Author – Ally, Melbourne. MHPCI Bipolar Support Group.
When Ally first joined a support group for Christian women whose husbands live with bipolar disorder, she felt as though she were the only one facing this kind of journey.
“Friends, family and even our church family couldn’t understand the roller coaster—or, as I call it—a merry-go-round,” she says. “My husband had seen counsellors, psychologists, even a neurosurgeon, but there seemed to be no one who would listen to me.”
At the same time, Ally was trying to help her children understand their father’s mental illness. “That was extremely hard,” she shares. “I was exhausted. I didn’t know where to turn.”
Everything changed when she joined the first group.
“It was such an eye-opener. It genuinely helped me move forward in strength,” she recalls.“The group gave me a rock to lean on. We shared coping strategies—but also our exhaustion, our fears, and our tears.”
The group gave me a rock to lean on. We shared coping strategies—but also our exhaustion, our fears, and our tears.
As the group continued, Ally found the courage to open up: to her husband, his family, their church leaders and Bible Study group, to a doctor, a counsellor, and a psychologist. “As a family, we are extremely fortunate,” she reflects. “Having others share in our bipolar journey has made it so much more bearable.”
One of the most valuable lessons she learned was where to turn for support. “If some people won’t support me, or shut their ears to our family’s journey, I lean on the friends who do.”
The group was facilitated by two experienced counsellors. “As facilitators and counsellors, Sarah and Kristine were brilliant,” Ally says. “They gently guided us through opportunities to talk through our unique scenarios—because every family’s bipolar journey is entirely different.”
Ally’s experience also sparked growth and awareness within her faith community. “It’s been a wake-up call about the extent of mental illness, and how a church community can lovingly walk alongside people impacted.”
It’s been a wake-up call about the extent of mental illness, and how a church community can lovingly walk alongside people impacted.
She’s deeply grateful for the experience, and for the people who created it. “Thank you for your awesome work in this space,” she says. “Please don’t wait for bipolar to be as commonly understood as depression or cancer. What you learn through this group can create a wide circle of care—so you are not alone.”
You can find out more about Bipolar via our Fact Sheet and download a prayer to pray for those living with Bipolar Disorder here.
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