The World Health Organization (WHO) has made October 10th World Mental Health Day to put mental health care and awareness in the lime-LIGHT. Why should you care about today?? Well there is a good, a very good chance, that you or someone you love has experienced a diagnosable “mental illness”.  The lack of quality care for people living with mental disorders is the focus. How to change it and bring not only awareness to theses issues surrounding mental health.

The goal of this blog party here on Psych Central is to bring together mental health advocates and bloggers from around the world to talk about MENTAL HEALTH.

Last year, I posted for Mental Health Day: Lessons Learned from a Bipolar Dad and I wanted to expand on being a Bipolar Dad and what I’ve learned over this past year.

I started out by calling my Mother to check up on Mum. We are moving and we have not talked in the last few weeks. My Father was born in 1934 (I just found this out via http://www.ancestry.com). He was the “original” Bipolar Dad living with Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) undiagnosed till about a year before he died in 1996.

Over the last year, I have made many positive changes and I have lost many battles. I’ve gone through a 3 month period of Depression and had 5 months …

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day.  Interestingly enough…it is also the day my Father was born in 1933.  My Dad lived with Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) that was not entirely diagnosed till about a year before he died in 1996.  It was out of control most of his life and growing up in the unstable, toxic environment lead to many problems.

When my father was balanced, he was the most loving and caring person, but that time was short-lived.  I grew up in a divided home between extremes of sanity and insanity.  My siblings were not spared the toxicity of home life.  Yes at times, far too often then now, we turned on each other like ravenous dogs at the kill.

I am able to look back at that time and reflect on many different twists and turns that led me, my brother and my sisters to survive.  One thing that saved us was finding faith in a real hope for a better future.  It was that new-found faith that helped take my proverbial “demons” away.

When I was able to adhere to biblical examples, I found peace and balance.  NO, I’m not preaching religion as a miracle cure. What I do believe is that we all have our burdens to bear and with professional help and medication/therapy (herbal or cognitive) and with faith based on facts (not credulity)…we can find recovery.  I also know for a FACT that as we grow older our symptoms get worse!  For a few lucky people, they might have periods of “remission”… But when it–the mood disorder comes back–it comes in hard swinging both fists!

For a time I lost my faith…my self-loathing pushed me into a decade-long Depression with hills and valleys. I lost years and attempted suicide or as one therapist put it, “multiple suicide attempts.”  I lead a life filled with constant disappointment and then drinking to numb the pain…I became my father.

Without having a plan of action, plan to fail! …