Last week, Malibu City Councilmember Skylar Peak confirmed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a doctor at UCLA in early May. Peak attributed the diagnosis to stress caused by personal issues involving his family. Peak said he is currently taking lithium, a common medication used to treat bipolar disorder. Peak said he has no plans to step down or take a leave of absence from the City Council.
When asked if he is currently mentally fit to serve on the City Council, Peak responded, “My answer is absolutely, 100 percent, there’s no question.”
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder characterized by extreme changes in mood ranging from mania to depression, with normal moods in between, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Currently, Peak said he is taking 1200 milligrams of lithium per day. Lithium helps to reduce the severity and frequency of mood swings, and often helps people with bipolar disorder to have more control over their emotions and reduce the extremes in behavior, according to the nonprofit health educational website WebMD.com.
Peak said he had never taken prescription medications before he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in early May.
Since his diagnosis, he said he has had two separate voluntary one-week stays as part of his treatment at a treatment center in Sedona, Arizona, called the Alternative to Meds Center.
In late May, Peak left for a two-week surfing trip to Indonesia, which caused him to miss the May 29 meeting of the City Council.
By late June, Peak said he was on what he described as a medically effective dose of 1200 milligrams of lithium per day.
Peak said he is seeing a therapist on a regular basis he described as “more than once” per week. He described that frequency as more than usual, but said he has seen a therapist for much of his life and views it as a healthy thing.
“Throughout my life I’ve been in therapy,” Peak said. “Like most people I think there’s nothing wrong with asking questions to better understand yourself. Obviously, for this immediate time, I’m in it more.”
On July 11, Peak was taken into custody by county sheriff’s deputies and spent five days at a county hospital in Torrance while undergoing an involuntary 72-hour psychological evaluation after an altercation with security guards at Point Dume Plaza shopping center.
According to Seth Kurbzan, assistant professor at USC School of Social Work, the 72-hour time limit is California state law and a standard period of time among states. Speaking in general terms, Kurbzan said police make a determination whether a person should be taken to a hospital after being informed that person is acting erratically.
“That type of behavior can really range,” Kurbzan said.
If the police feel the person is a danger to himself or others, they can take them for a 72-hour psychiatric hold, Kurbzan said. During that time period, a psychiatrist, or possibly a social worker, will talk to the person to assess their ability to reason and understand. The person will also be observed interacting with others and alone.