When you make jokes about ‘acting bipolar’ you’re hurting people who actually have the disorder
‘Why is she being so bipolar!’
“She’s being so bipolar about this.”
“He hasn’t texted me back, why is he so bipolar with me?”
No, that’s not bipolar. Acting bipolar isn’t even a thing. A guy not texting you back is uninterested or busy. Unless he’s experiencing weeks to years of depression followed by mania, it’s unlikely he has bipolar disorder. People always talk about reducing the stigma of depression. Nobody ever talks about bipolar disorder. You never see commercials trying to end the misuse of the word bipolar. The reality is bipolar disorder affects one in 50 Americans ages 18 and older. So yes, you probably know someone with bipolar disorder and by saying that you’re likely offending someone. I have had bipolar disorder and have been on medication since my junior year of high school. When I tell people they go, “Really?” Yes, really. Bipolar disorder is a problem, but it’s a normal thing. I function.
Medication can regulate your moods, but it is something I will always live with. Navigating college, one might expect to be difficult. I manage. My GPA last semester was as good as you can get. School has always been my crutch though. I’ve been good at school my whole life. That’s not particularly where the difficult part comes in.
The difficult part is explaining why the bottom drawer in your dresser is filled with medication. The difficult part is having to explain to your friends why you don’t want to get out of bed or why you’re speaking at the speed of light. The difficult part is existing in a new world where you’re constantly surrounded by people who could never fully understand. If you’re reading this though, let me try to help you.
People don’t understand what bipolar disorder is. My current boyfriend on our first date referred to a television character with bipolar disorder as “crazy”. I feel like people understand you get sad, but they don’t understand the mania. There’s this misconception that mania is equivalent to crazy and filled with rage. I say that’s crap. Manic is the feeling that you’re superhuman, that the world is filled with endless possibilities and your heart fills up with adrenaline and it’s too much to take in all at once. Mania is happiness.
It’s hard to not get lost in mania. It’s hard to let go of this feeling of near perfection because you know that you’ll crash in the end. But like I said school is my crutch, when I have manic episodes I immerse myself in school. I write for example. I dance. I do anything it takes to push myself to such limits that all the excess energy in my body gets pushed out.
The depression is even worse. I no longer have my mom badgering me to get out of bed, and my roommates certainly wouldn’t dare. But I push. I think of the future. I know that I am going places. I am going to go to law school and be a lawyer. That’s good advice for any college student trying to get out of bed. That’s normal.
I’m normal.
Trying to get people to understand that is the most difficult part of all.