World Bipolar Day
Ciao, Happy Minds. Did you know World Bipolar Day falls on March 30th? It’s held on Van Gogh’s birthday, since he was posthumously diagnosed with the disorder. It felt like a good moment to talk about bipolar—something that affects around 60 million people worldwide. That’s up to 1 in 20 of us. So chances are, someone in your life is living with it, whether you realise it or not.
A close friend of mine was diagnosed a few years ago, and I’ve been lucky to have some really honest, open chats with her—let’s call her Ivy*(not her real name). Through those conversations, I’ve started to understand what it’s really like to live with bipolar disorder—the intense highs, the crashing lows, and the constant effort it takes to try and keep some sense of balance.
The Highs And The Lows
We all know what it is to experience ups and downs, but for someone with Bipolar, these states of being can be much more extreme. Highs can be coupled with frenzied activity, seemingly endless drive, and even reckless behaviour, followed by periods of depression, lethargy, extremely low motivation and (sometimes) suicidal ideation during the lows.
For Ivy*, the decision to live a life-free from alcohol and drugs was the only way she could give herself the best possible chance of managing her symptoms, but she certainly didn’t arrive at that decision lightly. Like Van Gogh, Ivy* is also passionately artistic, albeit within the field of music, a scene that is generally synonymous with the use of recreational drugs and alcohol. For an individual who is already experiencing extreme highs and lows, alcohol and drugs may add fuel to the fire, and they may find it even harder to establish a daily equilibrium. While some individuals may go weeks, months or even years between episodes, others may find themselves shifting rapidly, even daily, between extremes.
World Bipolar Day
World Bipolar Day is a global collaboration between the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, the Asian Network of Bipolar Disorder, and the International Bipolar Foundation. It’s all about raising awareness of the unique challenges people face when living with this condition—and about challenging the stigma and outdated stereotypes that still surround it.
It’s important work, because bipolar disorder might just be one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions out there. We’ve all seen the way it’s been misrepresented in TV and film—often reduced to extremes, drama, or danger, without any real nuance or humanity. These portrayals don’t just miss the mark—they add to the stigma, making it harder for people to feel safe opening up or being truly seen. So the more we try to understand the realities of living with bipolar, the more we can shift the narrative.
Take this, for example: a UK-based survey found that while 90% of people with bipolar had told their employer about their diagnosis, almost a quarter of them later regretted it.
That says a lot. It shows how far we still have to go in creating spaces—at work, in our communities, even among friends—that are genuinely inclusive, judgement-free, and supportive. No one should feel like they have to hide who they are in order to be safe or accepted.
Learning More About Bipolar
There are loads of really good resources out there if you want to learn more about the Bipolar experience. This article on the Bipolar UK website does an excellent job of explaining the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that someone with Bipolar might be experiencing. You can also find a free 20 minute e-learning resource if you want to deepen your own understanding, or those of your friends, family or co-workers as part of this year’s World Bipolar Day. If you prefer to raise awareness, perhaps you could host a challenge or fund-raiser, making use of the hashtags below, and if you need support with your mental health you can speak to someone at Samaritans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Resources and Hashtags
#LetsEndBipolarStigma
#WorldBipolarDay
