What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is classified as a Mental Health Condition. It is a neurobiological disorder resulting in severe changes in mood.  If you have bipolar disorder, you will have periods or "episodes" of depression - where you feel very low and lethargic,  and mania - where you feel very high and overactive (less severe mania is known as hypomania). The symptoms of bipolar disorder depend on which mood you are experiencing. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks or longer, and some people may not experience a "normal" mood very often, AWARE.

Bipolar disorder is relatively common. It is estimated that 1-2% of people experience a prevelance of Bipolar disorder in Ireland. Men and women from all backgrounds are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder AWARE 2024. 

Symptoms can begin in childhood, but more usually appear in adolescence or adulthood. Young people with the condition can have extremely high moods (mania) and low-moods (depression), often with swings between the two. Sometimes they may feel both extremes at the same time. Bipolar disorder is a condition requiring treatment with prescription medications.

As with most disorders, not all of the characteristics are experienced by those with the condition:

• Diverse shifts in energy, moods and functioning abilities e.g High energy levels and needing litte sleep
• Talking rapidly without allowing for interruption; move from one activity to the next very quickly
• Be easily distracted;
• Believe themselves to be indestructible and take risks
• Moving to low energy levels needing constant sleep
• Feeling low, sad, close to tears
• Have some sensory integration problems
• Feel worthless and a failure 

Shine Bipolar Information 

LEARNING SKILLS & DEVELOPMENT

Bipolar Disorder is chronic and can cause (major) disruption in schooling for children and adolescents.

• Easily distracted and lacking in focus
• Might be excessively happy and cause disruption by laughing hysterically for no reason, followed by a depressive episode with loss of interest in activities or a low mood
• Sleepy or slowed down by affects of medication
• Organisational skills may be challenged
• Compromised acquisition of knowledge
• Difficulty with academic demands - e.g completing tasks
• Performing below potential

Learning Strategies and Supports

• Be aware of the impact of any medications
• Set short, clearly defined targets
• Teach self-help and orgnaisational skills - use visual cues if necessary
• Use ICT to motivate and support learning
• Encourage the use of headphones to shut out noise and distracton and aid concentration
• Appraoch large tasks and assignemnts in smaller blocks of work
• Allow extra time for completion of assignments  

Mental Health Ireland Information & Resources

SUPPORTS AVAILABLE

Primary Education Level:

Children attend mainstream primary and secondary schools with their peers, unless they have additional needs requiring a special placement. Whilst having the same level of ability as their peers, children with dysgraphia can be at risk of underperforming.

School-based learning support will not be provided unless the child is performing in the lowest range at school. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is responsible for providing assessments within schools. The School can commission a small number of assessments each year through the NEPS but waiting lists are lengthy and private assessments by NEPS approved psychologists will be accepted for this purpose.

If the child meets the assessment criteria, they may be awarded a set number of hours of resource time per week and may also be eligible for a Special Needs Assistant. It is important to discuss any support concerns with the school principal in the event that an assessment is warranted, NCSE Primary Information.

The Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) is an officer of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) with responsibility for allocating resources to pupils with special needs and related issues in schools, NCSE-SENOs in each county.

Secondary Education Level:

A student who has been receiving special education support or resources while in Primary School is eligible for continuation of support at secondary level, once they continue to have a special educational need.

The same general provisions he/she received in primary school apply at Secondary Level. This typically includes specialist teaching from a Learning Support or Special Education Resource teacher (both now referred to as Special Education teachers).

This support is provided based on need, with the number of hours of support determined by the Individual Education Plan (IEP) drawn up in the last year of primary school., NCSE Second level Information.

RACE (Reasonable Accommodation in Certificate Examinations), under the RACE scheme, students with permanent or long-term conditions*, which will significantly impair their performance in state exams, may apply to the State Examinations Commission (SEC) for a reasonable accommodation(s) to be made to facilitate them taking the examinations. The Race scheme aims to assist students who are at a disadvantage due to a disability, by facilitating access to the state certificate examinations. There are levels and resources of support within FET courses, Reasonable Accomodations in FET 2022. 

