Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
World Bipolar Day is celebrated on March 30 every year. This anniversary is a moment to raise public awareness of bipolar disorder, a mental health problem.
Bipolar itself is known as manic-depression. In this condition, sufferers often experience extreme mood swings, from being excited to suddenly becoming depressed.
World Bipolar Day theme
On this occasion, World Bipolar Day takes the theme “Bipolar Together”. This theme focuses on spreading positivity and letting those with bipolar disorder know that they are not alone.
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This departs from a survey which found 77 percent of people with bipolar claim to live isolated or feel alone. 81 percent felt that no one understood what they were going through.
Launching on the International Bipolar Foundation website, this day of remembrance aims to bring world awareness to the condition of bipolar and eliminate social stigma.
Through international collaboration, World Bipolar Day brings information to the world’s population about the bipolar condition that will educate and increase sensitivity to the condition.
This anniversary also coincides with the birthday of the Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He is well known for his works which are quite influential in the history of Western art.
History of World Bipolar Day
World Bipolar Day is an initiative of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) in partnership with the International Bipolar Foundation (IBFP) and the Asian Network of Bipolar Disorders (ANBD).
March 30 was chosen as bipolar day because today is also the birthday of Van Gogh, who also has bipolar disorder. Bipolar is not a modern problem, in fact it has existed since ancient Greece which can be found in the medical literature of the physician Hippocrates, who is often referred to as the ‘father of medicine’.
Hippocrates documented his findings regarding the two opposing moods known today as depression and mania. An independent description of bipolar disorder was presented to the Académie de Médecine in Paris in 1854 by the French neurologist Jules Baillarger and the French psychiatrist Jean-Pierre Falret.
At the time, the term ‘bipolar disorder’ had not yet been coined, so Baillarge referred to it as ‘folie circulaire,’ which means multiple form madness, and Falret called it ‘folie circulaire,’ which means circular madness.
In 1999, the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) was founded, and has been researching bipolar disorder and helping people who suffer from it.
Photo: CNN Indonesia/Astari Kusumawardhani
Launching National Today, a research team from the University of Michigan conducted research on bipolar disorder that lasted for two decades.
They found that bipolar disorder cannot be characterized by a single root cause, as it is largely the result of a combination of biological and environmental factors.
What is certain is that bipolar disorder affects mood and can result in episodes of depression and excitement, which can affect a person’s health, productivity, and relationships.
(del/chs)
(Gambas:Video CNN)