Raw Writing for the Real World of Bipolar

Sometimes I despair that the public will forever continue to stigmatize Bipolar Disorder. When I read tweets about how 'bipolar' the weather is or 'my mother is so bipolar, I swear' it worries me that there will never be an end to the stigma that surrounds us.

And then I remember what I'm here to do. I'm here to dispel those myths that we are just crazy and we have nothing to offer the world. Woodroll Call, in the Guest Post: War of Anger, reminded me that knowledge is power. And power is being able to stand up and say, "This is what it's like to be me. Accept it or not!"

So, I beg the question, what are you doing to destigmatize Bipolar Disorder? Are you talking about it with your family and friends? Have you joined your local chapters of NAMI or DBSA? What can you do to make your story be heard?

Twitter is a useful tool for getting your voice heard, too. Perhaps if enough of us raise our voices then we will make a difference in the way that the word 'Bipolar' is used. I look forward to seeing you make a difference!

About the Author

Email Cristina

Submit Your Story or Article

Subscribe in a Reader

© 2009 Cristina Fender

I, Cristina Fender, wrote an article entitled Life as a Bipolar Mom for Health.com.

Since then I’ve been receiving hate mail and comments from many people on the Internet. The forum at Digg.com has upset me greatly.

I am a good mother. I love my children. I take care of them as best as I can. I will not run away because others think that I should lock myself in a psych ward and stay there. My children and my husband treasure me as much as I do them.

What I described in my article on Health.com were the worst days of my life. Since I’ve been on Lithium and Geodon the worst days are fewer and fewer. Now I only have problems when my father is in the hospital and I feel that there is nothing I can do about it. But, I still get up in the morning, open the blinds and start my day.

I feed my child, clothe her, and play with her until it’s her naptime. Then I work on my book, answer my emails and feed my soul. Then it’s time to get my oldest daughter from school. We go outside and do sidewalk chalk. We go swimming. We go to the park.

It’s been several months since I’ve smoked pot or drank wine. I stopped taking my Prozac because I’m trying to lower my dosage on my Lithium.

I offer this not as an explanation for my article, but as an answer. If you are not bipolar you will never understand what we bipolars go through. There are some that will always see us as crazy bitches, but it is simply not true. We do the best we can with what we have.

And, more importantly, we live. Twenty percent of 5.7 million American bipolars will commit suicide in their lifetime. The rest of us still suffer. Only twenty percent of all bipolars will ever reach remission from bipolar. There are those bipolars who are lucky enough to only experience slight bipolar, called cyclomythia. Then there are Bipolar II patients who mostly experience hypomania and depression. Bipolar I’s experience psychosis and mixed states of both mania and depression.

This is a chemical imbalance. It is a real disorder and disease. It’s not made up. Who would make this up? Who would willing ask for this?

If you speak ill of the mentally ill you are contributing to the stigma that marks its cross on this disease. Instead of making fun of something you don’t understand, perhaps you should walk a mile in our shoes. Then we’ll see how your feet feel.


About the Author

Email Cristina

Submit Your Story or Article

Subscribe in a Reader

© 2009 Cristina Fender