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The
Aster Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago
2 Alyce Glen, Petit Valley
Serving
the Bipolar Community
The Aster Foundation is a registered non-profit
organization serving as a Support group for persons and their families
coping with Bipolar Disorder.
Bipolar disorder is an
illness that
affects thoughts, feelings,
perceptions and behavior
... even how a person
feels physically (known
clinically as psychosomatic presentations). It's probably caused by
electrical and chemical elements in the brain not functioning and is
usually found in people whose families have a history of one or more
mental illnesses.
Most often, a person with
manic-depression experiences moods that shift from high to low and back
again in varying degrees of severity. The two poles of bipolar disorder
are mania and depression. This is the least complicated form of the
illness.
Depression might be identified by:
-
Refusing to get out of bed
for days on end
-
Sleeping much more than usual
-
Being tired all the time but
unable to sleep
-
Having bouts of
uncontrollable crying
-
Becoming entirely
uninterested in things you once enjoyed
-
Paying no attention to daily
responsibilities
-
Feeling hopeless, helpless or
worthless for a sustained period of time
-
Becoming unable to make
simple decisions
-
Wanting to die
Mania might include:
-
Feeling like you can do
anything, even something unsafe or illegal
-
Needing very little sleep,
yet never feeling tired
-
Dressing flamboyantly,
spending money extravagantly, living recklessly
-
Having increased sexual
desires, perhaps even indulging in risky sexual behaviors
-
Experiencing hallucinations
or delusions
The Aster Foundation
believes:
- That mental illness is
everybody’s business
- That bipolar disorder is a manageable mental
illness
- A holistic approach to the management of the disorder is in
the client’s best interests.
- 25% of the population could be Bipolar
- Many persons afflicted with this disease are not aware of their
condition.
- Bipolar disordered persons are not “ill” all of the time
and could take personal responsibility for their disorder.
- Doctors and
researchers do not know what causes Bipolar Disorder and there is no
known cure, but researchers are very hopeful.
For more
information about Bipolar Disorder and support services contact:
The
Aster Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago
2 Alyce Glen, Petit Valley
Tel: 761-3133 |
