Redefining Mood DisordersA SLC Highlighted Project

Presented by Natasha Kolida

Part One: The Madness Behind the Method Part Two: Why I Hate Bureaucracies Part Three: A New Year’s Revolution

Today’s Menu

Part One: The Madness Behind the Method

An Introduction to This Organization and its Founder

Redefining Mood Disorders is a student directed seminar at UBC created by yours

truly

The Mission: Provide a more accurate understanding of depression and bipolar

disorder

Redefining Mood Disorders

…Natasha, and I should be graduating this spring with a BA in psychology.

I submitted my SLC application on a whim.

I’m an accidental mental health activist.

Hi, my name is…

The Madness

Photo Credit: Waelder11/Flickr

The Method

Photo Credit: Hongkiat.com

A diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I changed my life in entirely unexpected

ways.

It’s still something I struggle with, but it’s a lot easier now.

The paradox is that I wouldn’t be here talking to you now if I hadn’t been through

this.

Then and Now

Part Two: Why I Hate Bureaucracies

Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and the Controversial In-Betweens

The Spectrum of Mental Health

A major problem in approaching mental health is the categorical vs. dimensional

modelsDepressed

Not Depresse

d

Clinically DepressedSad

VS.

Our current health care system tends to use the categorical approach

The dimensional approach is an important step in decreasing stigma

Categorical vs. Dimensional

Mood vs. Mood Disorder

Photo Credit: Ellen Forney

UBC psychology course on behaviour disorders

Presented a very bleak outlook for depression, but especially bipolar disorder

If the students taking that class will be our future clinicians, then what?

Stigma on Campus - PSYC 300

Access & Diversity at UBC handles academic accommodation for those with

disabilities

One accommodation is note-taking, which you have to be “eligible” for

I was denied, at first – I had to argue for depression

Stigma on Campus

Researchers, educators, clinicians need to focus on the dimensional model of mental

health

We need to focus on the language we use and how we use it

How do we bridge the gap between what researchers know and the community at

large?

How to Begin to Fight Stigma

Make “Redefining Mood Disorders” staple subject material

Introduce an innovated model of depression that benefits undergraduate students

Address self-stigma in people newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder

My Vision for UBC

Part Three: A New Year’s Revolution

The Next Steps

Student-Driven Mental Health Solutions on Campus

&The Ripples of Knowledge

ASTU 400L

The Jack Summit 2015 in Toronto

The Mental Health Symposium at UBC

CREST.BD

Presentations & Collaborations

Redefining BipolarRebranding from: “Bipolar Disorder”

Rebranding to: “The Bipolar Condition”

The general public needs to be “sold”

“Disorder” carries a negative connotation

“Condition” implies a state of being – of human being

Why Rebranding Matters

Question: How do we make people care about mental health?

One Answer: Put it in their heads. Make them think about it.

Take the conversation beyond UBC

How You Can Help

RedefiningBipolar.org

For all updates, resources, opportunities, check out my website.

Connect Further

Use #RedefineBipolar on Twitterand/or

send me your comments @redefinebipolar

Keep the conversation going!

Thank you!Enjoy the rest of the SLC