Bipolar disorder is a serious and difficult illness that affects all facets of a person’s life: their education, work, relationships, health and finances, said Julie A. Fast, author of several bestselling books on bipolar disorder, including Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, and a coach who works with partners and families.
Fast was diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder II at 31 years old in 1995, a time when very little was discussed regarding the diagnosis. Fortunately, knowledge and media coverage of bipolar disorder have improved dramatically over the years. “I’m astonished at how much more people know about the illness,” she said.
Even TV shows are featuring more accurate portrayals of bipolar disorder. “In the past, people with bipolar disorder were practically frothing at the mouth,” Fast said. Today, writers and producers make it a point to get it right. Recently, Fast served as one of the advisors on the hit Showtime series “Homeland” and talked with Claire Danes about her character’s bipolar disorder.
While information has gotten much better, many misconceptions still exist and endure.
Below, you’ll find five persistent myths about bipolar disorder
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This is a great list that clarifies common misunderstandings about this complex diagnosis. I work primarily with teens and have found that these myths are also especially important for parents to understand. If parents are misguided about how to manage bipolar, their teens will have more barriers to their ongoing recovery.
Nice piece. I thought I’ve read everything about Bipolar but still learned some stuff. The worst myth is that people with BP go crazy, because most news stories showcase the worst cases.
This is very informative. I used to make fun of people and tell them they are bipolar, but I never knew it was that serious to the point that a person can get hospitalized.
Thank you for writing this article. I was very pleased with it. As you can imagine the last myth is very annoying. Only two people who are very close know about my condition as there is still so much stigma. Once I heard my friend say about someone else, that was doing an awful lot in their private and work live,”oh he’s manic, he has to be bipolar. As she was a nurse I was blown away. Then another time she was late for something and complained that she had a “jumper” all night in A&E. I decided to educate her by finding as much info as possible and sending to her email. We’ve barely spoken since and I’m almost happy about that. But I’m really just giving you an example here. No one except those who also suffer, know the complete darkness you go into. Even if its a day that’s going ok, it sneaks up and grabs you and it takes over every bit of you, until you feel you are never going to escape it and never be ok again. That’s when thoughts of suicide appear. And you just try so hard to get through that day because you think that after a good nights sleep you’ll be ok. That can be true if you sleep. You need encouragement then, not misunderstanding. Even if you don’t understand it like my good friend, just go with words that are affirmations that things will be ok, the darkness will pass. However that myth is still there and we have to struggle not with the darkness, but to seem normal and upbeat also, so that we don’t make other healthy and lucky people uncomfortable. I hope this bit of a jumble of words makes sense to people. Thanks.
Quite obviously depression and bipolar are linked. Depression should almost be considered Bipolar Type III. Since no one knows where ‘normal’ is, how can remission be measured? Often depression begins the bipolar cycle and antidepressants may kick off a level of mania. I’ve seen that happen.
2. Remission. HA. We can act ‘normal’/'in remission’ a lot of the time. I remember someone saying I was so cheerful at work. “You don’t see me on the weekends.”
3. I see the medication route as the solution for everything far too much as I do transcription for a free medical clinic for those without insurance.
Support is needed as well. There are obviously too few counselors, but even peer support (individuals, club houses, and groups) can help immensely. I do know the Hispanics are terribly under-served. They come from different lands and different cultures and thrown in to this bizarre nation. Can’t imagine why they have mental health problems. (That’s sarcasm.)
The more rural counties are at a disadvantage there. The club house in my county is an hour away. The DBSA group another 1/2 hr. or so. I have no idea if there is even a functional NAMI group in the county anymore. That too is an hour away, at night. Craft clubs and other such groupings could be a start, but primary physicians have no clue on what to even suggest.
4. Oh, happiness. “equated this scenario to people who’ve been in a car crash. You wouldn’t expect someone with broken bones simply to get up and start sprinting.”
Long have I discarded the ‘break-down’ – out of gas, dead tire, etc. Quick fix. No, I too call these car crashes. Some of us can recover to our former level. Some can adjust to a different level. Other’s are set adrift, wounded in mind, body, and spirit. Intense management can bring satisfaction.
5. Aren’t trying hard enough! Oh, give me a break. These are probably the same people who are overweight, smoking or drinking. It is more than will power and desire. Sometimes it’s best just to let things go and get balanced again.
Stress, (and where is that in our culture), can explode in ones face quickly. We react as we have found the best way to protect ourselves.
It’s bad enough being sensitive people in this cruel, conforming world without that kind of remark being thrown around.
