All About Bipolar

Posted By atorturedsoul on August 13, 2009

How do you explain bipolar disorder to others?

Since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I have done extensive research on the subject. I consider myself to be very knowledgeable on the subject but yesterday I realized that I still don’t know how to explain what bipolar disorder is.

Don’t get me wrong. If I have enough time, I can explain the disorder quite well. However, most people don’t have time to listen to a lengthy explanation and sometimes they just don’t want to hear a half hour lecture on mental illness. How do you explain bipolar disorder quickly, yet accurately?

I decided that I must find ways to sum up the basics of the disorder in a short time. I hope this will help others better explain bipolar disorder to those who are curious, confused, or have misinformation. Here are a few key points to discuss:

1. Bipolar disorder is basically mood swings ranging from severe depression to extreme elation and your mood isn’t necessarily changed by anything at all.
2. Extreme elation isn’t a good thing. This is called “mania” and it can cause reckless behavior and people often make snap decisions that strain relationships.
3. A diagnosis of bipolar disorder does not mean a person is “crazy”. It is a chemical imbalance just like depression.
4. Rapid cycling means your moods can change very quickly for no reason at all. One minute you can be on top of the world and the next minute you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.
5. A mixed state means a person can be depressed and manic at the same time. You can have lots of energy and be very depressed all at once.
6. Anger is sometimes a symptom of bipolar disorder and it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person is mad at you. It doesn’t mean a person is going to “snap”-it is simply a way that frustration manifests itself.
7. Bipolar disorder is indeed an illness and it often requires medication like many other illnesses.
8. Sometimes bipolar disorder causes a person to become suicidal. It’s not a means of getting attention. It’s a symptom that requires treatment.
9. Hospitalization does not mean that a person is “crazy”. It’s a means of receiving treatment for an illness, much like someone who has diabetes and must be hospitalized to get their illness under control.
10. The portrayal of mental illness in the media, such as bipolar disorder, is inaccurate to say the very least. (Do I look like a serial killer to you?) People fear what they don’t understand and most people do not understand what bipolar disorder really is.

Of course, bipolar disorder is a complicated illness and it is hard to fully explain quickly. Hopefully, this will help us to “sum it up” when needed.

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Categories: About Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2, Cyclothymia, My Personal Experiences, NOS
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