What is Bipolar Affective Disorder?

Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) is a medical diagnosis characterized by wide mood alterations, with periods of both depression and mania that can last several weeks or even months at a time. A person experiencing depression or mania may have intense mood swings and changes in thinking and behaviour.

By definition, Bipolar means sharing two poles (high and low) and Affective Disorder means a disorder having to do with mood i.e. the way you think and feel. In most cases, the high pole is experienced as mania and the low pole experienced as depression.

‘Switching’ from depressive and manic periods can be unpredictable and occur in a short time frame.

If you were asked to look at this picture and decide which of these positions was classed as a “good” posture, chances are you would probably say the image on the right. The truth is it’s not that simple, and there is a lot of scientific evidence debunking the ideas of good and bad postures.

Common Myths:

1. Upright = Good and Slouching = Bad.

Let’s start by looking at this idea from an efficiency perspective. If someone is sitting at their desk on their chair which has a backrest, sitting perfectly upright is actually a less mechanically advantageous position to be in as it takes more energy to maintain that position. In contrast, adopting a slightly more slouched position with the back against the backrest is more beneficial as it utilizes less energy to maintain. So if you had to sit at your desk for 8 hours a day, which position sounds better – the one that requires more or less energy to sustain?

What is Assistive Technology?

The World Health Organisation describes Assistive Technology as products that help to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and their independence (1).

Assistive Technology supports people to participate in activities that are meaningful and important to them, can improve the safety of the individual using the products and the safety of carers, reduce the need for formal health and support services and long-term care and can increase an individual’s ability to participate within education, work and communities.

Let’s face it…life is hectic! We all have a tendency to become creatures of habit…falling into a predictable routine, moving through the same motions, day in and day out. Don’t get us wrong, having a routine is fantastic! It keeps us organised, helps us form healthy habits and reduce stress! However…there are many benefits, physically and mentally to challenging ourselves to expand outside our norm.

We all know that regular exercise is imperative to promoting a healthy lifestyle and optimising our functioning every day. When it comes to exercise, there are many benefits to switching up your routine and trying different forms of movements. This may feel like it is outside of your comfort zone but rest assured not only your body, but your brain will absorb so many wonderful benefits from trying something new. 

At The Physio Clinic, we provide a fantastic space for all our clients to utilise our knowledge and clinical assessment to access and enjoy a tailored exercise program to reap all of the benefits in our Physio Exercise Classes (PEC). 

With the variety of equipment, individualised programs and Physiotherapist supervision in each class, there is no limit to what you can achieve and no shortage of opportunities to reach your goals, whether these be improvements in strength, endurance, rehabilitation, pain relief, balance, mobility…the list goes on and on!