In 2013, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a long-lasting period of depression; a few weeks ago, I was discharged as an out-patient after spending several weeks under a mental health home treatment team, having suffered a manic episode crammed with delusions, little sleep and a somewhat adamant neglect of both food and hygiene (I lost weight and I’m still in desperate need of a barber due to a matted dreadlock that has formed from the absence of a comb during this period).
Though the illness isn’t entirely life-consuming – one can lead a perfectly normal, fulfilled and enjoyable life with bipolar – it still, without the appropriate medical care, affects the quality of one’s life. Many young men and women die as a result of this illness because of suicide, drug addiction or risky behaviour caused by the nature of the illness. And the lack of awareness and funding for mental healthcare contributes to each one of these tragedies.
It shocks me that mental health is still a taboo subject in modern society. Most political parties barely acknowledge it; individuals who suffer from it remain closeted out of fear of losing their job, loved ones or opportunities; care is desperately underfunded and general understanding of it is comically poor. The Liberal Democrats are, to my knowledge, the only party that has directly addressed the issue of mental health in their manifesto and on the political main-stage. Though I’m certainly not suggesting that I joined the party purely because of a single issue, mental health was certainly a formative reason as to why I did.
A single line on the Lib Dem website – “(We) believe mental health should not be ignored or stigmatised. It should be taken as seriously as physical health” – sums up what I believe most mental health patients wish would be the case. When it’s not ignored, it’s often patronised, which is a form of stigmatisation. The Lib Dem policy, as spelled out by the same webpage under the heading “Choice in Mental Health”, of allowing patients to choose their own care path is vital in combating this, albeit well-meaning, stigmatisation. We mental health patients are not incapable of making our own choices, and the right and freedom to choose our own health plan should never be stripped from us. I applaud the policy makers of our party for this approach. We need not be nannied, only allowed to openly seek healthcare and be free to pick our own path to recovery. Linked with the funding of Time to Change, I see a party with a mature understanding of what mental health is and what sufferers endure in times of crisis.
I am proud to be a member of a party that not only takes mental health issues seriously, but acknowledges them openly as policy. I am proud that Nick Clegg, as unpopular as he may have been among my fellow student chums during the coalition years, spoke about mental health issues in the election debates of 2015 – and I am also proud that Tim Farron has picked up the torch to continue the fight for better lives for all mental health patients everywhere.
* Dean Moore is a student in Salford and has been a member of the Liberal Democrats since February 2016.
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3 Comments
Dean
A superb piece , great to have you in our party.Can I say that however good , bad or indifferent your care and treatment is , you must realise there is other help out there and support networks , online ,and organisations .Never give up on realising you are not alone, and need not feel as isolated if when you are in the space you are in now , you realise that , and take a look out there .And especially as a member of our party , carry on revealing who and what you are , it can make for , again, less isolation, when you might need a friend .
On another note , as someone who is a Liberal Democrat , someone who has known , and very well , three people with bi polar, I feel very strongly about this ,and on health in general , think our system is not good enough .We need your input into policy. Choice, alas, derided by leftists who are in my view , on that ,not Liberals , and also paid lip service to , by others on the political spectrum on the right or in the centre even ,who do not walk the talk , is something that is a Liberal prerequisite. The rich are powerful at some level because they are rich. They can make choices of entirely individual kinds that poorer individuals cannot , of treatment , practitioner , experts in various fields available to them.We must invest massive amounts more in health , but put the power for it being spent into the hands of the patient.
On a lighter, but just as important ,and appropriate ,note , have you seen the much ignored and superb, film with Richard Gere , about bi polar , called , “Mr. Jones” ?
Thanks for your post Dean. It’s great that you are able to talk about your experiences, and your perspective on what has been going on, or not going on, when it comes to how we view and prioritise mental health issues.
The Lib Dem’s open and realistic attitude towards mental health is one of the things I’m most proud of. I do think the tide is turning, and other parties are starting to follow, which is great, but only if they really mean it.
Welcome Dean. Lots of issues around mental health need tackling and the party has made great start. As the partner of someone with bipolar left languishing on pills for years (sleeping 12 hours a day) without any real assessment as to the need for those drugs or whether alternative non drug support could work, I think the whole thing is a scandal waiting to burst.