Living with Bipolar (Updated 7/8/2014)

With the return of Jean and Stacey to The Square this week, we caught up with Siobhan O’Neill from Time to Change’s Media Advisory Service. Time to Change advised the EastEnders team on the storylines for the mother and daughter - who both live with the experience of bipolar disorder.

“Time to Change is an anti-stigma campaign, run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness," Siobhan told us. "We work hard to reduce the discrimination faced by people with mental health problems and to try and improve public attitudes and understanding.

"Our continuing collaboration with EastEnders means we get a unique opportunity to show millions of people the reality of living with a mental health problem, especially using such well-known and much-loved characters as Jean and Stacey.

"There can be lots of common misconceptions about mental health that can lead to discrimination. With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem at some point in our lives, it’s time to recognise that it’s more common than you think.

Through their Media Advisory Service, Time to Change give feedback on scripts and link up writers, producers, researchers and actors with people who have personal experience of a particular mental health issue. They aim to help ensure that a character is able to show what the reality of mental ill health is, and that it’s portrayed sensitively and authentically too.

"The story of Jean and Stacey has had a powerful effect on how the bipolar disorder is perceived now," revealed Siobhan. "It has helped people to understand it can happen to anyone at any time. We know that EastEnders episodes get people talking about bipolar disorder and this goes a long way towards understanding what it’s like to live with it.

"With the return of Jean and Stacey, we’re enthusiastic to continue supporting EastEnders with their storylines so that viewers can learn more about mental health and feel better informed.”

Signs of bipolar

”If you have bipolar disorder you will experience extreme swings in mood. You can go through periods of overactive, overexcited behaviour – known as ‘mania or manic episodes’ and then have periods of deep depression too. Between these moods, you may also have times when things are relatively stable.

When you are having a manic episode you may experience one or more of the following symptoms, which include:

• Feeling euphoric – excessively ‘high'
• Restlessness
• Extreme irritability
• Talking very fast
• Racing thoughts
• Lack of concentration
• Having a lot of energy
• A reduced need for sleep
• A sense of own importance
• Poor judgement
• Excessive and inappropriate spending
• Increased sexual drive
• Risky behaviour
• Misusing drugs or alcohol
• Aggressive behaviour

You may feel like you are a genius and that you are the only person in the world who can see it the right way. You may not be aware of the changes in your attitude or behaviour while you are having a manic episode. However, after a manic phase is over, you may be shocked or frightened at what you have done and the effect that it has had.

When you are having a depressive episode, symptoms may include:

• A sense of hopelessness
• Feeling emotionally empty
• Feeling guilty
• Feeling worthless
• Chronic fatigue
• difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Weight loss or gain
• changes in appetite
• Loss of interest in daily life
• Lack of concentration
• Being forgetful
• Suicidal feelings

Sometimes people can also see and hear things that others don’t (known as visual or auditory hallucinations) or have beliefs or ideas that are uncommon or unshared (known as delusions).

These are the broad symptoms for bipolar disorder. If you are or someone close to you is experiencing any of these kinds of symptoms or feelings for some time and haven’t spoken to anyone, it’s really important that you seek help and support from your GP so that he can refer you for an assessment. If you have already been diagnosed you will have a care plan and be able to contact your mental health team.”

For further sources of advice and support visit: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk