My best friend and I, Holdin, have been on the receiving end of some ignorant comments regarding our bipolar disorder diagnoses.
She is newly on medication yet I, however, have been on the same thing for three years now, am highly functional, doing well in school and graduating in May. My personality is intact, I have a full-range of
emotions; I am not an over-medicated zombie under the spell of evil doctors, as some may think. My doctor is awesome, and is open to alternative medicine and everything--he is open to what works and wants his patients to have wonderful, long, healthy lives.
The drug companies (which aren't angels, admittedly) are not even making a lot of money off of the meds I take--and what most bipolars take--they're cheap to produce and distribute. So in the case of severe mental disorders (bipolar disorder is up there with schizophrenia), leave your skepticism intact and focused on our government. Many of us would be dead or completely non-functioning without them.
As Holdin expressed a want for doing, people should be kicked in the face who believe that we could just think/eat/exercise it away. It's a legitimate medical condition. Besides, don't you think we've already tried that? She and I should take photos of our organic-food-stocked fridges, our brigade of vitamins and our gym memberships--we are doing everything right, including taking our medication.
Yes, it manifests itself as emotional symptoms, it is a brain disorder. This does not mean, however, that we are making it up, or making things worse by being emotional. This is pathological and it impairs our ability to live our lives.
HERE'S A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE:
Another brain disorder involving neurotransmitters (like bipolar) is fucking Parkinson's. No one is telling the Parkinson's patients to eat a better diet, not use medication, run on that treadmill, take those vitamins ONLY, use herbal healing exclusively.... and stop shaking already! This is legitimate to everyone because it involves motor control... well ours involves our emotional control.
PLUS, DO YOU THINK WE WANT TO BE ON MEDICATION FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, JUST TO MAINTAIN OUR SANITY?
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO PAY MONEY TO FEEL BETTER IF WE COULD JUST RUN ANOTHER LAP AND PUT DOWN THAT PIECE OF CAKE?
Sorry, we're not faking this, and if you tell someone who is legitimately bipolar to try their life without meds, well you might lose them their life with your ignorant fucking advice.
Keep your New Age hands off of our difficult disorder.
THE BEST THING for you to do if you know nothing about bipolar disorder is to learn something.
Go to the NIMH website if you're interested, read Kay Redfield Jamison's "Touched With Fire."
If someone tells you they are bipolar, tell them to get medical help if they aren't already, encourage them to take their medication and hold their hand when they cry, go to a movie with them when they are depressed, take them out to eat if they're having trouble with their appetite, run some laps or just take a walk with them if they want some exercise--treat them like a human, value them, be their friend--LISTEN, and be supportive.
Otherwise, if you are not a psychiatrist and don't have the disorder, yet feel like you're some expert that gives any bad advice other than what is generally expressed above, here's my PS:
PISS OFF!
National Instituate of Mental Health on Bipolar Disorder
She is newly on medication yet I, however, have been on the same thing for three years now, am highly functional, doing well in school and graduating in May. My personality is intact, I have a full-range of
emotions; I am not an over-medicated zombie under the spell of evil doctors, as some may think. My doctor is awesome, and is open to alternative medicine and everything--he is open to what works and wants his patients to have wonderful, long, healthy lives.
The drug companies (which aren't angels, admittedly) are not even making a lot of money off of the meds I take--and what most bipolars take--they're cheap to produce and distribute. So in the case of severe mental disorders (bipolar disorder is up there with schizophrenia), leave your skepticism intact and focused on our government. Many of us would be dead or completely non-functioning without them.
As Holdin expressed a want for doing, people should be kicked in the face who believe that we could just think/eat/exercise it away. It's a legitimate medical condition. Besides, don't you think we've already tried that? She and I should take photos of our organic-food-stocked fridges, our brigade of vitamins and our gym memberships--we are doing everything right, including taking our medication.
Yes, it manifests itself as emotional symptoms, it is a brain disorder. This does not mean, however, that we are making it up, or making things worse by being emotional. This is pathological and it impairs our ability to live our lives.
HERE'S A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE:
Another brain disorder involving neurotransmitters (like bipolar) is fucking Parkinson's. No one is telling the Parkinson's patients to eat a better diet, not use medication, run on that treadmill, take those vitamins ONLY, use herbal healing exclusively.... and stop shaking already! This is legitimate to everyone because it involves motor control... well ours involves our emotional control.
PLUS, DO YOU THINK WE WANT TO BE ON MEDICATION FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, JUST TO MAINTAIN OUR SANITY?
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO PAY MONEY TO FEEL BETTER IF WE COULD JUST RUN ANOTHER LAP AND PUT DOWN THAT PIECE OF CAKE?
Sorry, we're not faking this, and if you tell someone who is legitimately bipolar to try their life without meds, well you might lose them their life with your ignorant fucking advice.
Keep your New Age hands off of our difficult disorder.
THE BEST THING for you to do if you know nothing about bipolar disorder is to learn something.
Go to the NIMH website if you're interested, read Kay Redfield Jamison's "Touched With Fire."
If someone tells you they are bipolar, tell them to get medical help if they aren't already, encourage them to take their medication and hold their hand when they cry, go to a movie with them when they are depressed, take them out to eat if they're having trouble with their appetite, run some laps or just take a walk with them if they want some exercise--treat them like a human, value them, be their friend--LISTEN, and be supportive.
Otherwise, if you are not a psychiatrist and don't have the disorder, yet feel like you're some expert that gives any bad advice other than what is generally expressed above, here's my PS:
PISS OFF!
National Instituate of Mental Health on Bipolar Disorder
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
evewhiteeveblack:
Thank you... I'm doing much better other than my twitching face. But I don't know...having to stop my one med... we shall see! It will either be ok or open the gates of hell... 
stiles:
People scoff at what they don't understand and nothing is more dangerous than a little knowlege.