THE founder of a Gloucestershire suicide charity has revealed her battle after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Joy Hibbins, founder of Suicide Crises, spoke out to “challenge the stigma” on the eve of Bipolar Awareness Day on October 6, a national event to raise awareness for the disease.

Earlier this year she was told by a friend she was displaying the symptoms of the disease. Doctors at Oxford NHS Trust said she had bipolar type 2, a version of the disease without the highs of bipolar type 1, but with lows just as severe.

“Friends and family members can be so important in noticing symptoms of bipolar, which can lead to a diagnosis,” Joy said. “It would never have occurred to me that I might have it. The highs (hypomanic episodes) just felt good to me.

“I have huge amounts of energy during those episodes and can work extremely long hours – perfect for the type of work that I do. My mood is elevated. Why would you see a doctor when you felt like that? That’s why it can often go unnoticed and undiagnosed.”

The periods of elation, however, come hand in hand with crippling - and sometimes dangerous – depressions.

“The diagnosis is quite recent and I am still coming to terms with it. I have very mixed feelings - I now have a lifelong mental health condition and will have repeated depressive episodes.

“That can be hard to accept. But it has definitely been helpful, in other ways, to have the diagnosis because I understand better what is happening to me. It explains a lot of the past three years. It means that I can start learning to manage the condition better. And the highs are amazing, at times. I try to appreciate that aspect of it.

“I have learned a huge amount from other people who have bipolar, especially in terms of starting to monitor your moods and becoming aware of things that can trigger a depressive or hypomanic episode.”

Some advised Joy to keep her disease quiet in case it changed the way people saw her and she admits it makes her feel “vulnerable” that others know about it, but she said it was important to come forward to challenge the stigma.

“The theme this year for World Mental Health Day on October 10 is ‘dignity in mental health’. Part of that dignity is ensuring that people with mental health conditions enjoy lives which are free from stigma and discrimination."

Crisis Watch runs a centre which serves the whole of Gloucestershire.

Its aim is to provide innovative approaches to supporting people who are at risk of suicide. In the two years and four months that they have been providing services, no one has committed suicide in their care.

Contact Suicide Crisis on 07975 974 455 or at suicidecrisis.co.uk.