Noticeboard

JOURNAL GIVEAWAY!

We have 2 copies of The Bipolar Disorder Journal by Cara Lisette up for grabs!

The Bipolar Disorder Journal is designed to help you better understand and manage your bipolar disorder. Drawing on evidence-based techniques, such as CBT and mindfulness, and on the author’s own experience of bipolar, it provides journaling prompts, creative activities, colouring pages and motivational quote pages to help you stay well and keep on track.

The techniques in this journal support you in recognising and coping with episodes of depression, mania, and psychosis, understanding their triggers, and finding ways of seeking support.

To be in with a chance of winning, please send your name and address to editor@bipolarscotland.org.uk with the subject line ‘Journal Giveaway’. Competition closes Wednesday 8th January at 5pm. Winners will be selected at random from the entries received. UK residents only.

20% DISCOUNT

Our friends at Jessica Kingsley Publishers have kindly provided a discount code, exclusively for On The Level readers. Use the code BSCOTLAND20 at the JKP checkout for 20% off The Bipolar Disorder Journal (valid from 24/10/24 for one year). Visit https:// uk.jkp.com/products/the-bipolar-disorderjournal to purchase your copy.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Over the next few months, we’ll be posing your questions to professionals and experts, including a professor, clinical lead and police officer, for an exciting new YouTube series! We’ll be covering all sorts of issues that affect people living with bipolar so if you have a burning question around the topics below, please send it to info@bipolarscotland.org.uk (you can, of course, remain anonymous).

• Police involvement in a crisis • Sexual health • Menopause • Medication

Weight gain

CELEBRATING OUR FANTASTIC FUNDRAISERS!

We’re so grateful to Lorna Dunn who raised an amazing £1800 for Bipolar Scotland when she completed the Scottish 10k back in August! We caught up with Lorna to ask her about her fundraising experience:

Why did you choose to fundraise for Bipolar Scotland?

My husband is diagnosed with bipolar and has been since his late teens. We have experienced several relapses since we have been together, however this year, we experienced a particularly difficult relapse that was completely unexpected. With our boys at an age where they have more awareness of what was going on, it was more difficult to manage this time round. We are extremely lucky to have amazing support from family and friends and it would have been so hard to manage without that support. It hit home that not everybody who lives with bipolar has the same access to support, therefore I chose to fundraise for Bipolar Scotland in the hope it contributes towards the services they provide to help give support to those living with bipolar.

What was it about the 10K event that appealed to you?

I have always been a keen runner and would regularly participate in organised running events, however with managing a young family I haven’t done a 10k in several years. I thought I would challenge myself to attempt a 10k to prove I could still do it in the approach to my 40th birthday!

What did you enjoy most and what did you find challenging?

Fitting in the training could be challenging, and then there were my aching bones! However, I really enjoyed participating in an event again and the buzz as you cross the finish line – and of course, the most rewarding of all was the number of very generous donations that we got.

Do you have any advice you would like to share with others who are thinking about fundraising for Bipolar Scotland? I would say to go for it and to spread the word that you are doing it. There is so much stigma around mental health – the more people who are aware of it and understand it, the more we can do to help those who suffer from mental health issues.

If you’re inspired by Lorna’s amazing achievement and would like to take part in the 2025 Scottish 10k to raise funds on behalf of Bipolar Scotland, sign up at www.scottish10k.com If you’re able to pledge to fundraise three times the registration costs, we’ll cover the fee! Just choose ‘charity registration’ and select ‘Bipolar Scotland’ from the affiliate charity dropdown menu when you sign up.

12 Days of Giving

Movement for Good 2024 is giving 120 charities £1,000 each over 12 days. Please take a minute to nominate Bipolar Scotland: https://tinyurl.com/4bcdrj9d

The first draw takes place on December 5th and the last on December 20th with 10 charities drawn every week day. (One nomination per charity, per person) Nominations are open until 23:59 on December 19th, 2024.