Details of the scheme of reasonable accommodations RACE State Examinations Commission website.

There are levels and resources of support within FET courses, Reasonable Accomodations in FET 2022. 

Third Level Education:

Bipolar Disorder is is one of the Mental Health Conditions covered under the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) system.

Details of the DARE screening criteria for applicants with Bipolar Disorder are available DARE Mental health conditions information, CAO DARE Information.

Research findings from AHEAD released in 2022 show that, of the total disabled student population (18,097) at Third Level 2021/2022 represented in the research, Mental Health Condition category at 27.1% (n=3,919) and the Significant Ongoing Illness category at 12.6% (n=2,284). The full report from AHEAD is available AHEAD Students with Disabilities in Higher Education 2021/2022.

In the Workplace

Under The Employment Equality Acts 1998-2011 and the Equal Status Acts 2000-2011 discrimination is outlawed in the areas of employment, vocational training and access to education, among others. Discrimination, based on any one of nine distinct grounds, including disability, is unlawful.

All employers must make reasonable adjustments to make the employment of people with disabilities possible. This can include people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses WRC Workplace relations Commission.

Many organisations now make public claims to be an "equal opportunities employer". This suggests the existence of an equal opportunities policy (EOP), which is a policy statement adopted by the organisation declaring an intent not to discriminate and, further, to promote equality by taking steps to aid disadvantaged groups.  Such employers are in effect promising to avoid discrimination on grounds of sex or marital status, and may also make such a commitment in relation to people with a disability and racial and ethnic minorities.

NDA National Disability Authority Accessbility, communications, procurement guide, NDA Toolkit. 

AHEAD have developed a useful guide to disclosing a disability, AHEAD Disclosure resource. 

CAREER CHOICE

Skills for workplace success fall into two main categories: hard skills and and soft skills. Hard skills are job-specific and they vary, depending upon the industry or field in which you want to work. For example, a graphic artist must have the computer skills that go with that job.

Soft skills are the personal characteristics that go with a variety of jobs - they include social skills, problem solving, communication, time management, and organisation. For example, a person who prefers to work alone might find a research job particularly appealing, Explore Career Skills in more detail.

People with bipolar disorder can benefit from completing a Personal interest profiler and aptitude testing, which will help them identify potential career paths.

It is important to be realistic in weeding out any emerging jobs that might destabilise the symptoms e.g. jobs requiring frequent travel across time zones can disrupt sleep cycles, triggering attacks of mania. The requirements of certain jobs, such as night shifts, can be too much for someone with bipolar disorder.

Despite the challenges of Bipolar Disorder people with the condition can prosper in across all the high-achieving and fulfilling career paths. Research shows bipolar people to be unusually creative. Artists, Writers and Work in the arts are excellent career choices for people with Bipolar. This creativity can be used in other career areas besides the arts.

Managing the condition by taking full entitlement to lunch breaks and holidays for adequate down-time can help reduce symptoms. Adequate self–management sometimes requires flexible working hours. To request this, employees need to reveal their diagnosis. This can be a difficult thing for employees, but can also be very worthwhile.

Working as a contractor can be a good way to minimise the stress of office politics and stringent routines. Within careers such as accountancy, law and engineering, there are vast opportunities for contract work. At senior levels it can be possible to earn more annually from contracting than permanent work, Explore Career Skills in more detail.

People diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder may have considerations when applying to certain career areas, e.g. the Military Military.ie.

Famous People with Bipolar Disorder

Actors Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rowan Atkinson, Jack Nicholson, Jim Carey, Ben Stiller; Singers and Musicians Sinead O'Conner, Madonna, Macy Gray, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Wilson, Kanye West, Selena Gomez. Sports person Keith Earls.