Bipolar Disorder: Overcoming Stigmas and Going Beyond the Label
What is it?
A Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness or manic depression, is a mental health condition that is characterized by periodic, intense emotional states. These states are often so severe that they affect a person’s mood, energy and ability to do tasks and function.
Bipolar Disorder is often diagnosed during late teen years or during early adulthood. In some cases, bipolar symptoms can appear as early as in the childhood stages of life. Although symptoms often vary over time, Bipolar Disorder requires lifelong treatment that helps people manage their symptoms and their own lives.
People with bipolar disorder experience unusual and extreme emotional symptoms and changes in sleep patterns and day-to-day functions. They engage in out of character behaviors, many times without even realizing and understanding the effects of these sudden personality changes. The distinct periods of which this behavior occurs are called mood episodes. Episodes can last as long as a few days and all the way up to a couple of weeks. There are 3 types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar l Disorder, Bipolar ll Disorder and Cyclothymic Disorder. All 3 cases involve mood change, energy effectivity, and periods ranging from elated behavior (manic episodes) to down and hopeless behavior (depressive episodes.) In some cases, an individual may experience symptoms of bipolar disorders that may not fit into one specific category, and then become referred to with an unspecified bipolar disorder.
Stigma Surrounding Bipolar Disorder
A stigma is an intolerant, prejudicial, discriminatory view or behavior toward others who are different from you. People living with bipolar disorder all over the world deal with the effects of stigma in different aspects of their lives. Many of these people often find themselves neglected in society in conditions where they do not receive the proper support they require. Costly medical center care, poor cooperation between organizations and insurance companies, and other policies all play a part in the decline of care. As a result, the family of the individual often ends up responsible for caring for the member with bipolar disorders.
3 main problems combine to create stigma around Bipolar Disorder: lack of knowledge (oftentimes due to ignorance by others or misinformation about the disorder), negative attitudes such as prejudice, and discrimination against people with this disorder such as rejection and avoidance. Stigma is actually the most serious concern for people suffering from Bipolar Disorder, as they not only have to cope with the disease and its effects on their lifestyles, but also adapt to the negative attitudes and unjust labels in society. This stigma often hurts a person’s quality of life and forces them to a journey of isolation and rejection of any relationships with others. Not only does this outcast role hurt the individual’s self-esteem, it causes unemployment for people with bipolar disorder as they push themselves further and further away from society.
The people diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder face stigmas in numerous ways. They are often teased and harassed about the illness while also being treated unfairly or denied basic rights. They are often portrayed as “crazy” especially online and in books and movies. The individuals in these fictional scenes are looked down on and commit crimes or are presented in a way where they cannot be independent. These labels stick with the individuals with bipolar disorder as the internet tends to create permanent perceptions of this disease and the people with it.
Breaking Past Misconceptions:
Misconceptions and myths around Bipolar Disorder not only create an unfair view of it in others eyes, but it adds to the stigma and misinformation spread about this disease. One of the most thought myths is that people with bipolar disorder are violent and aggressive. In reality, every single individual that has this disorder experiences it in a different way. Their symptoms, way of coping, and how they live are all immensely different from one another. Many outsiders label these people negatively, and do so without even understanding the condition. A study in 2021 even proved this as they followed 151 people who were getting treated for bipolar disorder. The authors observed aggressive behavior in only 12% of the participants, where in almost all cases this was verbal aggression. They also discovered the main causes for this aggression was alcohol and drugs, which many people with Bipolar Disorder avoid.
Another largely spread misconception is that people with this disease are unable to succeed in work and school. While the symptoms of Bipolar Disease can hurt an individual’s progress and work ethic, treatment helps them limit these hurtful symptoms and support their goals. Many people go on a treatment plan and qualify for accommodations and work and school to help them manage their mental health needs.
Reducing Stigma
There are so many misconceptions and stigma about Bipolar Disorder that can be overcome and reduced all over the globe. By circulating accurate media reports about this disorder, individuals can help communicate the actualities of this disorder and help others better understand the experiences of those living with it. Including viewpoints and first hand accounts of people overcoming Bipolar Disorder and highlighting successful treatment stories can not only encourage others to seek help, but can showcase how a person is more than their disease and the common wrongful labels of it. Shifting language choices such as saying “a person with Bipolar Disorder” instead of “a Bipolar person” also states to others that despite the illness, that person is still a person. Being an advocate for those living with bipolar disorder can not only improve their quality of life, but it can help fight against the common misconceptions of Bipolar Disorder and cause a breakthrough in its perception of the eyes of the world.
Sources:
Bipolar Disorder - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (nih.gov)
9 Myths and Facts About Bipolar Disorder (healthline.com)
https://www.verywellhealth.com/bipolar-disorder-stigma-5211304
Article Written By: Keira Crasta
