Bipolar Disorder: Anna’s Battle for Stability in Clermont-Ferrand

 

Nearly 1.6 million people in France live with bipolar disorder, characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. Anna, a 46-year-old resident of Puy-de-Dôme, is sharing her story of navigating this challenging condition, from initial hospitalizations to achieving long-term stability. Understanding and addressing mental health conditions like bipolar disorder is crucial for improving individual well-being and reducing societal stigma.
Anna, who lives in Issoire in the Puy-de-Dôme region, openly discusses her diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a condition she’s lived with since adolescence. Her first significant experience came at age 15 during a school exchange program in the United States. “I had my first manic episode,” she recalls. Her mother traveled to the U.S. Urgently after her first psychiatric hospitalization. Upon returning to France, she was admitted to the child and adolescent psychiatry unit in Clermont-Ferrand. At that age, finding the words to describe the internal chaos was difficult. She remembers, “Ideas race. You can experience bouts of anxiety, sleep less and less without being tired. You believe everything is wonderful, that nothing can stop you.”
However, a diagnosis wasn’t immediate. A relapse at age 17, triggered by “smoking marijuana,” led to a diagnosis of “manic-depression,” as it was known in 1996. This was a shock for a teenager unfamiliar with the illness, but she readily accepted lithium treatment. 
A relatively young diagnosis like Anna’s isn’t typical. Dr. Ludovic Samalin, a psychiatrist at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Center, highlights the difficulty in reaching a diagnosis. He explains, “In 50% of cases, the first episode is a depressive episode. Generally, the condition appears between the ages of 15 and 25.” Without a identified manic phase, doctors often prescribe traditional antidepressants, which can worsen the prognosis for a bipolar patient who needs a mood stabilizer. 
This variability makes the disorder difficult to pinpoint. Some patients experience three episodes in their lifetime, while others have four per year. For Anna, “The illness is highly invalidating and insidious.” After years of stability allowing her to build a career in recruitment and become a mother, she experienced severe relapses in 2009 and 2011, leading to psychiatric hospitalizations. “I entered during a manic phase and then had two depressions. It lasted eight months where I had to relearn how to dress and shower,” she confides emotionally. Anna also faced a battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2017.
To cope, Anna relies on strict discipline and what her first doctor called the “three pillars”: acceptance of the illness, strict adherence to treatment, and a supportive family environment. Today, she has chosen to stop working to preserve her balance and avoid any source of stress, a luxury made possible by previously secured disability insurance contracts. She now receives an invalidity pension.
Her daily routine has become her greatest defense. “Sleep is pillar number one. I travel to bed and wake up at almost the same time, within 20 minutes,” she explains. This is combined with a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and strict avoidance of alcohol. This lifestyle is paying off: Anna has been stable since 2021. She notes that her husband is the first to alert her to any sign of a mood change. Anna then immediately contacts her psychiatrist.
Despite the prevalence of the disease, affecting 2 to 4% of the French population, stigma remains strong. Anna and Dr. Samalin agree on the importance of public testimonials, like those from journalist Nicolas Demorand and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. Dr. Samalin emphasizes, “The more we talk about mental disorders, the more it destigmatizes and allows people to identify with people who have responsibilities, who are capable of working.”
Research continues to evolve. Beyond medication, new digital tools and psychoeducation groups for patients and their families are emerging. The goal is no longer just to treat the crisis, but to anticipate it. According to Dr. Samalin, complete recovery isn’t the aim, but stabilization that allows a return to a nearly normal life, similar to a diabetic patient managing their treatment.
Today, Anna “touches wood.” Between cultural outings and time spent with her 11-year-old daughter, she savors each moment of her regained stability, while remaining vigilant, knowing that “the illness can catch up with you at any time.”
To mark World Bipolar Day on Monday, March 30, the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Center is hosting a public conference and debate from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Limagne amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine. 
The program includes: 
- Bipolar disorders in the digital age: Dr. L. Samalin, psychiatrist 
- Leo 2.0: a digital psychoeducation tool for caregivers: Nursing teams at the CHU 
- General practitioner and care pathway for patients living with bipolar disorder: Dr. C. Laporte, Department of General Medicine 
- Q&A session with the public