A recent study that concluded anti-depressants are ”not grounded in science” sounded an alarm to the 500,000 Irish people taking them.
Researchers cast doubt on the prescription of such medication, stating depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance.
However, leading psychiatrists say depression is widely known as a complex illness, not down to simply a lack in happy hormone serotonin.
Consultant psychiatrist Patricia Casey stated: “Anti-depressants are a lifesaver for many.
“As a practising clinician, I am in no doubt to their benefits. I witness them every day of my working life. To anyone considering stopping their medication I would say ignore the headlines and keep taking the pills.”
Mental health campaigner, author, wellness speaker and ambassador for Aware Liam Gildea, who has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, believes criticising anti-depressants is “dangerous – without a caveat”.
He said: “There is substantial evidence that for conditions like bipolar disorder, medication is a key cornerstone of recovery.
“Twenty years not taking medication, I went through periods of suicide ideation, not being able to function at a basic level.
“Taking medication I can function, have the ability to change careers, write a book and live a perfectly normal life.”
The 38-year-old, from Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, was diagnosed in 2013.
His book High Life Low Life documents his experience with bipolar illness, type II, since he left an accountancy career to work as a wellness facilitator with the HSE.
Here, Liam writes about finding an equilibrium, having suffered through intense highs and suicidal lows.
I was rocketing, and my behaviour was becoming increasingly erratic. It was 10 years ago this year – October 2012.
I had a beautiful feeling of sheer bliss. Almost a feeling of invincibility – not a worry in the world. I was in a state of instant gratification, a delay in such was never an option. Online dating went hand-in-hand with my elated mood.
On this occasion, I was to meet up with a lady from Chicago who was in Sligo on holiday. We had met online the day before on Plenty of Fish.
I was living in Galway at the time, but a two-hour drive on a Monday evening wouldn’t deter me.
We chatted and had a few drinks over the next hour. She told me some unwelcome news – she was sharing a hotel room with her parents. To my surprise, she suggested a walk of the hotel’s five floors. We eventually came across a storage room full of pillows and duvets. Without a second thought, we went in. She was as brazen as me.
We spent a while in that pokey little storage room. Not for a second did I think of the repercussions if a hotel staff member had walked in, her sitting on top of me, wearing nothing but a smile.
That was me when I was in a hypomanic phase. I took sexual risks.
I enjoyed the spontaneity of it all, not caring for the consequences.
Next – a Tuesday evening in mid-April 2013. I’m on my way home from Galway. The journey is mostly a blur. I recall the teeming rain beating my windscreen.
My mind is dangerously absent. I am suicidal. I haven’t slept or eaten properly in weeks. I weigh eight stone. I’m frail and gaunt. All I want is to be dead, nothing else. It would be such a relief.
I stop off to meet my cousin. I’m not able to articulate the depths of my despair. I find it very difficult to structure basic sentences. I can tell he’s worried as he’s never seen me at such a low ebb. I’m in tears. He talks of hospitalisation as a good intervention.
At this stage, these lows were happening most years. Earlier in the day my GP called. He’s very concerned. I have to meet him first thing on Wednesday morning.
My parents are worried. I’m low. The suicidal thoughts are incessant.
I go to bed early. I stare at the ceiling all night. The house is eerily quiet. I pray to God to die overnight. I can’t face another day of this hell. I head into my GP for 9am. I tell him that I have no interest in living and if an opportunity arose, I’d take my own life.
For my own safety he refers me to A&E. He tells me there’s a psychiatric day care centre in Claremorris, the town next to me.
If he puts me on a referral list, I would be up to two months waiting. We both know I’ll be dead if the intervention isn’t by Friday. If I go through emergency, they’ll be able to fast track me into the clinic by tomorrow.
These stories sum up my life over a 20-year period running from one depressive episode into a hypomanic episode with no in-between.
I displayed all the classic symptoms of someone with bipolar. When elated I had an abundance of energy, no need for sleep and spent every penny I had.
I also experienced rapid speech, an insatiable desire to talk continuously, culminating in running up phone bills of over €500 a month. I became very grandiose, veering into arrogance. I experienced hypersexuality.
After a period of being elated for a few months, like clockwork I would enter a severe depressive episode. Chronic insomnia, no energy or interest in life and persistent thoughts of suicide. These depressive episodes could last anything from nine to 18 months. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
There are two main types: Bipolar I and bipolar II. The main difference being the levels of elated mood.
Bipolar II disorder is a milder form of mood elevation called hypomania. In both conditions, the sufferer experiences severe depression.
Many famous people have the disorder including Stephen Fry, Mel Gibson and Sinead O’Connor. Kurt Cobain, Carrie Fisher and Winston Churchill were also diagnosed with the illness.
Carrie Fisher spoke very candidly saying: “Bipolar disorder can be a great teacher. It’s a challenge, but it can set you up to be able to do almost anything else in your life.”
Scientists are now saying growing evidence suggests that people who are genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder are more likely than others to show high levels of creativity. Particularly in artistic fields where strong verbal skills are helpful.
Fortunately, it’s now over three years since my last episode. I take medication three times a day, coupled with a healthy lifestyle and sleep pattern. All this keeps my disorder in check.
My diagnosis – abeit challenging – has opened many doors of opportunity, such as being an ambassador for Aware, giving mental health talks and providing a platform to change career.
I recently wrote a book on my experiences called High Life Low Life: Living with Bipolar Disorder which is available at www.buythebook.ie.
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder affects one in 100 of the population – an estimated 45,000 people in Ireland.
It is characterised by periods of depression and highs.
The depression phase is marked by feelings of sadness, anxiety and guilt, with low energy, poor concentration, loss of interest in life, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
The elation phase is the opposite, feeling enthusiastic, excited, angry and irritable, high levels of energy that manifest in reduced need for sleep, over-talkativeness and over-activity, racing thoughts, indecision, increased interest in pleasurable activities and adventures involving sex, drugs, alcohol, music and art, high self-esteem, recklessness and feelings of invincibility and grandiosity. If you feel you have bipolar disorder, it is recommended that you talk to your GP. Do not try to deal with it alone.
There are a number of treatment options such as lifestyle changes, talk therapies and medication or a combination of these.
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