I was wondering who was advising the Homeland writers, I knew someone must be doing it properly as it’s just so well executed!
i have been taking medications for 18 years and they all have side effects, and i dont even know if they work or i come down naturally.I get depressed and then get manic then depressed,the regular cycle. If it werent for the mistakes of feeling to good when manic things would be great,becuase grandouse ideas dont fly. So why with all the mental illness there are and concerns so much and technicalities about describing bi polar would people want to legalize marijuwana?dont doctors in the courts have saying staying real is better than being on drugs, or is it a lost cause and everyone is high and their just hidding it?
Thank you for this informative post. It helps to eliminate stigma.
This article was of great help to me. In the many years I have had this disorder, I feel I am doing almost everything right. In the beginning I didn’t understan why this was happening to me. I feel I am managing my bipolar in the best way I can,with therpy and medcine, plus many hospitaliztions. I believe I know who I am and what I have to do to fight this fight. Luckly I have a loving husband and children and many friends who try to understand this as best they can. Meds are important, but trying to go on with activities is important if you can manage to make yourself walk out the door. I am finding people who care about me to try to understand what I go through. The others are really not friends. It has taken me over 40 years to get where I am today. I’m glad a didn’t take my life when I tried. I would have missed so much, 49 years of marriage, three great children and the best of all my grandchildren. Life is good. I am willing to speak to anyone who at the present is strugling with bipolar.
I have had bipolar since age 16, but have battled depression since age 9. My first time in a depressive low, and feeling suicidal was on Novmeber 23rd 1990 at 4:45pm as I sat in a solitary room (time out) on a children’s unit as punishment for not wanting to play gym with the other kids.
I was told I could play basketball or go back to the unit. I choose the unit. I just wasn’t told if I choose going back to the unit meant I would have to spend two hours in the solitary room. I have no memory before my first day 2 hours before being admitted.
Anyway, I have struggled with bipolar since the hospital visit, but wasn’t officially diagnosed with it until I was 16. For me, I tend to cycle about every 6 months.
Twice a year or so I have a deep depression that results in being hospitalized. Sadly as many have shared, bipolar is one of many mental health illnesses that are misunderstood.
Many times I have come through the ER prior to being hospitalized and basically treated like crap. Staff treat me as if I am there for attention. And a few times I have overheard the charge nurse instructing her staff that I am a attention seeker and to make my visit as uncomfortable as possible so I won’t want to come back.
But they don’t understand that I am not there for attention. And for me, I have PTSD from abuse in psych hospitals, so I will do ANYTHING to not have to go to the ER or psych ward. And to be at the ER, I, and I know others, are already in a bad place. But to then have insensitive staff members assume people are only there for attention makes a stressful and difficult situation worse.
I will share one example of a bad ER experience made worse. I was experiencing a depressive low, one of my worst. I had done as suggested and called a hotline. Police came to my home and placed me in handcuffs. On the way to the car the offer (who’s taken me to the hospital during other lows over the years) tells me “you know, the police have more important things to do than to deal with you”. I was told once to “just off yourself and be done with it” by one officer.
So anyway, I come into the ER feeling worse on the drive over. The nurse asks me to put on a gown. I explained about my PTSD and gowns being a bad trigger but said since I was in a shirt and shorts that I had no problem removing them if needed for the doctor to do their exam.
The charge nurse walks by yelling “get the restraints”. She comes in a moment later with 4 nurses, 2 security guards and the officer who brought me to the ER. The nurse tells me “You can either put on the gown or you will be held down and put in restraints, your clothes will be cut from your body, your diaper removed (I am incontinent) and a cathater put in and if you so much as touch ANYONE, you will be arrested for assult, you have 10 seconds to decide”.
I had no choice, I put on the gown and proceeded to break down crying due to flashback after flashback of past abuse that took place with me in a gown. When the medical doctor came in for the exam a hour later, he saw me in tears and has the nerve to tell me “You must really like this kind of treatment, you keep coming back”.
At the time, I was so angry at myself for calling the hotline, because had I not, I wouldn’t have had to go through that. And during the week in the psychiatric hospital, I had wished I would have taken my life instead of calling the hotline. If what happened by the police and ER was “help”, something’s wrong with the world.
It will be a great day when Bipolar is better understood, and some people REALLY need sensitivity training! Anyway, although longer than I intended, thanks for letting me share everyone.
I came here from stumbleupon. I’m a forensic psychiatrist in the UK. For those who don’t know that means I’m a doctor (MBChB) and a psychiatrist (MRCPsych).
Essentially the US is totally shit at medicine, and especially shit at mental illness (DSM is terrible). Bipolar is a proper mental illness and not a personality disorder, eg it is a chronic psychotic disorder like schizophrenia.