It's Not Just Black and White

An attempt to understand my brother's mental health issues: During the previous 18 months, Sascha’s already changeable behaviour grew more erratic and deeply concerning to our immediate family. From attempted suicides to psychotic, deluded manias, we all felt like he was losing his sanity. Unfortunately, as much as we tried to support him, during such events, family bonds become extremely strained, and you feel utterly helpless watching someone on a path of uncontrollable destruction. Perhaps the biggest relief for all of us, Sascha included, was when he was diagnosed with acute Type 1 Bi-Polar Disorder at the beginning of 2019. Mental health issues are so blurred and are not as clear cut as a single diagnosis, but what that diagnosis does give you is hope and an avenue to explore why such behaviours happen in people. It is one answer that promotes so many other questions…; what really is Bi-Polar Disorder, how do people live with it, and how do families rebuild with a loved one who suffers from such a condition. The project ‘It’s Not Just Black and White’ is Sascha’s first-hand experience at trying to answer such questions.