Today is World Bipolar Day, a day that is observed on 30 March every year. It is celebrated on the birthday of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, whose creativity was paralleled with his mental illness and he was posthumously diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is fairly common, and around 1 in every 100 people will be diagnosed with it at some point in their life.
Bipolar disorder dramatically affects the mood and may result in episodes of depression or elation, which can take a toll on a person’s health, work, relationships and even day-to-day tasks like eating or sleeping.
Awareness days like today give us a chance to break the stigmas most people have about bipolar disorder. Just like fingerprints, no two bipolar disorders are the same, which makes characterising the illness all the more damaging.
Please watch and share the following video to help us dispel common misconceptions about bipolar!
For more information about support available, please visit: https://www.bsmhft.nhs.uk/our-services/specialist-services/bipolar-service-mds/
