My first case of mental
illness just about when I was starting my residency training in psychiatry back
in 2006 was a case of Bipolar Disorder.
Jimmy (not real name) is
like a younger brother and he came to pay me a visit at home. He appeared very
happy however everything else seemed fine. He shared with me some of his new
spiritual experiences and how he had become bolder and more expressive of
himself. He simply said that he was having one of the best times of his life
and that he had all these fabulous ideas going through his mind. We chatted till
about 12 midnight then I had to stop the discussion simply because I had to go
to work the following day. At about 3 a.m. Jimmy was up again. He woke me up
saying that he wanted to chat some more because he had discovered that, in his
words, “great men don’t have need of sleep.” It was at that point that it hit
me that Jimmy was having a mental breakdown.
Jimmy has a condition
called Bipolar Disorder. Read about the signs and symptoms Here and Here. The
proportion of any population regardless of ethnicity, race or geographical
location that is usually affected by this illness is usually about 2%. Young people
with Bipolar disorder have far greater risk of committing suicide.
Some famous people who are
known to have this illness are Ted Turner, an American Billionaire media mogul,
founder of CNN; Jean Claude Van Damme-a very successful
martial art actor; and Winston Churchill-a famous British Prime Minister who
was noted for his leadership of the British Army during the Second World War.
Bipolar disorder, though
challenging, can be managed when proper management is sought. Remember that “when
you are better educated about what you are dealing with, then you are never
without hope.” Let’s spread the awareness not the stigma. Talk to a
professional today.
#demystifyingmentalillness
#PDoc
#diaryofapsychiatrist
