Bipolar the "trendy" Mental Illness?

[SBlake]

Yes, there are people who are complete dicks who claim to have things because A B and C line up and realize they can use that for their advantage in the moment or in future moments to excuse cliche dickish behavior.. if that's what you want to focus on. Ewck.. Fuck em, they'll always be around, it's a means to an excuse, and that'll be there to be abused by people who can't relate, understand nor care. Which in some cases could be a prelude to a marvilous assortment of disorders that they can wallop in and use as time and situations progress... Sigh.. They're only missing the point of their own social inabilities to cope with the situation they're dealing with. They feel it's ok to be an ass, then use a medial term to cover that up and justify it, ect. Fun line of a lack of respect for people who have BP, and a lack of respect for themselves and the people around them whom theyre subjecting their lies to. Erhm.. BP or not, if someones overreacting and causing too much distress...you say something regardless(how you say it is another matter). It's not a magic get out of jail badge for being an asshole... though I suppose it depends on the situation and means of expression. Again though... Even the biggest asshole has a reason for using a definition like that. It's not exactly a golden ticket to wave about now is it.. Kinda have to be fucked up to falsify a need to have BP (please.. Im not saying anyones fucked up, I just mean it's fucked up to lie that you have BP when you dont, unless its the only thing you can on some level associate too). SIgh... it's case dependant. One liars lying for personal gain, one liars lying because its as close to leveling off uncomfortable situations brought about by them, one persons decieving themself because it's one way that they can feel something.. ect
Idk, hard to paint a picture cause I never really encouter people who make shit up about who they are. I've heard the " im depressed" crap. And tbh, perhaps they are, in their world. Perhaps alot of it has to do with a lack of care and understanding. Either way though, I generally would rather give someone who has BP the same respect that I give anyone else, and if they step over the mark on something, well... take it with a pinch of salt and judge the situation to see if it even involves my input. But for people who openly abuse it, BP or not, sometimes you have to say something.

Fucking hell so do you just leave these people who you assume are abusing a term like BP to their own devices and leave them too it? And what exactly are they doing :S

[Anneinside]

I don't like it when people use psychiatric labels to describe their own bad behavior. It adds to the stigma that people who actually have disorder have to deal with. The truth is that even if you have bipolar (BP) you are still responsible for your behavior. People without it are also responsible. Another disorder that people are self-diagnosing is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) which has a very negative connotation. I have been amazed how many times I have heard people say things like "I am so borderline today" or "I am so bipolar today". When questioned (I have done it a few times) they don't know what it is. Some have said borderline is having different moods and being very happy. One person said being borderline is being on the edge. No knowledge whatsoever.

As much as I don't like how the terms are used, there is no way to stop it except on an individual level.

[perry_mason]

if they want trrendy, try putting them on lithium, try giving them differents meds.

lets them have the great ups which are a laugh where everybody is great , where life is nonstop advernture but then force them to have the down where they cant go on their fake books and see their friends (because number 1 they don't have any and number 2 they wouldn't want to see anybody even if ppl were there for them) and all they can do is want to die and just hide in bed or whatever.

[Songie]

In my opinion there really isnt such a thing as a "trendy disorder". And i havent ever seen it treated as a "trend" or an excuse for bad behavior. As someone who is now almost 20 and was diagnosed with bipolar depression at 15, im actually slightly offended by that. It seems like an awful way to group together young teens and women, regardless of your gender.

[Underground]

I agree with a lot of things that have been said here already. Being bipolar is no longer being seen as a serious health issue because of celebrities. It's so easy to self-diagnose and many people just look at a checklist of syptoms and think "yup, that's me, omg I'm bipolar, I better tell everyone!"

Now, I have no idea how many celebs have a "real" diagnosis for this but there are definitely plenty out there claiming to have it. The more celebs that have it, the more it's seen as something cool - it's become rather like a fashion accessory and it's really upsetting because the people out there who do suffer from it are, at times, going to be seen as just "following the trend" and might not get the help they need.

I hate to make the comparison but it's like being bisexual. So many celebs say they are bi, and so many girls say that are bi just because they've made out with their female friends, that the people who really are bisexual and don't care about the gender of the person they are with, are being labelled sluts.

Bi, it seems, is just cool.

I've seen guys doing that as well, tbf.

I've lost count of the guys I knew, through school and various social circles/interest social circles who claimed to be "bisexual". Some of them were actually just gay, and others were never gay or bi in the first place.

[catecholamine]

Ugh!! I have Bipolar 1 and it completely screwed up my life. I get angry when people have a mood swing and are like "I need to go to the doctor, I must be bipolar". I explain to them, as calmly as possible, that mania has to last at least 1 week (less if hospitalized for it) and has to seriously disrupt their life to be classified as mania. And, for bipolar 2, hypomania must last at least 4 days (this is all according to the DSM-IV). I'm too lazy to go into Cyclothymia, but you get the drift. It annoys the hell out of me when people throw around bipolar like that, acting like bipolar 1 can be as simple as mood swings. I've had hallucinations, had delusions and paranoia - thought people were following me and after me, it was terrifying. I would take out credit cards and max them out in a day buying $900 TVs, $1,800 computers, and so on....when I am normally very careful with my money, clipping coupons and stalking sales. I would sleep 30 mins a night or less. I would tell any stranger all my personal information and stuff about my life, anything and everything, just talk talk talk. It really fucked up my life. I'm still paying on the credit cards.

