The highs and lows of living with bipolar disorder

Arlene Bailey is a country and folk music singer, originally from Co Kildare and an ambassador for the Informed Living Experience.

On a cold spring day on the banks of the Grand Canal in Naas, he shares his experience of living with bipolar II disorder, which is a mental health condition.

“For me, it’s my biggest mood swings,” she says.

“There are times, obviously, where I feel kind of level and stable, shall we say, but when I’m depressed, I’m very low and when I’m hypomanic… I can wash walls at four in the morning.

“So energy levels vary greatly from mood to mood.”

These days he would describe himself as “living well” with bipolar.

“It’s something I manage, and I’m pretty much in control,” she said.

But it took a long time for her to be properly diagnosed with this complex mental health condition.

“I was diagnosed with depression in my 20s and I think that bipolar disorder is a silent one because people will always seek help when or if they are in a low mood, they will not always notice the high or high hypo or manic phases.

“In most cases, and in my case, it wasn’t noticeable.”

Another two decades passed before Ms. Bailey was finally diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.

“You’re banging your head against the wall because you’re not treating the whole condition,” she said.

“It was a long time for me, I think, not knowing what was going on with me, always knowing that something was not right, but not knowing what it was.”

Unfortunately, Ms. Bailey is not alone.

Her experience of missing or missing the stage of her condition has been echoed by a number of people who, along with Ms Bailey, have shared their stories of living with bipolar to mark World Bipolar Day, which is today.

In his testimonial, Liam Gildea wrote: “Like many people who later receive a bipolar diagnosis, it takes years before mood swings begin to appear.

“For years I thought the highs were explained as productivity, energy or excitement. The lows were seen as burnout, stress, or just a part of life. What I didn’t know at the time was that these changes were part of bipolar II disease.”

According to Another Informed Living Experience Ambassador Julie Redan: “For years I was treated for depression until I was re-evaluated and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“When I first heard about it, I was in denial until I was told what bipolar was and it was like everything clicked,” she said.

“Getting a clear diagnosis can be difficult, taking up to 10 years on average,” according to Dr. Susan Brank, clinical director at Avar.

“An accurate diagnosis of bipolar and the specific type of bipolar a person is experiencing is essential to successful intervention,” she said.

‘Knowledge is power’

When Ms Bailey was diagnosed she said she experienced a “mixed bag” of emotions.

“Until I had all the facts, I thought it was kind of a scary diagnosis,” she says.

But she saw that it was a positive change in her life.

“Knowledge is power, isn’t it? So if you know what you’re dealing with, you can get on the right track and deal with the right people.”

Last year, Ms Bailey took part in mental health charity Aware’s free eight-week programme, called ‘Living Well with Bipolar’.

“I think the days of stigma are slowly passing and one of the things I’ve actively done since my diagnosis is to talk to people, speak out and encourage others to do the same because we don’t have to be ashamed.”

“It’s no different than doing something wrong with your physical health,” he adds.

“There is help for you.

“It’s not always sunshine and roses, of course not, but I think with the right help, everyone can look towards a better future.”