As I revealed in my post, I live with bipolar disorder but let me be clear, I AM NOT CRAZY! She says, screaming, at an audience that isn’t really here. But seriously, Bipolar Disorder directly affects a staggering 51 MILLION adults worldwide, we don’t even have to count the impact this disease has on their friends, families, co-workers, and neighbors. So listen up! Let’s learn a couple facts:
1. Bipolar Disorder is not rare. It is equally pervasive everywhere. No one has a predisposition to it unless it runs in your family, then maybe you’ll have a higher chance of being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder than the next guy. In the United States 5.7 Million adults are living with the illness according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Most adults who have been correctly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder typically spent ten or more years undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Diagnosing adults is difficult enough now think about the teens and children of the world, they have higher energy and weaker social skills and a smaller vocabulary and so it is incredibly difficult to correctly identify and diagnose younger people.
2. Yes, Bipolar Disorder does involve severe mood swings, but we do not live a Jekyll and Hyde existence. The swing of the pendulum is usually not instantaneous however circumstances can begin a shift in the dynamic. Those shifts, however, can last days, weeks or even months. I usually have a pretty good instinct as to when my mood will begin swinging toward mania. Unfortunately, I have no control over when my mood will change or how far in either direction it will go. During severe mood swings judgement becomes severely off-kilter and how you function in the world shifts, life around you changes.
However, being bipolar does not mean that you cannot be successful or happy. It is important to seek therapy, treatment, and learn your triggers so that you can recognize them or avoid them. And for the people around you, it is important for them to decide if they’re willing to hang on to the merry-go-round or get off that roller coaster because either way, it’s going to be one helluva ride!
And now the quotes you’ve been waiting for:
Singer Demi Lovato:
I was actually manic a lot of the times that I would take on workloads, and I would say, ‘Yes, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.’ I was conquering the world, but then I would come crashing down, and I would be more depressed then ever.
Actress/Author/Comedianne Carrie Fisher
(from her book Wishful Drinking):
You know how most illnesses have symptoms you can recognize? Live fever, upset stomach, chills, whatever. Well, with Manic Depression [aka Bipolar Disorder] it’s sexual promiscuity, excessive spending, and substance abuse — and THAT JUST SOUNDS LIKE A FANTASTIC WEEKEND IN VEGAS TO ME!
Musician Sinead O’Connor
(The Oprah Winfrey Show)
on taking medication:
Anything is an improvement when you’ve been in desolation, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have lumps and bumps.
Actress Linda Hamilton
on bipolar depression:
Like falling into a manhole and not being able to climb out no matter what.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
on going public:
I’m not the kind of person who likes to shout out my personal issues from the rooftop but, with my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow sufferers will know it is completely controllable. I hope I can help remove any stigma attached to it, and that those who don’t have it under control will seek help with all that is available to treat it.
Russell Brand is NOT diagnosed with bipolar. However, he said something about his bouts with depression. His quote is relevant because he is pointing out that our moods are a part of life and we should work the best with what we’ve got. Whether you consider yourself “average”, “normal”, “unique”, “weird”, “strange”, “different” or anything else, I accept you. Your moods are normal for YOU. Embrace yourself, embrace your life and do all you can to find happiness within it! If you are seeking help, you are already heading toward success!
I know that I have dramatically changing moods, and I know sometimes I feel really depressed, but I think that’s just life. I don’t think of it as, ‘Ah, this is mental illness,’ more as, ‘Today, life makes me feel very sad.’ I know I also get unnaturally high levels of energy and quickness of thought, but I’m able to utilize that.
What about Kurt Cobain? Marilyn Monroe? Vincent Van Gogh? Emily Dickinson? Britney Spears? Virginia Woolf? Robin Williams? Theodore Roosevelt? Yep, all have shown signs and symptoms of having bipolar disorder, but that does not mean they carry the diagnosis and it is not our business anyhow. They are or were living their lives in the way that’s normal for them and as long as they don’t go out and physically hurt others or break the laws, I am okay with that.
Drawing acquired through: Innerself.com check them out!
Memee's Musings 
i was just surfing along and came upon your blog. just wanted to say good job and this post really helped me.
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