Bipolar experience used to help others

AN Ennis man who has battled with a mental illness is now using his experiences and training to help others struggling with depression.

Patrick Brassil from Cusack Road will be one of a large group of Irish people who will complete the Nepal charity walk next November. They will take on up to 80km a day for 10 days to raise funds for Irish charities.
Having come through depression himself, in the form of bipolar disorder, Patrick is raising money for Shine, the national organisation that works to uphold the rights and needs of people affected by mental illness, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder and a range of other conditions.
Patrick found himself in the depths of bipolar disorder in 1994 at the age of 35.
“I was a dairy farmer until I was 35 but then my parents sold the family farm and I found myself facing a whole new lifestyle. It was a very difficult time for me. Bipolar disorder came on me as a very sudden thing. I was shocked and horrified and I was numb, all at the one time.
“It wouldn’t be normal for a 35-year-old to find themselves in that situation. Talking about that part of my life is like talking about a separate part of me,” he explained.
He continued, “I attended the day hospital in Ennis because of my own belief that I could be helped. Thankfully, I only had a very short episode of bipolar. A lot of people are taken aback by that because with bipolar, people have highs and lows. I was like that but only for a short time, up to eight months.”
Patrick spent considerable time working on horticulture, as a landscape gardener and on Green Fingers, which was a Mid-Western Health Board project, all of which he found therapeutic. He is now studying to be a counsellor.
“This is my third year of a four-year degree with the National Counselling Institute of Ireland in Limerick. I always knew that there was something else calling me and that was to be a counsellor,” he added.
He is also a member of Shine’s consultative group and he works with New Horizons in Ennis, a group that works to help vulnerable people in the community.
“Approximately one in four people are affected by mental health issues. After I qualify as a counsellor, I hope to work with people with mental health problems. It’s very important to give moral and emotional support to people with such issues, who are very vulnerable.
“I want to help people who have experienced bipolar or other similar illnesses,” Patrick said.
He counts himself very lucky not to have had any repeat episodes.
“I hope I stay as well as I am. I feel I’m no longer suffering from the condition because I’m involved in a lot of community work. I’m involved in Grow, the mental health movement of Ireland, for 17 years.
“When I first went to Grow meetings, I was a totally different person. I learned that I was going to have to work with myself. So I continuously attend their meetings. I worked endlessly with Grow. I did many collections. Through that I was with like-minded people, working on a programme, which all helped me so much,” he commented.
Before Patrick can go to Nepal to take part in the walk, he must raise €5,000 to cover the cost of the trip. He is planning a number of fundraising events throughout the county.
He is the only person in Clare doing the walk and is seeking local support.