We’ve all heard about the benefits of running;
clearing the mind, playing a part in keeping us physically active and helping
us to meet new friends on the many parkruns that have popped up all over the
country.
For some however, running provides so much more than
these initial benefits. Below we caught
up with running blogger Yvie Johnson to find out how after a bipolar
diagnosis, running helped turn her life around.
ONE-IN-FOUR ADULTS WILL EXPERIENCE A MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEM WITHIN ANY GIVEN YEAR. ONE-IN-TEN YOUNG PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE A MENTAL
HEALTH PROBLEM. NINE-IN-TEN PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS EXPERIENCE
STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION.
Almost a year ago, I officially became one of those
statistics. On April 23rd 2015 I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. This
didn’t come as a surprise, but it did rock my foundations and caused me to
question my very existence.
Bipolar Disorder – without getting too technical – is not
simply the polar opposite of moods that the name suggests.
It is the extreme intensity of emotion far outside what the
average person feels on the whole emotional spectrum that is felt with
seemingly little control as to which way that will go on any given day.
It is a deep, dark nothingness for days, weeks, or months,
with a pain that is very real akin to torture coming from within your own body.
It can be thoughts that whir through the brain at lightning
speed, some utterly brilliant, others utterly terrifying.
It is paranoia built on top of anxiety, with a heightened
sensitivity to noises, stirs of air, the look of an eye, the tone of a voice,
the words used or not used.
It is a sense of becoming helium, feeling perfect,
dizzyingly content and intensely spiritual about every symbol, number, sound
and idea.
It is condition that is not curable, is considered an
illness by some, and a part of life by others. In all, it is a condition that
has shaped our cultural society more than we give it credit.
In this day and age, a diagnosis still comes with an
attachment of stigma, and that is possibly harder to deal with than the
condition itself, because being allowed to be (as nature truly intended you to
be), is mostly frowned upon by some echelons of society.
Being diagnosed often leads people into such a spiral of
questions and thoughts because their life’s path as they know it has suddenly
jolted to a halt.
“Who am I, then, if I am not a product of my condition?”
Five
months after my diagnosis my life started to come together again thanks to the
decision to turn to running.
A few things conspired to create this wave of motivation to
get back into trainers – an inspiring neighbour, an email, and a statement
blurted out at my local Bipolar UK support group.
Building day-by-day, I decided I needed big goals to scare
me a little into training as anxiety was keeping me from stepping out of the
door and enjoying the sunshine, so I entered two events that would push my
ability at that time, and hopefully jumpstart an active life once more.
I donned a polar bear outfit and swam and ran the Eirias
Triathlon with my partner Tom storming the bike leg, winning the relay team
prize.
And a week later I took on the Cardiff Half Marathon, again
disguised as the cuddly BiPolar Bear. I smiled the whole way around.
Raising money for the charity Bipolar UK who has been a part
of my recovery thanks to the support group, it’s important to note that the
value of peer support cannot be underestimated – I feel I owe them so much
more, hence the planning of a new adventure, Fierce Mind {Running}.
Here, I will effectively be running for my life and in
support of mental health, and to help the lives of hundreds, hopefully
thousands, more. Taking on this challenge will allow me to prove to myself that
I can overcome a mental illness, not be undermined by it, nor undervalued by
others because of it.
To read more about Yvie’s story find her blogs on the Run Wales site,
where you’ll also find information about how to get into running.
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