Then there's the depression side of it, it's been pure hell. After 2 years of alternating between mania and depression (mostly depression), I'm slowly now climbing out of my hole and finding some stability, and that only in the past 2 weeks. 3 weeks ago, I was off my meds and psychotic, stabbing myself and so on before I was hospitalized. It's been a hard 2 years with 17 hospitalizations. Bipolar ruined my life in a lot of ways. Now my parents call me every single day, constantly I'm afraid I'm going to kill myself. If I don't feel like talking or whatever, they freak out asking me if I'm okay, really okay, and so on and call me multiple more times that day, thinking I'm going to try to kill myself. It has vastly upset my family. It has cost me a lot financially as well, as I said. It has been a rough road and it makes me angry to see people trivialize it as just simple mood swings. I try to remember that it is simply out of ignorance. Still, I wish people were more educated on what Bipolar really is.

[Underground]

Ugh!! I have Bipolar 1 and it completely screwed up my life. I get angry when people have a mood swing and are like "I need to go to the doctor, I must be bipolar". I explain to them, as calmly as possible, that mania has to last at least 1 week (less if hospitalized for it) and has to seriously disrupt their life to be classified as mania. And, for bipolar 2, hypomania must last at least 4 days (this is all according to the DSM-IV). I'm too lazy to go into Cyclothymia, but you get the drift. It annoys the hell out of me when people throw around bipolar like that, acting like bipolar 1 can be as simple as mood swings. I've had hallucinations, had delusions and paranoia - thought people were following me and after me, it was terrifying. I would take out credit cards and max them out in a day buying $900 TVs, $1,800 computers, and so on....when I am normally very careful with my money, clipping coupons and stalking sales. I would sleep 30 mins a night or less. I would tell any stranger all my personal information and stuff about my life, anything and everything, just talk talk talk. It really fucked up my life. I'm still paying on the credit cards.

Then there's the depression side of it, it's been pure hell. After 2 years of alternating between mania and depression (mostly depression), I'm slowly now climbing out of my hole and finding some stability, and that only in the past 2 weeks. 3 weeks ago, I was off my meds and psychotic, stabbing myself and so on before I was hospitalized. It's been a hard 2 years with 17 hospitalizations. Bipolar ruined my life in a lot of ways. Now my parents call me every single day, constantly I'm afraid I'm going to kill myself. If I don't feel like talking or whatever, they freak out asking me if I'm okay, really okay, and so on and call me multiple more times that day, thinking I'm going to try to kill myself. It has vastly upset my family. It has cost me a lot financially as well, as I said. It has been a rough road and it makes me angry to see people trivialize it as just simple mood swings. I try to remember that it is simply out of ignorance. Still, I wish people were more educated on what Bipolar really is.

Great post, this is exactly what I mean...

[vjred]

I love your post. So many people have no idea what damage Bi-Polar or other mental illness like OCD does in somebodys life. If they did they might not really want to have a mental illness.

I'm old enough to remember when you didn't tell people that you where Bi-Polar because if you did you could be treated differently. I even once told someone that I thought was a good friend when I was down and just needed someone to talk to. (This was years ago) After she found out she stop seeing me and never let her children come around me or my chidren ever again. This was someone I had helped through a divorce. However back then if you have a mental illness people where afaid of you. Like maybe if they stood to close they might catch something.

I have not told many people that I'm BP or even OCD. First don't I feel like it's a badge or honor second it's really is not most peoples business. I'm not ashamed of it. (actuality I'm surprised when someone asks, then I just say Yes) It's something that most people that really have a mental illness, don't normally walk around with a poster and says see me I have this ... or that, I have to live with. I don't have a problem talking to people. It has it's place and time. It should not be treated like a circus act.

I do think that mental illness has become the thing to do. It's cool to say that just because they keep a drawer or two neat their OCD, or mood swings their BP or even have an eating disorder. I have (had) a girlfriend that just had to have BP because I do. I told her when it was not popular any more there will soooooo many people that will move on to the next popular thing and those of us that really have a mental illness will still have to live with them. However this girl friend NEEDED to have BP so bad that she convinced a doctor to give her meds. The problem is now she ended up with one of the bad side effects and will have hand tremmers forever.

So sometimes I'm not so sure about those that are running a round telling everyone that will listen about all of the things they have. If your really working with what ever form of mental illness that you have, hopefully you have a support group and (usless your manic) but your probability your not spending your time with a neon light saying see me I get to live with...

So Yes I have seen a rise in people that think this is the new thing to do. It makes me mad beacuse then those that have a real problem sometimes are not taken as serious or have to be weeded out of crowd of that run around asking doctors for meds.

[kdt]

Who ever thinks its trendy is ridiculous... I'm bipolar and I often say I'd rather have no legs then have this. Is crap Horrable and it makes life so much harder because u never know when or if I'll hit a cycle. And when you do it's hard to tell when... It's not easy and I understand completely why so many people end there life because of bipolar... It's not TRENDY at all.... And people who say there having a bipolar moment.... U got NO IDEA.

[alyssaswoon]

What happened to normal trends, like Pokemon, Transformers and Beanie Babies?

It really drives me insane when I hear someone say something like, "Ugh I'm so depressed today, blah" no. You're not depressed, you do not have a form of depression, therefore today you are sad. How about you go see a doctor and see what he has to tell you before you go throwing illness titles like they're moods.
I've know people who (for whatever reason) thought having OCD would be cool. So I let them in on all of the really strange things I did because of my OCD and they quickly regretted even saying it at all. It's not fun or trendy to pretend to have a disease/illness some people are ridiculous.