IT TOOK Bek Felton 10 years to find the right medication to treat her bipolar disorder, but her life has been like “night and day” ever since.
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Ms Felton, of Hamilton, had moved between Deniliquin, Moree and the Central West as a child. And while she had displayed symptoms of depression at an early age, she was not diagnosed with it until she moved to Sydney when she was 18.
“The GPs I saw in the country had just put it down to normal teenage hormones,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was 25 that the diagnosis was revised to bipolar disorder, after I had a fairly nasty incident – which was my first mania. I ended up losing my job, and most of my friends.
“It was not the best way to find out I had bipolar disorder.”
Now 47, Ms Felton is urging others with bipolar disorder to participate in what is thought to be the world’s largest genetic investigation into the chronic illness.
The Australian Genetics of Bipolar Disorder Study aims to identify the genes that predispose people to the illness, and find out how they respond to medication, to develop more effective, personalised treatments, and, ultimately, find a cure.
“It took me a long time to get a correct diagnosis for bipolar disorder, but it took me even longer to actually get the correct medicine and the correct dosage of it once I was on it,” she said.
“This study is actually about making sure we’re matching up people with the correct medicine even earlier through finding out more about the genetics of bipolar disorder.”
According to the Black Dog Institute, about one-in-50 Australians will experience bipolar disorder, and those who do have a higher risk of alcohol and drug abuse, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
Ms Felton said all study volunteers needed to do was complete a questionnaire and submit a saliva sample.
“It is a really easy way for people to contribute to the research, and an easy way to help other people have a really meaningful and fulfilled life managing their bipolar disorder,” she said.
“Typically people are put on lithium when they are first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but it doesn’t work for everyone, and it didn’t work for me,” she said.
“This research is also hoping to find a way to predict who is going to get bipolar disorder before the symptoms manifest – which would prevent a lot of heartache and trauma for people.
“If I had found out I had bipolar disorder prior to having my first manic episode, I wouldn’t have lost so much.
“My story isn’t unique.”
Australian researchers are seeking 5000 adults who have been treated for bipolar disorder to volunteer for the study.
To participate, visit geneticsofbipolar.org.au.
Read more: Bipolar Australians needed for study
