The lable is an excuse

07:59 PM

Ive become quite jaded over the diagnosis of bipolar, the more widespread it becomes, the more it feels like just an excuse.

Hypersexuality "must be manic!"
Anxiety "must be mixed!!"
Emotional dysregulation "must be rapid cycling!"

Depression "only meds can fix your lazy arse"

The use of "coping skills" is nearing on ridiculous, basic life skills seem not to be taught these days, breathing is a coping skill? Well duh, I thought we needed that to survive!

~Christina · Oct 18, 2015 at 07:51 PM

CopperStar · Oct 18, 2015 at 07:55 PM

Sometimes it makes me doubt my diagnosis and makes me think I have something else entirely, like schizophrenia combined with a cluster**** of PD traits. I was psychotic and running around homeless trying to save people. "Bipolar" is when you feel sad or really happy sometimes. I know that's nonsense, but at a glance that's how it feels sometimes.

HALLIEBETH87 · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:25 PM

I get tired of labels in general

badjuju89 · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:32 PM

I have BP II. I don't like how it's thrown around either. A lot of people don't realize there are more than one type of bipolar as well. And that frustrates me. Those who blame bipolar people as a group and don't know anything about it. Or those who have it and then when asked don't know enough about their own condition to know which one they are. I'm like trust me you would know. If you were BP I you'd have psychosis and even tho I don't suffer with that it can be really disabling, and it's frustrating because I can't say see here is why I can show you what I did in my life why it causes so much trouble other than here I wasn't my "normal" self and I don't have a logical explanation and I ruined my life even tho I was happy so I thought and then I crashed. It's different for every person and I know that. And people will do with it what they will. But those of us who really struggle with mental health, it's really frustrating when others just use it or abuse it. Just my two cents.

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Chris Altman · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:36 PM

The point of a diagnosis is not to put a name to your behavior. It’s to seek help when you can’t function in life.

cashart10 · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:41 PM

I don't know how to respond to this as I kind of feel like it is geared toward my current predicament. After the last few days, I feel like a lunatic and I have no idea what is going on with me. I think I am responding to the condition of my aunt and, especially, witnessing her hooked up to a ventilator, but I do know that my pdoc has told me that episodes can be triggered by stress. I was feeling down a couple of weeks ago (when she was fine) and never recovered and now I've been panic ridden and strangely paranoid. I am afraid I am going to die and I'm scared to death about it. I don't know if it's my bipolar but I do know that I don't "normally" act like this. I feel like I don't have the coping skills in my toolbox to handle this so I just start flipping out and can't be calmed down unless or until I start crying hysterically or take my medicine.

Oct 18, 2015 at 08:45 PM

Defintely not geared towards anyone in particular my friend, I strayed from the bipolar forum and we all know how that gets me worked up!

I suspect those who participate or relate to this thread are those that truely suffer with more than emotional dysregulation.

badjuju89 · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:46 PM

And getting help has been my main goal ever since my diagnosis. This thing isn't taking me down. Even when at my worst, I'm not giving up. When you are at the bottom of the hill and the goal is to reach the top, no one said it'd be easy to get up there.

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cashart10 · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:47 PM

Thank you. I have been feeling insecure about this the last few days because I don't know what the hell is wrong with me!

badjuju89 · Oct 18, 2015 at 08:54 PM

I think a lot of us don't know what the heck is going on a lot of the time. Recently I haven't felt like I am literally losin my mind. I think very logically and emotions are illogical by nature. And so with my emotions being constantly not making sense by changing on the regular and then my brain not processing them. I can't process "me" at all. My thoughts being rapid. Wondering how the heck I got to this point. I wasn't this bad off in this state over a year ago and one day I woke up and bam a whole new me, that I can't even comprehend. I don't know what to believe about me half the time. I just gotta believe it gets better and I stick to my therapy and meds and work with my docs and I'm going to figure this all out even if my sleep and head and stress and life try to get in my way. I've gone through too much other crap to let this take me down now

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Oct 18, 2015 at 09:06 PM

Why arnt patients educated about what is bipolar and what is not?

badjuju89 · Oct 18, 2015 at 09:18 PM

Idk. Blows my mind. But I have run into quite a few people who claim being bipolar and then when further discussing the issues they seem to not know. Either they don't care enough to listen or their docs didn't take the time to explain.

