There is so much we have accomplished and still so much to do. The longer I am involved with the Fund, the more I realize the significance of its mission. Too little is known about the treatment of bipolar disorder and even less about the care and support of the creative artist who has very unique challenges.Let’s take one of the greatest triggers for a manic (therefore, dangerous) episode: sleep disruption. What musician has a regular sleep schedule? The fact of the matter is that touring and playing at all hours is one of the most difficult and common facets of a musician’s life. Unfortunately, it is also very dangerous if you are bipolar (or suspect that you may be). There is significant evidence that Sean only wanted to sleep the night he died. The problem is that neither he, nor I, knew the dangers of sleep deprivation, only how difficult it often was for him to sleep. The MOJO project is something that we have been trying to get funding for, now for over 2 years. The beauty of the program is that it would be online, with 24/7 access…when musicians are up and having trouble sleeping. It would include education about the trigger as well as the ability to track sleep with a mechanism for warning someone is getting into the danger zone. It would be free, confidential, accessible and tailored to a musician. You cannot know how much I would love to see this get off the ground. There is nothing like it and the impact could be life saving. ( Another grant proposal is being completed this weekend…wish us luck!)One of the most common co-morbidities of BD is substance abuse.* About 70% of people who are bipolar self-medicate. Awareness of the trigger of working in places where alcohol is not only available, but often free to performing musicians needs to be part of an effective treatment plan. (The fact that musicians are also offered other illicit drugs from fans and “friends” does help the need for mood stabilization). Medications that don’t make one feel like they are unable to be creative; effective, non-addictive drugs for anxiety, etc. are all things that need to be researched.About 2.6% of the population in the US over 18 suffers with bipolar disorder, and creative people are about 8 times more likely to be counted in that number. To say that there is little in evidence based care for our target population is an understatement. The number of people who are dying (Sean among them) because of delayed diagnosis and inadequate care is unacceptable and tragic.We fight, as a group and an organization, against the stigma of mental illness, but also the widely held opinion that musicians are proud to be high. Sean wasn’t. He wanted to have a stable, normal life with a wife and kids. That meant help from professionals that knew how to guide him there. He never found that. Research monies for the challenges of bipolar disorder are desperately needed and woefully lacking. We can affect that in two ways (1) action via volunteering, campaigning, lobbying, just simply talking; and (2) actively participating in raising or donating the funds that the government is less and less willing/able to allocate.When you look around a club, know that of 100 people in the room, statistically, 3 of them will be bipolar. This is the most serious of psychiatric disorders, with a 50% higher successful suicide rate than any other. How many of our friends have we already lost in just our small community?According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental illness causes more disability than cardiovascular disease and all cancers; yet, we know of Susan G Koman Foundation and pink ribbons. How many people know of The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research? It takes a groundswell of support and passion.I have to say that my journey with the Fund has had its ups and downs. There are times that I am so sad, or tired that I think I can’t go on, and then I get another email or read of the need for more research, and I am compelled to continue. (I know of at least 2 people who are celebrating their 2 and 3 years of sobriety because of Sean and the Fund .) The fact is that in order to effect our ambitious, but essential mission, we must guarantee sustainability.Sean will be gone four years this April. To me it is yesterday, today. For some, it may seem forever ago as life goes on in their own natural rhythm. This Fund is no longer about Sean. It is about the 3 people in the room (in a room of musicians, that number would be more like 6) who still have a life ahead of them. It may be up to us to make sure it’s a healthy, productive one. The Fund needs your talent, your time, your donations and your heart.In this month of remembering whom we love, remember that no one ever recovers from the loss of a loved one, and everyone is worth the best that medicine and research can offer. I know that Sean did and so do each of you.With Love,Debbie Smith* Be sure to attend our next Beautiful Mind Lecture and Performance at the Briarcliff Campus of Emory University on March 14. The topic will be Bipolar Disorder and Addiction.