Stigma

Accepting that you have an illness is the quickest way to recovery, or at least stability, when it comes to mental illness. However one of the biggest hurdles we have to jump is the social stigma that surrounds it.

Most often stigma against people with mental illness involves inaccurate and hurtful representations of them based primarily on misconceptions and fear of the unknown. I figured I would address some of the more common ones about Bipolar Disorder in an attempt to fill the knowledge gap.

Myths & Misconceptions:

#1   “People who are depressed all of the time need to snap out of it. ...Or get more exercise. Or smile. Or read the Bible. Or just not let it get to them”.

The truth: Depression has nothing to do with being lazy or weak. It results from changes in brain chemistry or brain function, and medication and/or psychotherapy often help people to recover.

#2   “Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood swings ranging from severely depressed to wildly manic”.

The truth: Not necessarily. Most people with bipolar disorder are depressed far more often than they are manic. Often, the manias are so subtle that they are overlooked by both patient and psychiatrist, resulting in misdiagnosis. People with bipolar disorder can also enter long periods of remission.

 #3   “When they're in the manic phase, people with bipolar disorder are often very happy”.

The truth: Although people tend to think that manic periods “balance” depressive periods and are good “trade-offs,” this perception is inaccurate for most people with bipolar disorder. Manic episodes are characterized by intense feelings of restlessness, anxiety and poor judgment that can lead to excessive spending, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex and other problems. While some people have mild manic periods (hypomania)—in which they experience feelings of elation, lots of physical energy and a positive outlook—without proper treatment, hypomania can become severe mania in some people, or can switch to depression.

#4   “Bipolar disorder only affects mood”.

The truth: Bipolar disorder also affects your energy level, judgment, memory, concentration, appetite, sleep patterns, interpersonal relationships, sex drive, and self-esteem. Additionally, bipolar disorder has been linked to anxiety, substance abuse, and health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, migraines, and high blood pressure.

While the stigma associated with a number of health and social issues has gradually improved, there is still considerable stigma associated with mental illness. The more knowledge each and every one of us has the more we become powerful against stigma.

Do your part in the War Against Stigma:

1.        Educate yourself about mental illness. Having the facts can help you challenge the misinformation that leads to stigma.

2.        Support those with mental health issues. Treat them with respect. Encourage them to get or stick with treatment.

3.        Share your story. If you or someone in your family has a mental illness, speak up about it. Your example could help someone else.

4.        Share my story! Share the link to my blog with people you know and ask them to become a follower!

Shake It Off Like A Dog

I've noticed how my dog shakes his whole body off every now and then. He does it throughout the day for all different reasons -

He'll do it after he's been lazing about on the couch and it's time to get up. He'll do it after he's been playing and overexcited for a little too long. He shakes it all out and then he's ready for the next thing.

I found myself envious of this the other day. Wouldn't it be great to just shake it all out when you find yourself 'paralysed' in bed for the better part of the day? Or after the rush of a manic episode, avoiding the exhausting aftermath?

Oh to just be able to shake it off and get on with the next thing...

Brain Pain

I’ve had headaches and I’ve had migraines. But this phenomenal ‘brain pain’ I often experience is just another symptom we bipolarians get dealt. Yes, bipolarians. That’s a term I coined just now.

The ache is not unlike a migraine, however in my experience migraines have tended to be focused in mainly one hemisphere of the head. This feeling takes over my whole cranium, to the point where the inside of my skull hurts. It’s as if my brain is swollen, building up pressure that needs to escape. 

And no – Nurofen doesn’t help.

The fun part is that the brain pain comes packed with all sorts of free goodies including dizziness, nausea, neck pain, pain behind and around the eyes as well as tenderness around my cheekbones and temples. All they need to do is throw in a set of steak knives that can cut through leather boots and I’m set.

I’ve tried to pinpoint whether there’s a pattern, and I’ve found that it’s petty much anytime I have a change in mood. For instance during and especially after a hypomanic episode. Apparently this is also a fairly common thing.

The theory behind migraines is a lack of serotonin, the same as in depression. They also say one of the most common reasons for migraines (besides those caused from other known diseases) is sleep depravation. Maybe this explains why I tend to get them, or at least notice them more when I’m hypomanic?

Mmm… hypomania. More on the seduction of mania in a future post.

Happy Easter

Ups & Downs of Invisible Illness

The Ups:

1. If I feel like it I can fake being healthy.
2. I’m not on the receiving end of ridicule, sympathy stares or pity.
3. I don’t have to deal with rude or odd comments, or invasive, uncomfortable questions.
4. I have some privacy for my illness, meaning I can reveal it to who I want, when I want – or I can remain an assumed ‘normal’ person.
5. Others don’t need to know how insecure I am about my illness or about myself in general.

The Downs:

1. Most people assume I am fine and not struggling.
2. Others get frustrated and don’t understand why I don’t feel like talking, or socializing, or even smiling sometimes.
3. I’m often perceived as lazy or not trying hard enough.
4. Others don’t appreciate just how much effort it takes sometimes to get out of bed… and then do everything else that comes after it.
5. People with a visible illness or injury are more likely to be shown compassion and support.

 

It's all about me

(So I've figured out how to make a blog - Yay me)

As this is my first post I should spill a little about myself. I'm female, 27 and married... and I have Bipolar II.

I decided I needed an outlet of some sort. I thought I'd share some of my own experiences of living with my bipolar bear. Churchill had his black dog - I have a bipolar bear.

Sometimes when I'm laying in bed in the mornings he decides to lay right across my body, making me feel like I'm sinking into my bed, heavy like lead, and there's no way I can get up. I just have to lay there, waiting for him to get off.

Other times he projects so much energy onto me I can't help but dance around the house, rushing to get all my ideas out and trying to get as much done as possible before I run out of energy again. But sometimes, when it seems no-one else will come along on our ride, or I don't know where to go next, I get so frustrated and so irritable that I just sit down, rock myself backwards and forwards and try my best to stop the kicking and screaming going on inside my head.

So a little about me. Watch this space for more adventures of T. and the bear...