"Redefining bipolar, reclaiming lives"
Helping you get back control
At Bipolar Lift, we provide all-round help for people with bipolar disorder and their families. Through emotional support and practical advice, the individuals we work with gain the tools to understand and better manage their condition and get back control of their lives.
Need help now?
We provide a national free telephone and Zoom support service. If you live in the Nottingham/Nottinghamshire area, a member of our team can meet you face-to-face. Reach out to arrange a meeting on 0115 7737537 .
Please note that we cannot offer crisis support. Our telephones are manned during office hours only, and emergency cases will be referred to the Emergency Services or Crisis Teams.
"I am grateful for the regular contact. It has really helped in my recovery."
Free Group Support Sessions
We provide a safe environment where people tackling bipolar can speak about the challenges they face. Through group sessions, they’re able to connect with others who are dealing with similar experiences and find strength in community. Through one-to-one assistance and talking therapy, our qualified professionals can offer emotional support as well as informed advice and guidance on employment, personal finances and welfare. Our experienced team can also help facilitate conversations with employers or welfare services.
"I can't thank The Bipolar Lift enough for helping with my PIP appeal, I won my appeal!"
Fulfilling Lives
People living with bipolar can often experience exclusion, discrimination and/or isolation. Through professional and community support, we’re tackling prejudice and working to enable fulfilling lives with bipolar.
- One-to-one session - welfare, benefits, PIP and employment support
- Group sessions
- Walks and outdoor excursions
- Visits to places of interest
- Boat/River cruises
"The Bipolar Lift are so lovely and caring. Thank you for all your help."
BIPOLAR LIVES
“Which of my feelings are real? Which of the me's is me? The wild, impulsive, chaotic, energetic, and crazy one? Or the shy, withdrawn, desperate, suicidal, doomed, and tired one? Probably a bit of both, hopefully much that is neither.”
― Kay Redfield Jamison, An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness
When it comes to mental illness, especially bipolar, it’s often difficult to differentiate your “true” self from your diagnosis. Like the Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamision writes in her memoir, finding your “true” self may be very challenging. But before diving deeper into what bipolar lives might be like, let’s take a look at the facts behind mental health globally.
The Myths and Facts Behind Bipolar
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 8 people experience mental health conditions. That’s a whopping 970 million people from all over the world! Of those being diagnosed with mental health conditions, according to WHO, 40 million of them have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. That means that when it comes to mental health, understanding what mental health conditions look like for each individual is important.
So, going back to Jamison’s quote from her memoir, while researchers can diagnose mental health conditions like bipolar disorder by recognizing some of the symptoms, it’s important to recognize that mental health can look different for each person. Stereotyping those with bipolar is not the way to fostering understanding.
For example, here are some of the common stereotypes people have of those who have bipolar disorder:
- People with bipolar disorder live chaotic lives,
- People with bipolar disorder tend to be unreliable,
- People with bipolar disorder have bipolar disorder because they’re not “mentally strong.”
These, and other assumptions held by different people, make it difficult for folks with bipolar disorder to recognize their individuality and strengths. It also makes it difficult to accept that it’s possible to live a healthy, stable, and happy life.
eMoods Bipolar Mood Tracker
eMoods is a user-friendly app for patients to track symptom data relating to Bipolar I and II disorders. Take control of your mental health by identifying triggers and patterns to help prevent relapses, and enhance doctor's visits with detailed data exports. eMoods offer a cloud synced option through eMoods Insights at https://emoodtracker.com/ , but also offer a privacy-minded app for iOS and Android where the data is ONLY stored on your phone. All of eMoods platforms have a free tier for accessibility and a patron tier for optional features.