If you check out my blog on a regular basis, you will know that I usually keep the topic mainly to music as it is a passion of mine; but this week I thought I would make it personal and blog about a topic extremely important to me… mental health and mood disorders.
There is something that many of you don’t know about me, but, I live with a Bipolar disorder. It is not really a secret, nor am I ashamed of it; it’s just not an easy topic to slip into a conversation without the stigmas behind it popping up somewhere along the way. My hope is that if you are reading this and you are silently suffering from a mood disorder of some sort, that it may help you to know that you are not as alone as you may feel... and there are people just like you who can relate.
Depression and Bipolar are very real disorders that people have to deal with daily. I am not talking about just having “the blues” from time to time; I am talking about going through every day feeling genuinely sad, anxious, pessimistic, paranoid, helpless and hopeless. It is not something that can be turn off and on at will; believe me, if it were that easy I would have glued the switch in the”off” position a long time ago.
I was originally diagnosed about 8 years ago as having a depression disorder; originally it was clinical depression, but through further testing it was discovered that I was and am Bipolar. The thing about depression is that over time it becomes difficult to remember a time when you haven’t felt depressed; as a result, I honestly don’t remember when I first started feeling depressed… it seems as if it has been with me my entire life, right from childhood. What I do remember of my early experiences with depression, is the doctor who first diagnosed me. Dr “A” essentially saved my life by helping me to reclaim it. Guess what? Dr “A” was able to pick up on my depression because he too suffered from depression and knew what to look for.
Are you surprised to read that the doctor who diagnosed me suffered from depression? It is not uncommon at all; mental illness and mood disorders affect people of all ages, educational backgrounds, income levels, and cultures. If there is a blanketing problem with depression, it is the fact that not enough people talk about it, and there are still stigmas in place that depression and mental illness are a sign of weakness. That is simply not true.
Still don’t believe me? The best proof I can give you, is me. I am living proof that someone with a mood disorder or mental illness can lead a productive... and dare I say it… relatively normal life. I have worked in the public eye as a radio announcer for over 21 years now, I am married to an amazing woman, we have a beautiful son, and until you read this blog post, most of you would have never guessed what I live with internally daily. Oh, I have days when it is a struggle to leave the house or even speak to anyone; but I take my medications daily, I know my “triggers”, and I have a wonderful support system in my family, friends, and co-workers… and that is what helps me get through each day... the understanding from others. Even the company I work for – Corus Entertainment Inc. takes interest and supports the mental health of its employees by sending out helpful newsletters and emails on the topic… how amazing is that! What can I say? I am lucky enough to have some pretty wonderful people in my life.
May is Mental Health month. I encourage you to learn as much as you can about mental health and mood disorders; they may affect someone close to you, and your understanding and support can be the best thing you can do for them or anyone else you know. Day by day… person by person, we can start to get rid of the stigmas about these disorders, get rid of the ideas that they are a weakness, get rid of the ideas that people who suffer from these disorders are “crazy”, and help the people who are still struggling daily… to reclaim their lives.
I’m having a very good day… thanks for asking, and thanks for reading…
Until next time.