33 Things People With Bipolar Disorder Want You To Know
“I’m not crazy. Something in my head just works different than yours.”
Bipolar disorder is a serious, often misunderstood mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels.
During BuzzFeed's Mental Health Week, we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their experiences with bipolar disorder, and we received nearly 200 emails and hundreds more comments.
Here, we've included their quotes as well as an interview with psychologist Vaile Wright, Ph.D., director of research and special projects at the American Psychological Association, to give a better picture of what life is really like with bipolar disorder.
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Bipolar disorder usually includes manic and depressive episodes, but there can also be hypomanic and mixed episodes.
A manic episode might include extreme overconfidence and happiness, and sometimes irritability or anger. Someone in a manic state may have racing thoughts, talk faster than normal, not sleep, or behave in impulsive, risky, or dangerous ways (like spending lots of money, having risky sex, stealing things, etc.). A hypomanic episode is similar to a manic episode but is typically shorter and less severe.
A depressive episode can include feelings of sadness, loneliness, and low self-esteem. Someone in a depressive state may lose interest in things they typically enjoy, have difficulty concentrating, sleep less or more, or have suicidal thoughts.
A mixed episode is one that includes both manic and depressive symptoms at the same time.
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There are a few different types of bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is known to occur on a spectrum, says Wright. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), there are four main types:
- Bipolar I Disorder: When you have a manic or mixed episode that lasts at least a week, or is severe enough that it requires immediate hospitalization. Plus, this is usually accompanied by depressive episodes.
- Bipolar II Disorder: When you experience both depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but without any full manic or mixed episodes.
- Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS): When you have symptoms of bipolar disorder that don't technically meet the criteria for any specific type.
- Cyclothymia: When you have hypomanic and depressive symptoms that don't quite fit the criteria for mania, hypomania, or depressive episodes (and it lasts on-and-off for at least two years).
There's also rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, were you have four or more episodes in a year. You can find more info from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) here.
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People with bipolar disorder are not "ticking time bombs."
"After finding out, people treat me like a land mine. They walk on egg shells around me, because they think that if they do/say one wrong thing, I'll explode. I am not a land mine. I am not a time bomb. I'm a 16-year-old diagnosed with several mental health disorders, working as hard as I possibly can to not let the negative sides of my mental health rule my life."
—Caitlin via email
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