By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
MORE avenues to talk about mental health can only be a good thing.
In the City of Casey, a range of options have been made available to consolidate and improve one’s mental health in recent years as awareness continues to grow across the municipality.
While a new headspace facility was opened in Narre Warren last year, the Melbourne Bipolar Network will hold an important information night in Berwick next month.
The Bipolar Disorder information night at Berwick Healthcare is on Tuesday 1 March, where a number of specialists will speak to the local community about the intricacies of the disorder and how this affects those who suffer from it, as well as their friends and family.
The headspace facility was opened a few years after a community summit on suicide was convened by Holt MP Anthony Byrne following a cluster of youth suicides in Casey and Cardinia in 2011 and 2012.
Ray Farrelly, a volunteer from the Melbourne Bipolar Network, said statistics indicated there were 3000 people with bipolar disorder in Casey, with 1500 reportedly undiagnosed.
He said broader statistics indicate there were more than 55,000 people with bipolar in Melbourne.
Moderated by Emma Higgins, a Learning and Development Consultant from Mind Australia, the Berwick information night will include presentations from Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service pharmacist Christine Culhane, Grow Clinic founder and perinatal psychiatrist Adaobi Udechuku, and Eastern Health Peer Support co-ordinator Paula Kelly.
Mr Farrelly said the guest speakers would be discussing a number of topics, ranging from the basics about bipolar disorder, a history of medications, how hospital psychiatric wards work and the role of a psychiatrist.
The Melbourne Bipolar Network is a non-profit charity set up in 2008 and run by volunteers, which runs a support group at Berwick Healthcare on the first Tuesday of every month.
For more information, visit the Melbourne Bipolar Network website at www.mbpn.org.au.
Those in need of immediate assistance can phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.
