WHAT BIPOLAR DISORDER ACTUALLY IS

What Bipolar Disorder Actually Is:

Our Role in Eliminating Stigma Around Mental Health

Sydney Bell

Salt Lake Community College

Abstract

This paper intends to explain what bipolar disorder really is, dispel myths surrounding the

disorder, and propose ways we can eliminate stigma around this condition. While media,

television, cinema, and other sources of publication portray bipolar disorder inaccurately, we can

play a vital role in educating the public about the truth of this disorder.

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 WHAT BIPOLAR DISORDER ACTUALLY IS

What Bipolar Disorder Actually Is:

Our Role in Eliminating Stigma Around Mental Health

Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme changes in mood, from mania to

depression. Between these mood episodes, a person with bipolar disorder may experience normal

moods (What Is Bipolar Disorder?, 2016). During the manic stages of this disorder, people

may experience a decreased need for sleep, rapid thoughts, increased energy (which can also be

displayed with increased agitation), unusual talkativeness, and euphoria. These symptoms can

often lead to risky behaviors due to poor, rash decision making. The depressive episodes may

include symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia or excessive sleeping, restlessness or slowed

behavior, or decreased cognition. These major depressive episodes generally last longer than the

manic episodes. Although we can all experience a range of moods within different periods of

time, bipolar disorder is extreme and can last for long periods of time. One of the early names for

bipolar disorder was circular insanity, coined by Jean-Pierre Falret in the nineteenth century

(Burton, 2017). This idea of circular insanity portrays the cyclic nature of the disorder.

Although bipolar disorder cannot be prevented, it can be treated professionally. The three

main types of medications used to treat bipolar disorder are mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and

antidepressants (Treatment and Prevention, 2016). Like most mental illnesses, bipolar disorder

is treated most effectively with a combination of both medication and counseling or therapy.

Bipolar disorder is often mistaken for just depression, (Warning Signs and Symptoms, 2016)

so it is important to seek help from a medical professional to be diagnosed properly.

Bipolar disorder is inaccurately portrayed in media because it is incredibly

misunderstood. People think that those who struggle with bipolar disorder just change their mind

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a lot or completely change moods in the blink of an eye (like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). This is

incorrect because bipolar episodes transition- not flip- between manic and depressive moods. In

fact, in between these episodes, people with bipolar disorder can have fairly typical moods.

Some people also think that bipolar disorder is just a fancy name for mood swings. Bipolar

disorder is just that- a disorder, and not simply an off day. There have even been instances

where people accuse women who are on their periods of being bipolar. Women experiencing

emotional imbalance during menstruation is due to hormonal (estrogen specifically) shifts, not

bipolar disorder.

Stigma surrounding bipolar disorder, and mental illness in general, makes it extremely

difficult (well, more than it already is) for those struggling with these types of illnesses. Our

culture has made it seem like brain health isnt as acceptable as bodily health. For some reason,

we are fine with talking about exercising and dieting, but not okay with discussing personality

disorders. Instead, society creates memes to mock these illnesses, and makes jokes among peers

by throwing these terms around loosely.

There are a few things we should avoid if we are to eliminate stigma surrounding mental

health. The first is inaccurate stereotypes. We generally have an exaggerated depiction in our

own minds of what a certain disorder would look like in real life. However, those are rarely what

they are really like. People with schizophrenia dont randomly kill people because the voices in

their heads told them to. Or, people with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) arent always

total clean freaks and germophobic. We need to know what these disorders are really like, so

we dont create embellished stereotypes for them instead. Another thing to avoid would be

overusing terms related to mental disorders. I often hear people say, Oh, its just my OCD as

they straighten something simple up but they dont actually have OCD; they are just neat and

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tidy. Or, when someone is feeling blue, they say, Ugh, Im just depressed when theyve only

been sad for a few minutes, not weeks and months on end. This happens with a lot of disorders,

and it happens very frequently. We need to be careful that we dont abuse the names of these

disorders because there are real people struggling with these real illnesses. A lot of this just

comes down to being mindful of how we speak. We need to remember to be respectful and

thoughtful as we choose what we say.

I applaud the progress weve made in opening the mental health conversation so far, but

we still have a very long way to go. Education is one of the very best tools we can use to combat

stigma. If we educate the population about mental illnesses and what they really are, jokes

wouldnt be made, offensive memes wouldnt be created, and those suffering from these

disorders might openly seek help. To create a society where mental health is a priority, not a

disgrace, is to bring us one step closer to a better world.

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Resources

(2016). What Is Bipolar Disorder?. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-

disorder/guide/what-is-bipolar-disorder.

Doheny, K. (2008). 8 Myths About Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from

https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/features/8-myths-about-bipolar-disorder#1

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015). Bipolar Disorder Overview. Retrieved from

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-
20355955

(2016). Overview of Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml.

Burton, N. (2012). A Short History of Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201206/short-history-bipolar-disorder.