Stigma

2020-08-19

n my experience, there is a lot of misunderstanding in relation to bipolar disorder.  This is part one of a two part blog that will shed some light on these…

Misunderstanding #1 – It turns on and off like a light switch

Last week I was at a comedy show and the comedian was talking about his ex-girlfriend who was bipolar.  He referred to her changing her mood radically as “bipolarism”.  I realize it was a comedy act, however I have heard similar stories told in various other contexts.  The vast majority of people spend anywhere from one week to multiple months at either end of the spectrum.  Personally I would not react to something and instantly be manic!

If someone’s mood is altered dramatically quickly, it is most likely from other reasons other than bipolar. I’ve seen firsthand the effects both good and bad of friends taking various drugs from marijuana to acid and having radical shifts…in their mood and behaviour.  Unfortunately drug abuse and bipolar often occur together.  So when someone with bipolar has a total change of state quickly, is it drug/alcohol abuse or their disorder?  My feeling is that more often than not it would be from drug or alcohol abuse.  In my case, drug/alcohol abuse has never been an issue and some medical professionals that I’ve had sessions with almost refused to believe this.  I was definitely grilled many times – especially when they learned that I lived in Whistler for two winters!  When I was around eight years old my parents took me to an addictions recovery center to visit a relative of ours who was undergoing an alcohol detox.  I remember seeing people who were totally out of it, and my dad telling me that they were in there for severe drug and/or alcohol abuse.  That powerful imprinting had a huge impact on me.  Sometimes I wish that all kids around that age could see what I saw…

Misunderstanding #2 – Someone is either up or down all the time

Some people feel that people with bipolar disorder are either manic or depressed ALL THE TIME.  There are people out there who spend much more time in a depressive state and have the occasional manic episode.  However, most people do live in a middle ground, or “normal” state.  Whatever normal is!?  That’s a whole other topic.  In the past four years I’ve met various people with bipolar disorder.  In my experience, they are typically able to lead a normal life.  As for myself, in the thirteen years that I’ve lived with bipolar disorder, I’ve spent the vast majority in a state that is neither sleep-deprived mania nor sleep all day depression.  Most of my friends had no idea that I had bipolar disorder until I told them.  Now that I’ve integrated various tools and strategies into my daily life, I am stable and my bipolar disorder is medically in remission.  Sure, I have some ups and downs.  But who doesn’t?  We’re all human right?

What other statements/assumptions about bipolar disorder are you uncertain about being true or not?