We Support World Bipolar Day

March 30th is World Bipolar Day (WBD), an important annual  global mental illness awareness day.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Mood disorders may affect a person’s ability to perform his or her activities of daily living, and the ability to perform employment duties. The most common types of mood disorders according to Johns Hopkins Medicine include major depression, dysthymia (chronic low-grade depression), bipolar disorder, mood disorder related to another health conditions (i.e. cancer) or substance induced mood disorder.

Bipolar disorder is considered a brain disorder. It causes unusual fluctuations in mood, energy, activity levels and one’s ability to carry out daily activities. It involves a “high” state, called mania or hypomania (depending on which type of bipolar disorder), a “low” state (depression) and a “well” state, where the person feels “well” and does not have difficulties functioning.

What is World Bipolar Day?

World Bipolar Day is an annual awareness day and educational initiative to bring world awareness to bipolar disorders and to end social stigma. It is celebrated on the birthday of Vincent Van Gogh - who was thought to have bipolar disorder. This is why it is often thought that there is a link between creativity and bipolar disorder.

It’s a day that brings the population around the world information about bipolar disorders to help educate and improve sensitivity towards the illness. It is a collaborative effort of multiple bipolar disorder foundations: the Asian Network of Bipolar Disorder (ANBD), International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF), and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD).

Why is it Important?

The goal of World Bipolar Day is to bring worldwide awareness to bipolar disorder, eliminate social stigma and provide information. Treatment is important for any type of illness, and stigma can prevent people from seeking treatment. Although bipolar disorder is a recognized medical condition, like diabetes or a heart condition, there are many places in the world that still don’t identify it as an illness.

There are many ways to participate in WBD virtually, which you can learn about on the World Bipolar Day website.

Important Facts to Consider

Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time in their lives through a family member, friend or colleague. Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures. 

World Bipolar Day is important because stigma or discrimination attached to mental illnesses presents a serious barrier, not only to diagnosis and treatment, but also to acceptance in the community. According to the WBD website, it is estimated that the global prevalence of bipolar disorder is between 1 and 2%, and may be as high as 5%.

Some other facts to consider:

World Health Organization

• Bipolar disorder affects approximately 45 million people worldwide

Mood Disorders Society of Canada

• Bipolar disorder affects 1.2% of the adult population in Canada
• The average age for onset of bipolar disorder is between 18-24 but it can also start in childhood or as late as 40s/50s.
• An equal number of men and women develop bipolar disorder
• The younger a person is when diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the more likely it is to have a genetic component

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness or addiction issue
• By age 40, 1 in 2 Canadians will have or have had a mental illness
• 46% of Canadians think people use the term mental illness as an excuse for bad behaviour
• 27% of Canadians say they would be fearful of being around someone who suffers from serious mental illness
• In any given week, 500,000 people are unable to work due to mental health problems, including approx. 355,000 disability cases due to mental/behavioural disorders and approx. 175,000 full time employees absent from work due to mental illness
  

For more information about bipolar disorders, the Canadian Psychological Association recommends visiting the following websites:

The Mood Disorders Society of Canada

http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

http://www.dbsalliance.org

The Canadian Mental Health Association

http://www.cmha.ca/

We understand how stressful it can be to receive a denial letter from your insurance company when you're going through a difficult time.

If you or someone you know have been denied disability benefits for any reason, do not hesitate to contact us for a free initial consultation that can be arranged at a time that is convenient for you. 

Our lawyers have experience with representing clients for various physical and psychological illnesses, including short-term and long-term disability claims where people are unable to work as a result of symptoms of various mood disorders.