Just as your face is unique, your bipolar disorder diagnosis doesn’t have to “look” the same as anyone else—and it shouldn’t define you.
“You don’t have the highs of bipolar.” This is a statement I have heard numerous times from family members or close friends. I’m here to share with you that the faces of bipolar disorder don’t all look the same. For me, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 1 has redefined how I view my mental illness and how it is treated, but it hasn’t defined me.
Bipolar disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as a brain-based disorder that changes one’s mood, energy levels, activities and affects daily tasks. My diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I is diagnosed by having symptoms of elevated mood or mania, mixed episodes of mania and depression, and it can last for weeks—whereas bipolar disorder II is characterized by depression, hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown episodes of mania or mixed states of mood. There is also bipolar disorder not otherwise specified and even cyclothymic disorder.
How do I define my bipolar disorder?
I define it as something that changes the way I think, sometimes how I behave, and how my brain processes the world. My symptoms are often characterized by long periods of depression, mostly during winter, or after the loss of a romantic relationship, or by manic symptoms such as periods of lots of energy, racing thoughts, the ability to work and be very productive, little sleep (such as 4 or 5 hours a night) for months on end, and excitement. My illness has impacted my daily life, and my ability to work in a traditional setting or with too much direction or not enough clear boundaries and guidelines. It has caused me hospitalizations, to take daily medication, and I go to therapy regularly to discuss how it impacts my daily life, my personal life, and how I can better manage my symptoms.
Bipolar disorder looks different from person to person. I think those differences can be subtle or great. They can be disastrous for some, and for others like me, it can be a source of inspiration and creativity. Regardless of how the illness manifests itself in your life, I am here to tell you, you don’t have to feel the same or process it the same as anybody else. You’re unique, you’re beautiful, and you can recover. I am living in recovery, and I believe recovery is a process that is moment by moment, day by day. I didn’t arrive at recovery, but I’m always in the process of recovering. I’m enjoying the journey despite the negative side of my symptoms and illness.
You can have purpose and live a meaningful life with bipolar disorder. Your life doesn’t look the same as anyone else’s, and it shouldn’t have to look the same, either. You’re an individual, who lives in a diverse world of beauty and truth, and you have something to offer this world. I encourage you to be honest and authentic, share your story, and help destroy the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder and all mental illness.
The faces of bipolar disorder look different, even if we have some shared experiences in our eyes from our journey with recovery. You don’t have to look like me, or have to have traveled my journey to relate, but my hope is that you can find community here in knowing there are people out there who can relate, understand, and empathize with you even if their names, faces, and stories don’t look the same. I am Dave Wise. I have bipolar disorder, and I’m living in recovery. I am a face of bipolar disorder, but bipolar disorder does not define me.
Dave Wise is a blogger who lives with his wife and son in St. Louis, Missouri. Dave has bipolar disorder 1. He is living in recovery and blogs about his experiences and mental health journey, faith, and child loss as it relates to his mental health. Dave hopes to inspire others who struggle with bipolar disorder to live their best lives possible and have hope for the future. You can visit Dave's blog or follow him on Twitter.
Whats up this is kinda of off topic but I wwas wanting to know
if bpogs uuse WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.
I’m starting a blog soon bbut have no coding know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience.
I don’t hear about anyone writing about weight gain and the physicality of bipolar and aging. I take my meds faithfully every day. Paxil, lamictal, geo dome and clonapin. I have always had weight issues since puberty. But exercise and diet always worked. The past few years I have become so much heavier. I don’t have the energy to exercise. I work a high stress job. My ddoctor doesn’t want to change my meds as I’ve been stable for 15 years I’m almost 65 but my body is getting harder to pull around? Any body else with drug related weight issues?
I don’t hear about anyone writing about weight gain and the physicality of bipolar and aging. I take my meds faithfully every day. Paxil, lamictal, geo dome and clonapin. I have always had weight issues since puberty. But exercise and diet always worked. The past few years I have become so much heavier. I don’t have the energy to exercise. I work a high stress job. My doctor doesn’t want to change my meds as I’ve been stable for 15 years I’m almost 65 but my body is getting harder to pull around? Any body else with drug related weight issues?
I live by the phrase, (I am Penny H., I have bipolar disorder, and I’m living in recovery. I am a face of bipolar disorder, but bipolar disorder does not define me.)
Thank you for sharing.
Mixed episodes of mania and depression aren’t easy to spot, but when they hit, they’re among my most exhausting experiences. Not only did I learn how these mood episodes affect me, but I realized the risk they carry—and that is my biggest fear. “Mood Episodes with Mixed Features,” aka Bipolar Mixed Episodes Something that I...
I’m an expert in bipolar management, yet I still have frequent mood swings and deal with symptoms regularly. Shouldn’t I have “solved” this by now? Shouldn’t I have “recovered”? Bipolar Disorder, Expertise, & Mood Management I’ve been writing books about bipolar disorder management since 1998, and my webpage started in 2002. How is it possible...
Selena Gomez is no stranger to navigating mental health challenges, from dealing with the emotional burden of lupus to her kidney transplant to bipolar’s depression and anxiety. She’s learned the power of self-care and having the right connections—and how to say “no.” On April 3, 2020, singer and actor Selena Gomez candidly revealed that she...
On the one hand, characters with bipolar can demonstrate that treatment leads to stability. On the other, manic extremes make for better drama. “Surely there is someone out there who will take me for who I am: the good, the bad, the full story of love.” That’s award-winning actor Anne Hathaway as Lexi, prognosticating optimistically...
It’s going to be ending of mine day, except before end I am reading this impressive piece of writing to
increase my know-how.
Whats up this is kinda of off topic but I wwas wanting to know
if bpogs uuse WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.
I’m starting a blog soon bbut have no coding know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I don’t hear about anyone writing about weight gain and the physicality of bipolar and aging. I take my meds faithfully every day. Paxil, lamictal, geo dome and clonapin. I have always had weight issues since puberty. But exercise and diet always worked. The past few years I have become so much heavier. I don’t have the energy to exercise. I work a high stress job. My ddoctor doesn’t want to change my meds as I’ve been stable for 15 years I’m almost 65 but my body is getting harder to pull around? Any body else with drug related weight issues?
Hi Susan! Thank you for starting this great discussion. An article that we hope can help: https://www.bphope.com/the-push-pull-of-weight-gain/
I don’t hear about anyone writing about weight gain and the physicality of bipolar and aging. I take my meds faithfully every day. Paxil, lamictal, geo dome and clonapin. I have always had weight issues since puberty. But exercise and diet always worked. The past few years I have become so much heavier. I don’t have the energy to exercise. I work a high stress job. My doctor doesn’t want to change my meds as I’ve been stable for 15 years I’m almost 65 but my body is getting harder to pull around? Any body else with drug related weight issues?
I live by the phrase, (I am Penny H., I have bipolar disorder, and I’m living in recovery. I am a face of bipolar disorder, but bipolar disorder does not define me.)
Thank you for sharing.