Bipolar support group marks its second anniversary

THE Warrington Bipolar UK Support Group will be marking its second anniversary with a mobile stall in Warrington town centre tomorrow (Friday) – World Bipolar Day.
The group was set up by former Warrington Mayor Geoff Settle who is the group’s lead facilitator.
He said, “World Bipolar Day is designed to raise awareness worldwide of bipolar conditions and to work to eliminate social stigma whilst providing information to educate and help people understand the condition”
Bipolar, sometimes known as manic depression, is a severe mental illness characterised by significant mood swings including manic highs and depressive lows. Everyone experiences changes in mood but when you have bipolar, the symptoms are severe, affecting all areas of life. On average a diagnosis can take up to 10 years and then this can be followed by delays in receiving medication and treatment.
Mr Settle said: “The aim of our Warrington support group is to fill those gaps and spaces and get people talking about their experiences as soon as they want to. Everyone has a different story and the group has a wealth of experience about living with their illness and the effect it has on them, their family and friends.
“Since the launch of the Warrington Support Group 30 people have signed up with approximately a dozen of them regularly attending our monthly meetings. There is a good mix of people and everyone says that they enjoy the evenings and get a lot out of them.”
Gill who joined recently, said: “The hardest thing for me was that first night when I walked through the door. I didn’t know what to expect and thought that I might see depressed people with their heads in their hands or some hanging from the rafters.
“It was neither they are a great bunch who speak openly and honestly.
There are no experts but what there is, is a wealth of knowledge and advice. I was immediately put at ease and now it’s like meeting up with a group of friends for a chat.”
During the first two years members have worked with the local NHS to help develop their Bipolar service model and several speakers have visited to talk on a variety of topics for example Healthwatch and Dr Phil Cooper from State of Mind. One member even attended an international conference in London.
Mr Settle has recently benefitted greatly from being a research “guinea pig” at Lancaster University’s Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research.
They were looking for volunteers for a research study for older adults with Bipolar Disorder to investigate if Recovery Focused Therapy (RFT)can be used to the benefit of sufferers of the illness.
He Said “I received 14 one-hour therapy sessions spread over six months from Professor Fiona Lobban. Counseling like this has never been offered to me in over 21 years, but it is my intent to pass on to the group details about the physiological tools used in RFT and build on the success of the group.”
To find out more about RFT, the support group and living with bipolar e visit the stand in Golden Square on Friday.
The Warrington Bipolar UK Support Group meet on the first Tuesday of each month in the Gateway Centre at 7pm and is open to people suffering from the illness as well as family members and carers. There is no charge.
Further information can be found on the Bipolar UK web site https://www.bipolaruk.org or by calling support services on 0333 323 3880.

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