By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
AT HIS lowest ebb, Florin Bordei found no help in Casey.
It was five years ago when the father-of-three was caught deeply in the thralls of a bipolar disorder, searching desperately for a support group in his local area but unable to find one.
Now in a better place and with a new outlook on life, Florin has taken responsibility into his own hands, this month starting up the not-for-profit South Eastern Bipolar Network.
“I needed something while I was going through it but nothing was available at the time,” Florin, 39, said.
“There was nothing. I went through all the motions – heavy drinking, my marriage was also in tatters at the time – I had to seek help from my local GP, and he referred me to a specialist and I had to learn the hard way.
“To tell the truth, until I was diagnosed I hadn’t even heard of bipolar.
“If I can help anyone at all by setting up this support network, it would be great.”
While in the grips of his condition, Florin, who migrated to Australia from Romania in 1992, learnt of the Melbourne Bipolar Network, a group he used for inspiration to form the Casey Network.
He said the Melbourne Network allowed people suffering from the illness to share and listen to other people’s experiences – a reminder that they weren’t suffering alone.
“The idea is that you meet regularly. Once a month, once a fortnight, depends on what people need,” Florin said.
“Bipolar affects people differently. Some people want to talk, some people don’t. At our meetings if you don’t want to talk about it, you may be happy just to listen.
“Bipolar sufferers, if they’re not aware they have the illness, it tends to lead to things like drug use, alcoholism or suicide in some cases and if we can stop these things, our mission is accomplished.”
When speaking of his own battle with the disorder, Florin recalls the huge emotional highs and the crushing lows.
“It goes from a very dazzling high – you feel like you’re on drugs – and then you feel you’re on rock bottom,” he said.
“It takes its toll both mentally and physically.”
Those in need of immediate assistance, or who need to talk to someone they can trust, can phone Lifeline on 131 114.