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WibblyWobbly · Oct 18, 2015 at 09:32 PM

I've been diagnosed episodic mood disorder nos (whatever the hell that is!), BP and BPD. I've been told not to label myself and that this diagnosis is for right now and "evolving."

Personally, I don't care what you call it, I just want the symptoms treated so I can function like a "normal" human being!! Having euphoria one week and suicide plans the next is caused by something. I don't care what, I just want it treated. Stick a label on there so insurance will pay and give me some meds, any meds, that will end this hell.

Sorry for the downer post, I'm in a bad place today.

badjuju89 · Oct 18, 2015 at 09:34 PM

No need for an apology. Ever

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Oct 18, 2015 at 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WibblyWobbly

I've been diagnosed episodic mood disorder nos (whatever the hell that is!), BP and BPD. I've been told not to label myself and that this diagnosis is for right now and "evolving."

Personally, I don't care what you call it, I just want the symptoms treated so I can function like a "normal" human being!! Having euphoria one week and suicide plans the next is caused by something. I don't care what, I just want it treated. Stick a label on there so insurance will pay and give me some meds, any meds, that will end this hell.

Sorry for the downer post, I'm in a bad place today.

This is the kind of thing I mean. Bipolar label is given to everyone with bpd so they can get meds for something that is better dealt with in therapy.

Symtoms are different and treatment is different, but lazy doctors and people go for the meds as a quick fix. And they wonder why there is such a problem with medications.

I know in my city, they will recommend dbt first now and will not admit bpd to hospital, where as bipolar is treated differently and more seriously as it is seen as a serious illness, bpd is no more than a patient who has not got the basic skills to cope with everyday issues and is continually triggered into mood states.

I hear it a lot that bipolar is at fault. Perhaps so patients feel less guilt from their behaviour?

CopperStar · Oct 18, 2015 at 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supanova

This is the kind of thing I mean. Bipolar label is given to everyone with bpd so they can get meds for something that is better dealt with in therapy.

Symtoms are different and treatment is different, but lazy doctors and people go for the meds as a quick fix. And they wonder why there is such a problem with medications.

I know in my city, they will recommend dbt first now and will not admit bpd to hospital, where as bipolar is treated differently and more seriously as it is seen as a serious illness, bpd is no more than a patient who has not got the basic skills to cope with everyday issues and is continually triggered into mood states.

I hear it a lot that bipolar is at fault. Perhaps so patients feel less guilt from their behaviour?

I know you probably don't mean to, but you're stigmatizing and downplaying the **** out of BPD. Like seriously "bpd is no more than a patient who has not got the basic skills to cope with everyday issues" is extremely ignorant. Maybe consider standing as allies instead of treating one another like lepers. I understand why someone might be upset to see BP associated with BPD behaviors, because BPD is heavily stigmatized and receives very little empathy, usually perceived as just melodramatic and manipulative. I can understand why someone would be afraid of having that same judgemental, ignorant attitude lobbed at them, the way it is lobbed at people with BPD. But taking on an attitude like, "Ugh we're not like them, they just don't take responsibility" will ultimately backfire on everyone with an atypical, dysfunctional brain organ, in the long run.

HALLIEBETH87 · Oct 18, 2015 at 10:22 PM

I try to tell people that meds are only 50% of the solution. You have to learn how to deal with life. A pill wont fix everything.

~Christina · Oct 18, 2015 at 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supanova

Why arnt patients educated about what is bipolar and what is not?

Part is blame on the Pdocs and providers and some is on the patient themselves.

