Arlene Bailey is a country and folk music singer and Aware Lived Experience Ambassador from County Kildare.
On a cool spring day on the banks of the Grand Canal in Naas, she shares her experience of living with bipolar II disorder.
“I tend to have extreme mood swings,” she says.
“Of course, there are times when I feel somewhat calm and stable, but when I’m depressed, I’m very depressed, and when I’m hypomanic…I can be up at 4 a.m. cleaning walls.
“So your energy level varies a lot depending on your mood.”
She recently described herself as “living well” despite living with bipolar disorder.
“It’s something I manage and I have a lot of control over,” she said.
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However, 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 bipolar disorder is a sneaky disease because people always seek help when they’re feeling low or down, but they don’t necessarily notice when they’re high or low or manic.
“In many cases, and in my case, it went unnoticed.”
Another 20 years passed before Bailey was finally diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.
“It’s like banging your head against a wall because you’re not treating the complete condition,” she says.
“For me, I think it was a long time because I didn’t know what was happening to me and I always knew something wasn’t right, but I didn’t know what it was.”
Unfortunately, Bailey is not alone.
Her experience of missing or not accurately recognizing the stages of her condition was echoed by Ms Bailey and many others who shared their stories of living with bipolar disorder on Aware today, to mark World Bipolar Day.
Liam Gildea said in his testimony: “Like many people who are later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it took me many years to understand the pattern of my mood changes.
“For years, I thought highs were interpreted as productivity, energy, or ambition; lows were seen as burnout, stress, or just part of life. What I didn’t understand at the time was that these fluctuations were part of bipolar II disorder.”
Julie Reddan, another Aware Lived Experience Ambassador, said: “I was treated for depression for many years until a re-evaluation suggested bipolar disorder.
“When I first heard about it, I was in denial until someone told me what bipolar disorder was, but everything just clicked,” she said.
“Obtaining a clear diagnosis can be difficult, taking up to 10 years on average,” said Dr. Susan Brannick, clinical director at Aware.
She said, “Correct diagnosis of both bipolar disorder and the specific type of bipolar disorder a person is experiencing is essential for successful intervention.”
An estimated 40 million people worldwide have bipolar disorder. Mr Aware said it was around one in 50 people in Ireland.
Aware provides a range of free support to people with bipolar disorder and their families through support lines, counseling, peer-to-peer support groups, and educational programs.
“Knowledge is power”
Ms Bailey said she experienced a “mixture” of emotions when she was diagnosed.
“I thought this was a bit of a scary diagnosis until I got all the facts,” she says.
However, she came to understand that it was a positive turning point in her life.
“Knowledge is power, right? Really, if you know what you’re getting into, you’ll be on the right path and dealing with the right people.”
Last year, Ms Bailey took part in a free eight-week program called Living Well with Bipolar Disorder from mental health charity Aware.
“I think the days of stigma are slowly coming to an end. One of the things I’ve been proactive about since being diagnosed is talking to people, speaking up and encouraging them to do so, because they shouldn’t be embarrassed,” she says.
“It’s no different than having something wrong with your physical health,” she added.
“Help is out there for you.
“It’s not always sunshine and roses blooming, of course it’s not, but I think with the right help, anyone can look to a better future.”
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