Bipolar People suck (apparently) !
Well here’s a helpful, intelligent, constructive and informed comment I received today:
“Quite frankly. I’m so sick of bipolar crap. Take your meds. Get help and quit ruining the life of people around you. You’re ill. Get help. Don’t be lazy and cruel. Bipolars suck!”
Just goes to show that I need to run a blog like this……
If he/she had bothered to read about me, he/she would have known that:
- I do take medication and always will, never have once come off them
- I already know I’m ill which is why I’m writing a blog about it all
- I’ve already had and continue to have help: 3 years of CBT and therapy, Psychiatric help and healers. Oh and fantastic family, a supportive partner and great friends. Any more help that I’ve missed out on?
- Lazy? That’s an interesting one. So Lazy that I became an Army officer, rowed for my college, trekked across Canada’s Yukon, raced sailing boats for the Army and have my Royal Yachting Qualifications, qualified as a Mountain Expedition Leader, can run for an hour and a half at a time, exercise regularly, can water ski competently. Anything else I should be doing? Oh, I also write articles which are published, speak at conferences, study Law.
- Or are you talking about “lazy” when I was suffering from depression and found it hard to get out of bed in the mornings, felt drained and fatigued all day, could hardly move, found it difficult to motivate myself. Do you mean that kind of lazy?
- Or so lazy that I set up this blog and campaign against senseless discrimination and prejudice?
- Cruel – wonder what he means by that? I don’t hit my children, nor do I sexually abuse them, nor do I neglect them, nor do I psychologically torment them. Those are the only ways I think I could be “cruel”. Oh and last time I looked, the dog was still alive and my family and friends still like me. Cruel to whom?
- Bipolar sucks! Sure does. Lucky for you you don’t have it, or if you do, then please don’t assume the things you’ve assumed and certainly don’t tar all 750,000 of us with the phrase “Bipolar Sucks”. Just be grateful that you don’t have to live with the illness that I have to live with.
By the way, if anyone wants to comment to this, please do so – any debate is good debate!
The author of this intelligent and insightful comment, aptly naming itself ‘Sickossick’ also chose to leave a ‘ghost’ email address, no real surprise there really: sickossick@yahoo.com
And for what it’s worth, here is the IP details the comment was logged under:
(IP: 75.146.33.2 , 75-146-33-2-Minnesota.hfc.comcastbusiness.net)
Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=75.146.33.2
Thank you so much for having the courage, decency and humility to write back in and say what you’ve said. I truly appreciate it. Especially when it sounds like you have been dealing with a very difficult situation and complex problem with huge emotional and psychological hurt. It seems that most people who have been writing in angrily about Bipolar people, are dealing with those who don’t take their medication or who are substance abusing or who have other conditions as well as Bipolar eg borderline personality, OCD etc. I have no doubt whatsoever that it must be extremely frustrating, difficult, exhausting, infuriating, deeply upsetting and hurtful having to deal with someone who can behave in such a difficult way. I’m just glad that you realise that we are not all like that and that, if properly treated, someone suffering with Bipolar can behave in as “normal” a way as any other “normal” person!
By the way, I’ve now had a second opinion by another psychiatrist who tells me that she doesn’t agree with my diagnosis and thinks i don’t have Bipolar. She thinks I’ve had periods of unipolar depression but no mania or hypomania and am not therefore suffering with Bipolar.
I’m sorry I wrote that. I was trying to educate myself on the illness and understand why I was being so tormented and tortured by the person with this illness. I was/am dealing with someone who does not take meds and acts our their illness in the court system with lies. She is vicious and cruel and quite frankly scary. I was just venting. After hours of searching on the net about the illness I felt like there is no hope for this person, or me who has to clean up the messes and deal with the rage. I apologize for my ignorance.
