Lesley's Story

Twenty six years ago my life was devastated when I was hit by a mystery illness six days after the birth of my much wanted second child. I was full of energy and joy for the first five days after the birth, but on the sixth day I went to bed and stopped eating and talking. All seemed hopeless and pointless, and I didn't want to live.

I was admitted to the local psychiatric hospital and treated with a variety of drugs and ECT. No one told me what the matter was and, as I continued to have episode after episode of the illness, my confidence shattered; at one point I was suicidal. To be told to "Pull yourself together" or "Think of what you are doing to your family" pushed me further into depression. Some friends disappeared, my marriage ended and my career as a teacher was jeopardised. The bizarre behaviour during the manic phases of the illness was almost impossible to explain once I was stable again, and apologies were seldom accepted.

The turning point came with a change of psychiatrist, who diagnosed the illness as manic depression and treated it with the appropriate medication - Lithium. The diagnosis (NOT label) gave me back normality and ensured that I tailored my lifestyle in such a way as to avoid stressful situations, to take regular #
My two children gave me tremendous support, handling my occasional attacks of mania with great maturity all through their adolescence. My son dealt with psychiatrists and hospital admissions, and my daughter coped with one attack on her own while taking her O-level exams.

I now have a full and enjoyable life, secure in the knowledge that I am able to manage this major illness effectively on my own.