The Dr. Robin Zasio Show “Mental Health Matters”

Topic: Bipolar Disorder~ The Tragic Consequences When Not Treated Properly.

Bipolar Disorder is a form of a mood disorder that affects 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population. People with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods called “mood episodes.” Each mood episode represents a drastic change from a person’s usual mood and behavior. An overly joyful or overexcited state is called a manic episode, and an extremely sad or hopeless state is called depression. Robert Villanueva, national speaker & trainer for The National Alliance on Mental Illness, will share how his life was severely disrupted with the initial misdiagnoses of depression, which had led to the loss of his career, end of his tenure as a head high school wrestling coach, loss of his home, and the dissolution of his family. Homeless, jobless, and dependent on the charity of others, he was on the brink of suicide. Robert somehow managed to lean on his faith and started on the long road to recovery through education about severe mental illness & peer support.