This comment makes me incredibly sad. It’s just great to have the stereotype of bipolar people are crazy being spread around. I myself am rapid cycling bipolar…my moods can switch within hours over completely nothing. I have had numerous issues with cutting and things of that nature. I attempted suicide at the age of 15 and was hospitalized. I later hanged myself and died for 5 minutes but was somehow brought back to life with all my brain functions intact…a true miracle. I’m a loving a caring person who is not cruel…quite the opposite…I’m actually too nice in some ways. I too suffered from physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, but that is not what made me bipolar…it’s a genetic thing. How dare someone judge me because of the way I was born. Nobody with this illness actually wants it. No one whose bipolar is like, oh man I love these random mood swings…we all want to be stable…sadly though, even with medication, things can still happen. Still, there are good people out there who are bipolar…many famous geniuses were in fact…to condemn something you don’t understand and to not be open minded enough to try to understand it…well you’re just ignorant, and worse off than us supposed “cruel” or crazy people. Everyone in the world has things they need to work out…we just have a bit more…we are victims to something that will never go away…and you obviously never understand. You’ll never understand what it’s like to have a manic episode and then, when you’ve landed, be horrified by the things you did…knowing you can never take them back, and wishing you could. Bipolar people deserve to be loved, and this ignorance just pisses me off…hence the long rant. It’s just that I’ve been through sooooooo much…and if someone told me to just pick myself up from my bootstraps and get over my hanging I would be incredibly angry. You can’t will bipolar away…you can just say shoo and make it disappear. And, as I can see from the posts, it would seem as though the people who are bipolar are of a higher intelligence than those who aren’t. The people who are unwilling to understand have now surpassed ignorance and are just plain stupid. If you see the facts in front of you as deny them…you are stupid. Wake up and realize that we are not evil creatures sent to this word to ruin you “normal” people…we are simply people trying to cope with an incredibly debilitating illness that affects every aspect of our life. If you lived with it…well, you might just end up like me…except without surviving.
And to everyone that is bipolar, keep hanging on…it’s a tough ride, and as you know it’s not always pretty, but take your meds and talk to a counselor or whatever, and you can get though it…always know that love does exist, even for people with bipolar. I know sometimes it’s hard to understand that for some people with bipolar…but you are who you are and you will loved, and that person won’t judge you for your illness.
I know that was long and drawn out but I felt the need to share my story and my anger.
I assume that the person who made that comment has been hurt by someone who has BPD. I have it and have had it all my life. it is funny how people forget to remember that everyone is different and that is why some people who have BPD may very well be selfish, cruel or cheaters. Everyone is different, it is very ignorant to assume that all people with BPD are exactly the same. I have always suffered from careing more for others than myself but that is my personality and has absolutly nothing to do with my BPD! neither does my spelling lol But people with iggnorance such as this should be ignored, iggnorance has been what has plauged our world for so long and it is ingraved in every inch of our bloody past. So do not take notice to this and be the great person you are bipolar or not.
I have a best friend who has Bipolar II. He does alright and I am impressed at how much he is constantly aware of others. He does not try to be a burden and is actually one of the most understanding people I know. Strangely enough, I also have a Bipolar brother (recently diagnosed) that seems to be the exact opposite of my friend. I find it amazing what a fucking needy burden my brother is and that he has no ability to see outside himself. His mouth breathing simple ways are not do to to his Bipolar II Disorder, but rather he is dumb do to his own volition.
I praise my Bipolar friend.
I am burdened by my Bipolar brother.
In the end, Bipolar does not always mean that someone will be selfish and an all around problem- what matters is the person’s personality. As for my brother, he would still be a needy idiot with or without the Bipolar II Disorder.
I can’t believe people actually think some of what I am reading.
I have recently been diagnosed with bipolar type two. Before that my life was a lulled roller coaster of constant misdiagnosis. It is hard to find someone who understands a relief in diagnosis. I find the few people outside of a doctors office i have talked to about it dont believe in mental conditions, think exercise can cure all, or act like its a crutch.
I was afraid to tell people of anything because of the thoughts like some of those that post here.
I was scared Id lose my job, my family, scared people would judge me, scared no one would love a crazy person. I still am.
As for the discussion of abuse, I was abused. I dont enjoy telling people publicly. I couldnt see how anyone who has been could. There is an appropriate time, in pride that I overcame it, support or honesty but everyone feels different on this matter. I think if anyone admited abuse, it would take faith and confidence to do so. I would strongly consider this. There may be an association between the disease being hereditary and this topic.