Before anyone gets all pissed off at me for saying this..... I will explain why I think this

When a person gets there Bipolar "label" that person has almost always been bipolar a very very long time, but somehow stumbled through life until they hit the proverbial wall .

Pdocs that toss out the BP label in the first meeting and start throwing pills at people, seldom even try to explain the basics of " Bipolar 101"

So if the person with Bipolar doesnt get into a therapy setting to learn how to manage life with Bipolar in it... from that day forward its likely any emotion up down or in the middle along with actions the person has will call it Bipolar "something"

So people need to be there own best advocate, Now a days there is unlimited info on line for anyone to look up , one does have to pick and chose what will improve there life and what wont.

Its really about educating ourselves....

Oct 18, 2015 at 10:30 PM

Copperstar, some people do have comirbid but the majority do not. I know dozens of girls who are now cured of bpd and mental illness after dbt. Cured! You cannot cure bipolar.

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~Christina Legendary Wise Elder Community Liaison Member Since Jul 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 22,450 (SuperPoster!) 12 12.7k hugs given	Oct 18, 2015 at 07:51 PM #2 __________________ Helping others gets me out of my own head ~
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CopperStar Poohbah Member Since Apr 2014 Location: US Posts: 1,484 10 155 hugs given	Oct 18, 2015 at 07:55 PM #3 Sometimes it makes me doubt my diagnosis and makes me think I have something else entirely, like schizophrenia combined with a cluster**** of PD traits. I was psychotic and running around homeless trying to save people. "Bipolar" is when you feel sad or really happy sometimes. I know that's nonsense, but at a glance that's how it feels sometimes.
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HALLIEBETH87 Legendary Member Since Oct 2004 Location: usa Posts: 11,196 19 2,740 hugs given	Oct 18, 2015 at 08:25 PM #4 I get tired of labels in general
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Chris Altman Member Member Since Oct 2015 Location: Somewhere in this Earth Posts: 95 8 22 hugs given	Oct 18, 2015 at 08:36 PM #6 The point of a diagnosis is not to put a name to your behavior. It’s to seek help when you can’t function in life.
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Anonymous200280 Guest Posts: n/a	Oct 18, 2015 at 08:45 PM #8 Defintely not geared towards anyone in particular my friend, I strayed from the bipolar forum and we all know how that gets me worked up! I suspect those who participate or relate to this thread are those that truely suffer with more than emotional dysregulation.
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badjuju89 Member Member Since Aug 2014 Posts: 77 9	Oct 18, 2015 at 08:46 PM #9 And getting help has been my main goal ever since my diagnosis. This thing isn't taking me down. Even when at my worst, I'm not giving up. When you are at the bottom of the hill and the goal is to reach the top, no one said it'd be easy to get up there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Anonymous200280 Guest Posts: n/a	Oct 18, 2015 at 09:06 PM #12 Why arnt patients educated about what is bipolar and what is not?
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badjuju89 Member Member Since Aug 2014 Posts: 77 9	Oct 18, 2015 at 09:18 PM #13 Idk. Blows my mind. But I have run into quite a few people who claim being bipolar and then when further discussing the issues they seem to not know. Either they don't care enough to listen or their docs didn't take the time to explain. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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badjuju89 Member Member Since Aug 2014 Posts: 77 9	Oct 18, 2015 at 09:34 PM #15 No need for an apology. Ever Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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HALLIEBETH87 Legendary Member Since Oct 2004 Location: usa Posts: 11,196 19 2,740 hugs given	Oct 18, 2015 at 10:22 PM #18 I try to tell people that meds are only 50% of the solution. You have to learn how to deal with life. A pill wont fix everything.
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Anonymous200280 Guest Posts: n/a	Oct 18, 2015 at 10:30 PM #20 Copperstar, some people do have comirbid but the majority do not. I know dozens of girls who are now cured of bpd and mental illness after dbt. Cured! You cannot cure bipolar.
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