Kanye’s crisis and the toll of bipolar on loved ones
RAPPER Kanye West has long had a reputation for attentionseeking and so, when he announced on July 4 that he was going to stand for the presidency, it was hard to know whether he was being serious or just seeking publicity.
But as his behaviour became increasingly erratic, it began to look as if West, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, was in the throes of a manic episode. Once known as manic depression, sufferers experience extreme mood swings, with periods of depression — during which they feel extremely low and lethargic — punctuated by manic episodes, when they feel very high and are overactive.
Unlike the mood swings that we are all subject to at one time or another, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks (or even longer).
And given West’s status as one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, if he has a mental meltdown, it is on display for all to see.
The first signs that all was not well came when he gave a rambling, four-hour interview to the business magazine Forbes but it was when he addressed a campaign rally last weekend sporting a bulletproof vest and with the year ‘2020’ shaved into his hair that his conduct gave major cause for alarm.
HIS behaviour has attracted as much mockery as concern, yet, to me, this all suggests someone who is in the throes of something very serious. It deserves our compassion and understanding, regardless of how rich or famous he is.
Of course, there’s no way of knowing precisely what’s going on in his mind and it would be wrong to speculate.
However, his wife — the reality show star Kim Kardashian — publicly addressed the issue on Instagram, describing him as ‘brilliant but complicated’.
On his bipolar condition, she said: ‘Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand.’
She said the family were ‘powerless’ and added that ‘people who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help, no matter how hard family and friends try’.
For me this really summed up the awful impact bipolar can have, not just on the individual but also on those around them.
I know the toll it can take as, sadly, I have both friends and family members who have this illness and it really can be exhausting trying to care for someone when they are in the midst of a manic episode.
It is only afterwards they come to realise the outlandish way they behaved and are overwhelmed with embarrassment. What can follow is a crash into crippling depression. The pressure this cycle places on those close to the person can be so great I’ve known it to tear families apart. According
to St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, bipolar disorder affects approximately one in 50 Irish adults. It affects men and women equally. It can occur at any age but is usually seen in late teensearly adulthood and affects people from all walks of life. St Patrick’s say the exact cause of bipolar disorder is not known, but research has indicated genetic, biological and environmental factors all seem to play a part.
BIPOLAR disorder can be treated with a variety of talking therapies and drugs known as ‘mood stabilisers’, such as lithium, and anti-psychotic medicines. Sufferers are also advised to take regular exercise, eat a balanced diet and ensure they get a good night’s sleep.
I wince whenever I hear people talk flippantly about ‘being a bit bipolar’ when they describe behaviour that is erratic or temperamental, for, in reality, it is a hugely disabling condition.
While doctors and campaigners have spent years encouraging people to be open about their struggles with mental health, the downside has been that many celebrities have opened up about their battle with bipolar and, as a result, it has come to be viewed as a ‘glamorous’ condition.
Indeed, I’ve had many patients come to me with regular mood swings who have been quite disappointed when I tell them they don’t have it.
Of course, as with many conditions, some have more serious symptoms than others. I know doctors, lawyers, and teachers with the condition who hold down jobs and maintain relationships.
But it is a condition that requires careful monitoring and, for many, serious psychiatric medication — sometimes for life. It’s certainly nothing to joke about.