Bipolar Disorder Poll: What Symptom is the Hardest for Your Family and Friends to Understand?

Over 200 readers have voted. I want to put this poll up again to see if the mood has changed in the past few years. What is your answer? If you care about someone with bipolar disorder, please give your opinion as well. I’m actually surprised at the results. I thought that the highest vote would be mania! Let’s see what it’s like in 2014! Julie

8 comments to Bipolar Disorder Poll: What Symptom is the Hardest for Your Family and Friends to Understand?

alicia

August 5, 2011 at 1:25 am

I get really annoyed at people assuming I must be depressed. Nobody seems to think that, before psychosis etc kicks in, laughing, spending, inapropiate behaviour, no sleep, insatiable sex drive, silly decisions, pacing, delusions of grandeur etc, are a mental illness.

Lost count of the amount of people who have told me it must be brilliant.

At least depression keeps me away from people. A dose of mania can mean we can’t afford to feed the kids and we lose friends, I have more and more places I can’t go, and it means my career is shot.

People understand depression much more. Apart from anything else, they will know other people with the normal kind. A lot of people don’t know someone who gets full on mania or psychosis. Or at least they don’t know they do.
HB

August 5, 2011 at 8:57 am

I agree with Alicia. It’s harder for people to understand Mania or Hypomania. My family members all know what depression is, but bipolar disorder is confusing to them. The manic side is hard for them to recognize or understand. Especially when the symptoms seem to be positive like lots of energy.
Lulugurl

August 23, 2011 at 11:02 am

I totally agree with Alicia and HB. Right now after a breakup/move home/career change/etc/etc. i am going through a wicked awful episiode and can’t seem to snap out of it, it is so hard to know you are esentially messing up your whole life and while you may realize it afterwards, you just can’t seem to stop yourself.
Ablase

August 26, 2011 at 1:42 am

My manias turn me into a person that I detest. I am embarassing and don’t consider anyone else’s feelings. I think I am great.
Its after all the drinking and partying that I burn myself out then feel so ashamed that I can’t stand myself and feel everyone would be far better off without me. I have a loving family who are very supportive. Why can’t I control myself. I shut myself away. Dye my hair, cut it off. Am I the awful party girl or am I the suicidal one who can’t go out to face anyone. Who wishes she was dead. Tries to take her life? Can’t even do that. Treats her friends like she hates them cause can’t face them? Cut myself off from everything?
Lora

July 13, 2014 at 1:07 pm

My husband becomes very upset when I am hypomanic. He goes every where I go and thinks every time that I will get in trouble. As an aside, watch Blackbox on Thursdays as it about a Bipolar neurosurgeon.
Tracy

July 13, 2014 at 5:25 pm

My experience is exactly the opposite. When I am depressed I am completely non-functioning. I get things like “Just get out of bed” and “You’re just lazy”. When I am manic. I go off by myself and don’t bother them.
Donna Kay

July 13, 2014 at 6:28 pm

I get depressed because i want to be with someone but at the same time I want to be alone
Jennifer

July 14, 2014 at 9:30 am

Although my wife’s manias can be difficult, and it’s hard to both respect her personhood and autonomy as well as protect the family’s budget and economic stability during those times, it’s the depression I struggle with the most. Not only the feeling that nothing is good or worthwhile, not even herself, but she ends up with no desire to ever feel better or do anything to change the state she is in. It is so hard for me to find a starting point with her when she’s in this place and it pulls me very strongly into a low place myself – during these times I have to take extra care of my own mental state to counteract this.