Bipolar people are cruel? I know no one is perfect. No matter their physical state or condition.
Honestly, I can be. Everyone can be to those they love most, those they think will be there when the storm subsides. Its easier to be mean than it is to be nice, but at least I try. At least I dont relish in being mean like its trendy and cool. I have to try to be happy. I was depressed as a child and I will, probably for life, have to try to feel happiness that everyone around me so easily can. I have a constant dissatisfaction within my life and personal relationships. That could seem cruel I guess. I have a good heart, I am a great and loving mother. I run circles around some moms I know who aren’t diagnosed with a thing. My children reflect that.
Being bipolar is not an excuse for me.
Ive battled depression my whole life, even when I experienced physical symptoms in early childhood.
Sometimes I kick its ass.
Sometimes I need help.
There is no easy way. It sucks to have it. To have to work so hard, while others relax and enjoy the ride.
But at least I seek help. At least I put in an effort to be healthy. At least I have tried to get a diagnosis, a solution.
So, I think lumping all people within a stereotype and slapping on a negative label is ignorant. Its as ignorant as sexism, and racism.
Especially when its a biologically proven chemical imbalance apparent with a simple lab test. Its not made up for attention. It is not a personality trait.
If someone was so ignorant as to say things like some of these thoughts on how I must be, judging without even knowing me, that to my face, yeah I’d be cruel. So would a lot of other veterans I know diseased or not.
No, you’re cruel. All bipolar people are cruel. You don’t know the reality of the people around you.
I have had bipolar.
nearly lost my family i spent 4 weeks in a mental ward at leighton hospital.
I have done the works i found medication for me made me alot worse i found to wake in the morning and throw my self at what ever i do not want to do and just try and run with it it is not a joke and in no way is bipolar made up you dont just click your fingers and change.
it is hard i wish it noot on anyone not even my worst enamys people have a way of dissing what they dont know that is because they just cannot rack there head around something that could happen to them.
I have delt with bipolar when in a bad way for a year and have come through working again i am hopeing to be normal again but thats far from now i am still uncomfortable in public and i work at a bar so takeing it face on really.
every thing else has settled through mental stubborness and anyone out there who are struggling with bipolar learn from yesterday live for today and hope for tomorrow that is how i did it and it worked.
good luck to all and bye.
I’ll spare this audience with my details…I would prefer to get to the point. My in-laws think I’m lazy, they don’t verbalize their opinion, but their actions speak louder than words (my wife agrees). I have had career success, but bipolar won in the end. I’m constantly fighting my suicidal tendencies, I have a difficult time with what I have become. Now I’m not able to complete any significant projects around my home, so my father in law picks up the slack. I’m confident that I’m on his shit list. How do you get someone motivated about learning what bipolar is? they would prefer to judge me than do the right thing. I would appreciate any insight from this forum…thanks.
Bipolar disorder does not come from being abused or neglected. It may cause an episode that families and friends witness which can be twisted into a child/adult saying they are acting this way because they were abused-they could have been but the doctor knows all this. Many think it is a way to get attention or that they are exaggerating because they have always been the one in the family that is complaining that something is physically wrong with them. They fact is it is a disease of the brain just like diabetes or heart disease and therefore it is treated by medication through a physician, usually by lithium a naturally occuring salt that is suppose to be in the brain.You stop taking the medicine and you get sick, just like when you stop taking insulin for diabetes. When families become more knowlegeable and supportive of their family member they have a greater likelood of living successfully. The physical complaints come from anxiety that causes muscle spasms. This illness causes your body to turn on itself. Things hurt that didn’t. The skin burns, you can’t concentrate, you feel like you are losing control, Many other emotional symptoms occur. Many famous people have had bipolar disorder, such as many other artists and musicians-Sen. Edward Kennedy’s nephew has it and he is the senator of Rhode Island. Most of all this is a hereditary
disease. If a family member has it, it can be passed on and will, usually be to the next generation-female to female, male-to-male. If your loved one or friend doesn’t take their medicine you may find them building an empire state’s building in 10 minutes or lay in the bed for days-so be very, very carefully. Bipolar people are very, very smart and are usually talented and highly educated. If your love one is complaning and is always in a bad mood, or high as a kite-it my be time for a visit to the doc. PS IF THEY THREATEN SUICIDE CALL A PHYSICIAN-DO NOT TAKE LIGHTLY BECAUSE ALOT OF THESE PEOPLE WILL DO IT, MANY BIPOLAR PEOPLE DIE FROM SUICIDE-LISTEN TO THE WARNING SIGNS THAT ONLY SEEM LIKE THEY WANT ATTENTION.
