Mental Health Stigma of Bipolar

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What’s on your “must-watch” list? Any films or series featuring characters who live with bipolar? Check out these shows that keep pushing the conversation forward. Representation matters. The images, characters, and ideas we agree upon and share with each other can have a significant impact on how—or even whether—we relate to one another. Your next-door...

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When mania resulted in hospitalization and a bipolar diagnosis, I struggled with my career, faith, parenting, and more. I wanted answers. But I needed a new purpose. New Struggles & Hard Realizations After Hospitalization for Bipolar I wasn’t diagnosed with bipolar disorder until I was 35 years old, in May 2006. I had struggled with...

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Friends, family, coworkers, faith communities—the important people in our lives can be pivotal to our stability. And, sometimes, detrimental. Here’s how we handle their damaging and sometimes-hurtful reactions. We are all human. Sometimes, that means we might take out our frustrations on those we love and value the most. Ideally, we would soon recognize our...

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If we break the law during mania, is it fair to penalize us with a criminal record? I have complicated feelings and questions about my brief time behind bars and how it has impacted my life. Bipolar Disorder & Breaking the Law I have never told anyone about one of the consequences of my manic...

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Facing heightened anti-Asian discrimination, I continue to work at softening my triggers while navigating a lifelong journey of being considered “different” for my ethnicity and, sometimes, an “outcast” for my bipolar. Early Experiences of Racism & Feeling Like an Outcast When I was five years old, I remember riding the bus to kindergarten. There were...

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In response to the pandemic, a “Brave” new world was created to continue to reach and empower those with bipolar and other psychiatric conditions. DISTANCE LEARNING: Houston’s This Is My Brave production, originally scheduled for May 2020, was filmed live and streamed online in October. What does a mental health group centered on stage performances...

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Take your time to fully consider the potential consequences while selecting whatever style or setting feels most in line with who you are. When you’re living with bipolar disorder, choosing to disclose your mental health status can be one of the toughest decisions you’ll ever make. Just as with determining whom to tell and when,...

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Decisions about disclosure are tricky and personal; there’s no one-size-fits-all answer that works for everyone. The key is, what’s best for you? It’s been more than a decade since I first publicly shared my bipolar diagnosis, and not once since then have I ever regretted it. That said, decisions about disclosure are tricky and personal....

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When to disclose your diagnosis is a choice only you can make, after careful consideration In my previous column, I discussed considerations around whom to tell about a bipolar diagnosis. This time, before diving into questions of how to disclose and how much to disclose in upcoming columns, I’m addressing the tricky topic of timing....

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Those of us who write about our bipolar have different goals: public awareness, sharing information, inspiring others…. I’m wondering what to share and how—intention vs. impact, social value vs. personal risk. And when is it “too much”? Writing about Bipolar & Being an Open Book All of the contributors here at bpHope Blog write about...

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Over time, the names and diagnostic criteria of mood disorders change. Here’s why I’m not convinced that “bipolar disorder” is representative of our experiences. In 1980, the DSM-III changed the name of our cognitive disorder from “manic depression” to “bipolar disorder” (with types I, II, and “not otherwise specified,” NOS). Later editions of the Diagnostic...

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Determining how much to share about your bipolar depends on many personal factors: who you are, what you believe, and where you want to go. A few years ago, I took a leap. After nearly a decade working as a full-time writer, I applied for a position as a creative writing professor. It was my...

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Recent events in the news have reminded me of my own experiences with the police before receiving effective treatment for my bipolar diagnosis, and they have brought up hard feelings of guilt and frustration. Here’s my story and how I am trying to bring about positive change. Encounters with Police Weren’t My Worst Problem Recently,...

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When people ask whether or not I’m “disabled” because of my bipolar, I choose my words carefully and answer with confidence. Because language, identity, and empowerment are not only important but also interconnected. Legally Speaking… After you receive a diagnosis, it is easy, I’ve found, to start to overidentify with it. This is why it’s...

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With empathy, honesty, and humor, Orchestrating Change follows the fascinating story of Me2/Orchestra, the world’s only classical music organization created for people living with mental health conditions and their supporters. Orchestrating Change, a moving new documentary that debuted on public television’s WORLD Channel (formerly PBS World) this fall, shines a spotlight on Me2/Orchestra—the world’s only...

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Those of us who live with bipolar are whole people, and our moods span the full spectrum of experience, not just mania and depression. During my training as a therapist, I faced exclusion, stigma, and a persistent misrepresentation of therapist as “healthy” and client as “sick.” Eventually, I had to say something. To Disclose or...

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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...

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When the people around me use words about mental health out of context and to describe something negatively, it puts me in an awkward position. Confronted with challenging emotions and questions, I feel unsure and possibly unwelcome. I’ll never forget the cold, rainy day I walked into work, and one of my coworkers complained that...

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It might help to know that I’ve never fully “accepted” the bipolar diagnosis. I still find it shocking that I have a mental health disorder. I’ve yet to find a peaceful place around my mood swings. This means I’m never complacent, and I’m always ready to find an even better way to stay stable. Acceptance...

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Some people I care about misjudge me. We love each other. But some don’t—or won’t—accept what it’s like to live with this diagnosis. I used to run from them. But now I stand tall. Run? I used to be a runner. Like bipolar, that started in my teens, too. Back then, running staved off the...