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The aim of World Bipolar Day (Saturday, March 30th) is to encourage understanding about what bipolar is – and isn’t – and to banish the stigma around it.

Each year, Bipolar UK holds its annual conference and runs a number of activities to raise awareness and raise funds to celebrate this day.

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.

These include feelings of intense depression and despair to manic feelings of happiness and mixed moods, such as depression with restlessness and/or overactivity.

The disorder can lead to impulsive spending, usually during manic episodes.

These spending sprees can become out of control very quickly and can extend to cars, holidays and computers, as irrational decision-making becomes the norm.

At PayPlan, we work closely with Bipolar UK, as impulsive spending as a symptom, periods out of work due to ill health, and mounting debt are common concerns for people living with bipolar.

Lorna Morgan-Glanfield, Strategic Partnership Manager at Bipolar UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with PayPlan to facilitate much-needed support for our community. When someone with bipolar is going through a period of hypomania or mania, they often spend impulsively.

“They are also less likely to be able to stay in work or to manage their finances well, which means that debt is a common worry for people living with bipolar. The stress of mounting debt can trigger symptoms, which means they become even more unwell.

“The cost-of-living crisis has compounded this situation even further. PayPlan and Bipolar UK are working together to reduce the effects of this cycle by helping people to take control of their debt.”

Contact us

If you’re struggling with debt and feel like you need support, call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

You can also contact us online.