in my opinion , i think that most bipolar people do suck!!! they lie, cheat
and totally wreckless. bipolar people should introduce them selves
with this “illness” upfront , instead of letting the people find out
them self. if you have hiv, wouldn’t be right to tell that up front?
i understand that most people with this “illness” have had a rough
childhood, so what!! learn to deal with it and be consistant!! the
world is not going to end! you are not alone!! and for crying out loud, get some
exercise!!
surely once you know about it you know were they are coming from i want to be there for him but he cuts me off think if thinks he will ruin my life?! i was verabally abused when i was a child it did effect me i couldn’t understand why people were being so horrible then i realise its from fear anger and hurt i have felt all those things its not nice so when he started saying things i thought it was strange and left it its like speaking the truth aloud or finding out what your insecurities are and playing on them otherwise why should it bother you would be difficult all the time i know
i went out with a lovely guy who never told ne his condition properly , i had some terrible times with him and thought it was me and he made out it was me unless he didn’t know ?
yet still i care for him very much….i would want someone to care about me if i was like that its not there fault is it? would like any replies
I have suffered from this disorder for years. I still wander if i really have it or not. But considering that in my early twenties i went through literally twenty or more jobs in two years and couldn’t hold them down, and my moods seemed geared towards wanting to feel elated all the time. Well, I guess you could say that i am tired of the US’s mindset from these kinds of people.
I hae heard others say that these problems only exist because the people are weak minded or just weak, or they are just joining a club and there are no real illnesses. Even people in mental care facilities might believe that mental illness is mostly a crock. I can’t wait for the day that they are utterly humiliated by overwhelming proof that these issues are not only real, but they are horrible to live with. Especially when your family doesn’t want to help you after you have been diagnosed, and they call you selfish for wanting to care for yourself!
I am trying to better myself though. I served the commonwealth of Va for two years, earned an AA degree, am now working towards a four year degree in Applied Computer Science at Troy University, and currently run a website that many people like. I am not lazy. In fact I hate being out of work right now, I wish I could get a job doing something, but its hard right now.
People like that make me ashamed to share the same country with them.
All the bipolar people i know, including my sister, cousin and daughter say they were abused and neglected as children even though that is far from the truth. It gets them attention and sympathy.
i think this pathetic excuse for a totally ignorant human being should try living a day or even a week with this mental illness, i developed a form of Bipola disorder,and it affects alot of things i am able to do in life !! its disrespectful people like that who cause a massive stigma towards mental illness!!
how dare him, i’ve been googling about bipolar disorder for about an hour now because i have discovered that my girlfriend has it =(. he has no right to say that bipolar people suck, my girlfriend was scarred as a child from neglective and abusive parents, if he thinks she sucks because someone beat her constantly then he is a horrible person and i wish he could realize the seriousity of this disorder, if anyone has any helpful sources of information please let me know. (if you wish to contact me by email it’s randomdemise@hotmail.com) I’m going to help her somehow if it’s the last thing I do
http://www.victorysvoice.info/peopleofthelie.html
people of the lie..repent and sin no more
Suzy Johnston developed the initial symptoms of depression when she was 17. The condition developed into bipolar affective disorder while she was a student. She then had 6 hospital admissions and learnt to manage her condition. She wrote about developing her condition and her journey of recovery in ‘The Naked Bird Watcher’ and her mother then wrote her story of being her mother dealing with the condition in ‘To Walk on Eggshells’.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists believe the books to be the first joint accounts of mental illness from both a patient and the carer.
Suzy is a musician and has written/composed about living with self-harm, depression, psychosis and recovery with ‘Bad Alice’ and released a CD ‘Walk in my Shoes’
Suzy’s partner is the writer, Michel Syrett, and the couple give talks on living with bipolar disorder and how it affects their relationship.
