More People Self-Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

Stigma is a blight on humanity and shows that compassion is less self-evident. The pro’s and con’s, I believe, should be openly discussed and NOT brushed under the carpet like many of the Law makers are seemingly trying to do. This adds to the misconception by the media and laypersons in our community. Nothing equals the fears that our loved ones have done or may indeed do again whilst suffering an episode. If the public are told the truth then yes we may have some of the media throwing the misinformation around but then some of the people may even come on board as to how it is NOT always the way of the movie makers.

The police and courts should be honest and open and NOT use the vulnerable with problems for furthering their careers because when the truth hits the fan then the public will jump to the wrong conclusion. It is a human trait I am sorry to say.

I have never been an advocate for punishing people for actions that are out of THEIR control. With the policy that is being used here in the UK in that more people are being locked away in prisons because the government has cut back on hospital admissions, so saving millions to the tax paying public and the NHS. This then means that they are being put behind bars with a further “label” of being a criminal. This ideology enforces a catch 22 situation for the sufferer. I do admit that sometimes people have to stay for a period in hospital but should be done by people that care about treating sufferers with dignity.

I’ve been retired since 1999, but when still working I made no secret of my diagnosed clinical depression (I didn’t yet consider it bipolar, as manic depression still seemed in the 60s, 70s, and 80s to be something exotic and unlikely). Luckily my employers were completely understanding from my immediate supervisor right on up to the top of the organization. If I had to leave the office suddenly because depression had hit and I could no longer think clearly, that was OK. One employer gave me very extended sick leave for electroshock therapy in ‘73.

But now we live in a markedly more mean-spirited world, where Mammon seems to have made great strides in winning and ruining the hearts of people, and suspicion and greed are far more commponplace, I believe, than in the last several decades, or perhaps ever.

I was lucky — I see now — to have worked when I did, and to have been able to get out of the working world in the nick of time.

It is really beyond sad. It is an atrocious situation, with many workers little more than corporate slaves, and having to return to the old tight-lipped, paranoid days of concealment, not only of depression and bipolar disorder, but of a whole range of diseases and other stigmatized conditions.

In spite of valiant efforts by some, there is still a lot of media coverage about people with bipolar doing violent things. I’ve also noticed that some people draw away from me when they find out about my bipolar. I used to be quite open but nowadays I tend to keep it hidden to avoid the stigma.

I diagnosed myself in 1992 ansd my psychiatrist concurred. I’d read enough and kept track of my ups and downs so there was little doubt. I was put on lithium and wellbutrin. That lasted a month until I balked. The lithium sapped my energy and I had a business to run so I had him take me off. Unfortunately there weren’t the good options for a mood stabalizer and I went through several more years without one. Now I take a mood stabalizer and two antidepressants and I have been depression free for three years, I get a little hypo now and then but I’ve got safeguards in place and I don’t do anything bizarre so I do quite well during these brief periods.

It frustrates me when people go around telling everyone they are bipolar but turns out they have self diagnosed- and that’s it. I’m not talking about the person that senses the symptoms and seeks help, I’m talking about the person that just goes around saying they have it. Part of this comes from running into people who actually *desire* to have a psychiatric condition, specifically bipolar disorder, like it’s cool or some sort of social thing along with having a certain car or little dog. And here I am, in the hospital, coming out of a psychosis during a manic episode, coming into the knowledge that I’d been living in a delusional state for months. Or being in the ICU after a suicide attempt with Topomax. These events *terrified* me…and you WANT this! I think they would feel differently once they knew the real torture of, say, not sleeping a wink for 2 weeks straight, getting more and more out of touch with reality, during a mixed episode…or, say, the loss of dignity after ECT when you pee your bed and the nurse has to help you change and clean up.
I was diagnosed after I’d suffered for years with symptoms I was conrfused by and too embarassed to tell anyone about. Finally, it was too much and I went to the doctor and said, “Something’s wrong. I can’t sleep, my mind is going a mile a minute, I can’t sit still…” I didn’t know what it was, just knew something was *off*.
The times that I have been hospitalized I have been in serious condition, the disorder stripping of something new each time, and I couldn’t believe how many people I ran into at the hospital who were actually thrilled that they got the diagnosis. Sometimes I questioned what they were doing there in there in ther first place. They seemed to enjoy hospiatlization and comparing meds.
I’m not talking about the person that senses something wrong, finds out it might fit bipolar, and goes to the doctor because they want to feel better. I talking about people wanting it because it’s cool.

I hate that I have bipolar II & would never tell my employer! I am really having a hard time right now as I am hyper in the morning–why is everyone so slowwwwwww–that’s why nothing gets done! I can do 2 or 3 people’s jobs!!! Then, by afternoon, I feel like I just need to get out of there & go home to bed where it is safe. Sometimes I just lie & say my child is sick or I have an appt however, I would never tell because so many employers would hold it against you.

I cannot believe that people actually want to have Bipolor. I was diagnosed in May 2009 and I was totally devastated. I had experienced two nervous breakdowns prior to my diagnosis. One in January 2008 and one in March 2009. On both occassions my breakdowns were due to immense stress after being the victim of a convicted fraudster and two negligent Solicitors. I nearly lost my home as a result of this.

I was never happy with this diagnosis, I read several books on Bipolor and found that I did not have any of the symtoms described. I stopped taking my medication in November 2009 and asked my psychiatrist if I could get a second opinion as I felt that I had actually suffered two Brief Psychotic Episodes.

I have arranged to see a Psychatrist next month and I am confident that he will confirm that I do not suffer from this illness. In my opinion experts are to quick to label people and get them dependant on medication. Although medication can make a big difference to some people, there are some very nasty side effects. I think that a lot of people actually need thearapy and counselling but often find that this help is not available. I have currently been waiting over a year for therapy and I feel that this is totally unacceptable.

If these people who think it’s call to have a mental illness actually experienced the discrimination and attitude that most people have towards mental illness I am sure that they would change their mind!