mental health ward, Pamella Njibana, describes bipolar disorder as a mental health condition whereby a person experiences two different moods, but not at the same time, instead of experiencing normal feelings. "At times a person will experience extreme sadness or extreme happiness," she says.
"During episodes of experiencing extreme sadness, symptoms will include too much sleep, loss of appetite and feelings of worthlessness. When patients experience episodes of extreme happiness, they feel like the most important person in the world with lots of energy. They spend money excessively, lose social inhibitions and get involved in sexual relationships. When they are manic that can impact their life negatively."
Njibana encourages us all to learn and educate ourselves on bipolar disorder and other various mental health illnesses.
"If you have someone in your family who has bipolar disorder, accept the person for who they are and do not judge them, because tomorrow it could be your sister or child."
George Hospital offers a variety of psychiatric mental health treatments.
This includes medication, counselling, social support services such as family support meetings, and educating patients on their disease and how to treat and cope with it.
According to Petrie, the medical staff at George Hospital provide in-patients with activities such as drawing, painting, writing, baking and constant encouragement and motivation, which play a crucial role in their healing and treatment process.
"Suffering from a mental health condition simply confirms the fact that you are human, and you are not alone," he says.
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