BIPOLAR DISORDER & OCD
Written by Nina Greenberg - 11/28/2020
Savannah Nasworthy’s interpretation of mental health stood out to me as something both inspiring and unique. Someone struggling with both bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Savannah related her experience with mental health to the movie, The Truman Show. The movie tells the story of Truman Burbank, who’s entire life is recorded as a TV show. “In the end he finally steps out of the door into reality. That’s kind of how I feel about mental health, like I’m in a dark place for so long and then one day I finally step out of that door in the sky,” Savannah says.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes bipolar disorder as a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out daily tasks. People with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur in periods called "mood episodes." Each mood episode represents a drastic change from a person's usual mood and behavior. The term “manic” refers to an overly joyful or overexcited state, and an extremely sad or hopeless state is typically called a “depressive episode”. A person may also experience both mania and depression at the same time. These symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. However, bipolar disorder is treatable, with more than 30% of bipolar patients expecting full and complete recovery, while another 40% can expect a very marked reduction in their symptoms. In 2014, bipolar disorder was estimated to affect 2.2% of the population, or approximately 5.3 million adults in the United States aged 18 or older. Unfortunately, an estimated 51% of these individuals go untreated every year.
For Savannah, her diagnosis and treatment began when she was Baker Acted, a Florida law that allows for individuals who are experiencing crippling mental illness to be involuntarily committed for examination and treatment. “When I was Baker Acted, I was so, so scared. But if you know someone who’s going to get hospitalized just try to be there for them and tell them you love them. Please just be there for them, and be there for them when they get out,” she explains. She adds that while many people describe getting Baker Acted to be a horror story, her experience led to a helpful diagnosis. Upon learning that she had bipolar disorder, Savannah admits that she second-guessed the diagnosis, saying that “with bipolar disorder, it definitely changed the way I looked at myself. It made me feel like I wasn’t just mentally ill, it made me feel like I was crazy.” However, she’s now accepted “being bipolar” and explains that “it does make more sense” when evaluating her mental health. It’s clear that there is heavy stigma surrounding bipolar disorder along with all mental health disorders; we must work to normalize struggling with things outside of our control.
During her interview and shoot with All For Us Magazine, Savannah opened up about some of her day to day symptoms. She described bipolar disorder to be “just like shifting — there’s a constant shift in your mood. Some days I’m literally in the darkest pits, and some days I’m normal.” She gave an example of a certain time where, “in the middle of a manic episode, [she] saw someone post something with one of [her] necklaces and got so excited that [she] restarted [her] business overnight.” Other manic symptoms include staying up late and wanting to take on larger tasks, like the example of her jewelry store.
Apart from bipolar disorder, Savannah also spoke about her experience with OCD. As stated by Savannah, “there are literally so many types of OCD,” which is overall defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions). For Savannah, her OCD takes the form of near-constant intrusive thoughts. With reference to OCD, intrusive thoughts are often uncontrollable. “The way I think is so confusing and just so obsessive and...I see something and I don’t see it the way other people see it. I get so obsessed with every little detail,” Savannah explained. “It’s kind of like a tree, like it takes one thought and sprouts another thought.”
When asked if she had any advice for people also struggling with either bipolar disorder and/or OCD, Savannah reminds that “it gets better, but you have to be there for it to get better.” She remarks that, for those with intrusive thoughts, it’s important to remember that “they’re separate from who you are,” and that “they don’t make you a bad person.” She concluded by offering words of wisdom to those who are close with others with symptoms, saying that it’s most important to “just be patient. That’s all you can really do. Recognize that if someone tells you what their intrusive thoughts are…they trust you completely, and those thoughts aren’t them.”
For more information and resources, check out https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/evidence-and-research/learn-more-about/463-bipolar-disorder-fact-sheet, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-bipolar-disorder.shtml, and https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-disorder-resources-1 :)
Author’s Note: Big thank you to Savannah for not only talking about her experience but also teaching me and everyone at All For Us Magazine a valuable lesson in our understanding of mental health. I’ve learned so much from hearing her story, and I am forever grateful that she was able to speak with us and help us eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health. With her interview and shoot, we hope that we can continue to break stereotypes surround mental health, and normalize these experiences as something so many people deal with and shouldn’t feel ashamed of <3