Sarah Clement has been living with bipolar for more than 15 years and has written a book to create better understanding of what it is really like to live with this mental health disorder.

Diagnosed at age 19, Sarah, now 34, lives with Bipolar Disorder Type One – the most severe type characterised by severe mania and severe depression. 'Before I was diagnosed I was not in a good way,” says Sarah. 'It started when I was 16 and I was mildly depressed – that was my first experience.”

This year Sarah published her book called ‘My Bipolar Journey - The rollercoaster ride I can never get off'. She wanted to write the book from a personal standpoint to share with others.

'Most books I've read about bipolar have been written by doctors, or psychologists and they talk very clinically about it but you don't get the personal view. I've had trouble with people understanding it...family and general public not getting it, but I've also have mental health professionals not get it – and that has been really tough.”

Manic state

Sarah says depression is quite well understood, however people lack understanding of mania. 'A manic episode is characterised by a sustained period of abnormally-elevated mood where you can be irritable, agitated, have intense energy, racing thoughts, suicidal thoughts, decreased need for sleep, and taking risks such as over spending and risky sexual encounters.”

Sarah says the behaviours of being in a manic state are heavily judged and can put you into dangerous situations. 'It's like being drunk but you haven't drunk anything...it's just a high,” says Sarah, who feels shame after a manic episode. 'When you're manic it doesn't last very long and then you crash down into quite severe depression.”

The switch from mania to depression is devastating, says Sarah. 'It's hard to go from really manic to really depressed because they're so opposite, so it can be quite devastating going from one to the other and it's not easy to deal with.”

Daily life

Thankfully, Sarah has not been sick since 2019 when she needed to be hospitalised after being in a mixed state of mania and depression, and suicidal. However, her manic episodes seem to reoccur every three years. 'It's a bit of a worry because I wonder what's going to go wrong.” Managing daily life, Sarah says: 'I have quite a list of medications that I can just not live without...the medication holds me to keep me stable and well” .'I feel like I do live well but it's always sort of in the back of my mind.”

Thanks to Sarah, The Sun has a copy of her book to give away to one lucky reader. To be in to win, tell us what is a manic episode characterised by? Enter online at www.sunlive.co.nz under the competition section. Entries must be in by Tuesday, October 11. To contact Sarah about her book, email: mybipolarjourneynz@gmail.com