Posted by B2chica on June 14, 2006, at 9:57:40
In reply to Manic Depression / Bi-Polar, posted by KayLen on June 12, 2006, at 18:23:27
i think there is this 'media induced' stigma as to what 'manic depression/bipolar' is. you think patty duke and spending $30,000 on a whim, buying cars or houses, then depth of despair the next day.
this is not what every person with a diagnosis of bipolar experiences. i even had a psychologist tell me (and i quote) "if you're not flying off to vegas or cheating on your husband i don't think you're bipolar".
quite frankly i was REALLY offended by that statement and never went back. not that i wanted to be bipolar, but i had a best friend who was diagnosed when we were 19 and she never flew off to vegas, though she was sexually active, once she settled on a guy she didn't cheat...so to pin such stereotypes on her were offensive.
i would consider her bipolar much more severe than mine, but i never experience true mania that wasn't drug induced. mine is more dysphoric mania...little more on psychosis side. if that means i'm not bipolar, then i'm not. i don't care. all i care is that the diagnosis given me helps me pay for the medications that DO work.
and allow me to continue living a healthy life both for me AND my family.however, i do believe that there are doctors out there that see a few symptoms and jump on the bipolar bandwagon (my first pdoc). fortunately the pdoc i now see had waited about a year to verify that diagnosis in me...he wasn't completely convinced untill he'd seen specific characteristics himself. THAT i agree with. i think some are making a decision too quickly.
i agree we all have general ups and downs and hopefully docs aren't tagging those with a label. most of the people i've talked to here do deal with more that typical "ups and downs".the problem in my eyes is that many people still think those who have bipolar are infact non functioning. they equate having a mental illness with "institution' and anything less then you must not have it.
the fact is bipolar IS a major mental illness but is also the most treatable of all the major mental illnesses.and i think reality checks are important (believe me...i need them). and i appreciate your comments. i think it's an important topic and i wish it was a little more discussed in the medical community as well.
thanks kaylen
b2c
poster:B2chica
thread:656086
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060610/msgs/656812.html