Welsh Politician Advocates for Improved Bipolar Disorder Awareness

A Welsh politician is sharing his personal battle with bipolar disorder in an effort to raise awareness and improve the diagnosis and treatment pathways for the condition. Gareth Davies, a Member of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) for the Vale of Clwyd, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2020, a revelation that he states has significantly impacted his life.

In a candid admission, Mr. Davies recounted a period when he considered ending his life, leading him to visit Accident & Emergency (A&E). “Bipolar can be debilitating,” Mr. Davies explained, “Even doing simple things like going to the shop or making an appointment with a doctor – they can seem like a mountain to climb.”

Mr. Davies has now become an ambassador for Bipolar UK, a national charity supporting individuals with bipolar disorder and their families. He is advocating for more robust infrastructure and training to accelerate the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, as current pathways, he argues, “aren’t up to scratch here.”

The Welsh government has responded, highlighting a £2 million investment to establish new mental health programs aimed at improving access, quality, and outcomes in mental health services. Mr. Davies acknowledged his fortune in receiving immediate help when he sought hospital care, noting, “If they had told me to go see my GP the following day, I may not be here now to tell the story.”

The diagnosis, Mr. Davies reflected, has been pivotal, providing him a foundation to manage his condition while maintaining his career. “It gave me that base to work from, to recognize what I have got, and put in remedies to see what went wrong previously,” he said, emphasizing that there “is a place in the world for people living with bipolar.”

Bipolar disorder is a severe mental health condition that can cause extreme mood swings and greatly affect the lives of those afflicted. Bipolar UK reports that having the condition can increase someone’s risk of suicide by up to 20 times, yet many can be managed with medication.

Experts note that individuals with bipolar can experience both euphoria and severe lows, which may require medical intervention including medication or electroconvulsive therapy. As Mr. Davies shared, while these periods can be challenging, the majority of those with the condition learn to control it.

Simon Kitchen, Chief Executive of Bipolar UK, called on the Welsh government to reduce the average diagnosis time for bipolar disorder from nearly 12 years to five years, acknowledging timely diagnosis as critical for effective treatment. Dr. Raman Sakhuja, a consultant psychiatrist in Cardiff, also emphasized the importance of early diagnosis, stating that delays often leave individuals unproductive and confused.