Conflict or disagreement is a part of life and something everyone experiences. Yet, we all respond to and resolve conflict in our own unique way.
The SANE Blog
On first impression bipolar disorder is easy to understand. It’s a disorder where a person experiences extreme mood changes, highs and lows, with periods of normality in between.
But, when we look further into the disorder, or we hear people talk about their experiences, it starts to get a little more complex, and the terms bipolar I and bipolar II emerge.
Mania and hypomania are symptoms of bipolar disorder. Mania is the ‘high’ euphoric end of the mood scale, with hypomania similar but with less intensity.
If you think you’re experiencing mania, or symptoms are coming on, these strategies may help prevent or reduce the severity of an episode.
It’s common to label people considered self-centred or egotistical as a narcissist. But what exactly is narcissism? How common is narcissism? And how do we know when someone is living with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
Being a carer often includes taking on roles and responsibilities to help a loved one in need.
Helping someone with their personal, medical and financial needs can come at a cost, and carers often struggle to find time for themselves. This lack of time and extra responsibilities can result in feelings of anxiety, stress and even depression.
A common call to the SANE Helpline often goes like this:
‘I think my partner, daughter or son has borderline personality disorder (BPD) and I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around them. I love this person, but the situation can be so hurtful. How can I stay and support them, but protect myself as well?’
To help we asked one of our carers, 'Ace', to share his advice for living with and loving someone with BPD. We also asked SANE Help Centre Manager, Suzanne Leckie, to add SANE’s perspective on best practice for carers.
When politicians announce changes to the services we use it can often make us stressed, worried and anxious.
For some people, it can feel like those most affected by the change are excluded from the decision-making process. And this can add to the fear that one day we’ll discover the vital services we rely on may no longer be available.
But the reality is it can take years for policy ideas to become a reality.
Simon Champ is a pioneer for the rights of people with mental illness in Australia. He believes that one of these fundamental rights is to be recognised and respected as human beings like anyone else — a simple yet distressingly difficult right to achieve, as the battle against stigma continues to this day.
When Barbara Hocking first worked with Marg Leggatt in 1989, she had no idea that six years later she would go on to become the CEO of one of Australia’s leading mental health charities — a role she held for 17 years.
Co-founder and patron of SANE
1986 - current
Her eyes sparkling with intelligence and good humour, Marg Leggatt is as full of energy today as she was in the 1980s, when she founded SANE.