An extreme adventure for an extreme condition

An academic from The University of Queensland is aiming to raise $1million to fund research into Bipolar Disorder.

Dr Tim Silk, a researcher with The Queensland Brain Institute, pitched the idea of The Bipolar Expedition at a 2007 Brightest Young Minds Conference, and now has a registered charity, a dedicated team and two adventurous trips planned.

All that’s missing are the sponsors.

The Bipolar Expedition involves a trek to the South Pole in November and another to the North Pole in April 2009, both with the aim of generating awareness of, and funding for, Bipolar Disorder.

“We’re hoping to attract a team of 12 people which will include some bipolar sufferers, psychiatrists and others from the community,” Dr Silk said.

“The whole trip will be filmed for a documentary which will hopefully raise awareness and generate more funding for research.”

For those who prefer a slightly slower pace, Peregrine Adventures are offering a luxurious thirteen-night Antarctic Cruise, and will donate 10 percent of the fare to Bipolar Disorder research.

The voyage will set off from Ushuaia, at the Southern tip of South America, in December this year.

Dr Silk, who joined The Queensland Brain Institute 12 months ago and has an interest in brain disorders, said his desire to increase Bipolar awareness stemmed from being frustrated with the condition’s frequent misdiagnosis.

“Relative to a lot of brain disorders, Bipolar is one we know a fair bit about and can be reasonably well managed,” Dr Silk said.

“About 70 percent of people with Bipolar Disorder are misdiagnosed, so there’s a huge race to get a correct diagnosis and put the research which has been done to good use.”

Bipolar Disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is a condition which causes extreme mood swings.

Those with Bipolar typically experience episodes of mania (emotional highs) and episodes of depression (emotional lows), with periods of normal mood in between.

And the adventure is sure to be just as extreme as the condition itself.

Anyone wishing to sponsor the expedition, or apply to join either journey, can do so by visiting The Bipolar Expedition website, www.bipolarexpedition.org.

Further information: Dr Silk (3346 7618 or 0408 533 160, t.silk@uq.edu.au) or Penny Robinson at UQ Communications (3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au)