‘The missing link in caring is mentoring for carers so they know what to expect and how to cope’

In this highly emotive episode, Rob is in conversation with his Mum. They are raising awareness of Bi-polar and the vital role of the carer during National Mental Health Awareness week. They talk candidly and with personal experience about what it’s like to live with Rob’s Dad who is Bi-polar.

This episode highlights the challenges that carers face and also the love and humour that binds families together.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Living with Bi-polar is very challenging but when the individual is experiencing an episode it is the carer who has to cope with living with a completely different person.
• The missing link in caring is mentoring for carers so they know what to expect and how to cope.
• If the mental health profession directed resources to train and support carers of those with Bi-polar more families would be able to stay together.

When did you first notice changes?

• The initial changes were very small, it was as if a magpie had come along and stolen a little part of his personality and replaced it with someone else’s.
• Every time the magpie took a small piece it was as if it replaced it with the opposite until eventually, he was the opposite of who he was, he was everything he had previously abhorred.
• As a carer, you have to understand that your loved one has disappeared for a holiday, but they will return. You have to accept you will be living with a stranger for a period of time.

What do you think caused it?

• It can happen to anyone, a really hard life over a period of 28 years coupled with bottling up everything emotional has resulted in this mental illness.
• Mental illness is like any other illness that you might suffer from and you do get better.
• Being proud and strong and not asking for help were key factors.

What help do carers need?

• It is vital that a carer learns that a Bi-polar person needs some money to waste, they also need to know how to effectively protect and safeguard all other money from a person with Bipolar or risk losing it all.
• Bi-polar people are relentless they will look for other ways to access money during an episode.
• There can be long periods where the person is well but triggers such as poor sleep patterns or not taking medicine can trigger an episode and there is no help until the illness affects the person’s physical health.
• Getting help is very challenging and it is important that carers know that currently help is based on whether the individual is a danger to themselves or others.
• When an individual is admitted to hospital it is vital to organise family and friends as often people don’t know how to respond and help.
• It all gradually stops when they are in hospital and in an environment of peace. When they return home recovery can begin.
• My quest in life is to try and get people who are carers access to better and more useful help, you need the training to be able to cope with someone who is Bi-polar.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I was looking at someone I had to explicitly trust and didn’t initially realise he wasn’t there at that point’

‘People go through sh#t’

‘If you don’t reach out things will go wrong’

‘The Bi-polar mind is a very strong and determined mind’

[Business, mindset, entrepreneur, disruptors]

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ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Moore is an author of 9 business books, 5 UK bestsellers, holds 3 world records for public speaking, entrepreneur, property investor, and property educator. Author of the global bestseller “Life Leverage” Host of UK’s No.1 business podcast “Disruptors”

“If you don't risk anything, you risk everything”

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disruptive, disruptors, entreprenuer, business, social media, marketing, money, growth, scale, scale up, risk, property: http://www.robmoore.com