For further information please visit http://www.thecairn.com and http://www.badalicemusic.com
We hope that this will be of help and interest to those facing the challenges of mental distress
Take care – The Cairn Team
I was diagnosed with bi polar about 2 months ago and im still trying to get used to it myself. It shocks and sadens me that there are so many narrow minded pathetic people out there who can not educate themselves when it comes to mental illness. I think I speak for the majority of sufferers when I say it is empathy we need not sympathy.
When you consider that 1 in 4 people in the UK will suffer from a mental illness in their lifetime igonorance is not bliss! Also their are so many significant people in history who have suffered from Bipolar e.g Winston Churchill. I agree Bipolar at times can be deeply painful but with the right help can be managed and people can lead a full and meaningful life.
I cannot believe that some lumox would post that! I was diagnosed 11 years ago, at the age of 43. I ran a business employed people and was a productive contributing member of society. I at one point has three jobs, one full time, the other to quite nearly. No one said I was lazy then. I think most bi polars have forgotten more than this jerk will ever know.
What an irresponsible post. This person has obviously had to deal w/ someone’s who has B.P. and perhaps hasn’t yet found the road to recovery. It takes time to learn how to cope and treatment that works specifically for one, does not work for the other. There are millions of dollars being spent to try to find medical solutions, and the person you are referring to, may not have found the right meds, which in turn could be contributing to the person’s poor decision making… That being said… you have to decide whether you want to be part of the solution or part of the problem…I’m sorry you’ve obviously been making poor decisions…what’s your excuse?
So for the cry baby whiner who has decided that “bipolar people”suck” without ever even having experienced it first-hand…just goes to show your weakness and be thankful you didn’t get it because YOU certainly would have ended up one of the BP people who is a pain in the ass to everyone around you, just like you are now.
You’ve chosen ignorance and judgement, rather than education, tolerance & compassion….Oh yeah a person as bleak, angry and hopeless as you are, would end up a BP suicide statistic, because your small supposedly “normal” brain can’t even see the light at the end of the tunnel.
meanwhile the 750,000 BP people who “suck” are looking for solutions and the light, every single day…
Nobody chooses this!!!!!!!!!!
I am continually amazed at the ignorance of the public to this illness. For years I have taken my children to the same doctor. He is awesome. My children are ADHD with a bipolar mother. The chances that they will ease into bipolar is high. My doctor decided to change his office manager just in the last three months. The last time I went to see my doctor he gave me a three month supply of my medication to refill. I had a balance on two “no shows” that I forgot to pay. When I went last week to see my doctor, the office manager wanted all of the money right then or I could not see the doctor. I had been making small payments each month because I was injured at work and not making as much. Now we are not talking about a huge amount. She considered my account in default because she saw a break in payments for three months. My doctor was just trying to help me out by giving me refills so I didn’t have to pay the copay every month, but it just made my situation worse. I got upset at the lady when she wanted the money payed before seeing the doctor. I did not plan to pay that much and didn’t have it in the account that day. I got upset and raised my voice. I even pushed the papers I had just filled out back at her and left. I was so frustrated. My doctor had just assured me months ago that he knew I would pay the balance when I could. When I had enough money to pay the balance I made a new appointment. The office manager called me back and informed me that my children and I were not to come back to this office. I am heart broken. I don’t think my doctor even know. I was rude and bipolar. They knew I was. I have not had a problem with any staff member until this new manager. I know that bipolar sucks. I take my medication every day and still have set backs. I have been on a journey for knowledge and peace. When I found this doctor I felt like he understood us. He did. He did. Now that his practice is doing better he can pick and choose. Being bipolar is not a choice but a fact. This is our journey. No one knows how deeply painful it is. I won’t even ask for compassion and tolerance. Humanity sucks…
The person who commented about how “bipolar people suck” has been overly saturated about what it is to be undedicated and bipolar. And in that case we do sometimes. But it is the wise person who can point the finger at another and see three fingers pointing back.
I can’t really post anything to debate about because I totally agree with you…
What a completely Neanderthal comment! And great response.