Family & Friends of Bipolar Support Group

This is a good question. I don't think "crazies" is appropriate at all but I had a great deal of difficulty talking to my ex about bipolar at all. The subject was very rarely discussed by design. I had wondered what "beepers" meant. My ex never used that term and she stated that she was not bipolar but cyclothymic, a diagnosis I don't completely agree with.

I don't consider myself a "normie" because everyone is different and "normal" is a pretty wide spectrum but I am not bipolar / cyclothymic, so it was hard to try and point out that some of my ex-girlfriend's actions were "out of the norm" and use acceptable language to her.

As CL of the Bipolar Community I guess I can answer this in several ways...

1. crazies is a derogatory term in itself. "normies" is not a derogatory term in itself. In my youth the counter culture called people "straights".

2. It's a defence mechanism by a minority group that feels strongly prejudiced against, by the media down to their families in many cases. Other minority groups do the same.

3. I don't think it's used generally against people who try and understand or help. It usually comes up in the context of someone's frustration that they are not understood, that they are told that they can "control their illness", "don't need meds" or "cannot be bipolar" etc etc

4. As CL I don't have the power or mandate to censor what is after all, language used within a Bipolar group that often shares some pretty appalling treatment at the hands of the non bipolar.

5. I don't personally use the term. I feel that by the time you have excluded the population that suffers from unipolar depression, other major disabilities, those from racial, ethnic or sexual "minorities" the majority breaks down pretty quickly into many sub cultures many of which are experiencing their own form of prejudice. But that's a personal view.

I don't personally have a problem being a "normie" actually quite proud of it. :)

In the MPD world..I am called a "singlton" because I only have one person in my head.

I think saying normie or singleton is kind of a way at least for me to inject some humor into a crappy situation that most of our lifes are. I am very humorous person and like to laugh..I was going to say jolly but decided that I would sound like Santa Claus..LOL

As one of my favorite speakers Jeanne Robertson says you have to find the humor in stressful situations and I do that and honestly that is why I am still walking around and locked up in a mental hospital somewhere!!!

You know the most amusing thing about it all? The "ones who try hard to understand them, to care for them, to support them" are not at all "normal" or "normies"...we are caretakers...I have been around enough people to confidently say that I am sorry, "normal" people don't give like we do, don't deal like we deal, don't do what we do. Period.

Our society requires labels. They are uncomfortable if they don't have a nice, neat little descriptive package to stick someone in. A person who isnt a "normie" or a "crazy" might be an "eccentric"...who is somewhere between the 2...and isn't any label callous in that it limits the bearer to but one facet of who they are?

I would prefer to wear no labels, though I, like everyone of us, do. I do every day. The labels I most often hear are hippie and redneck. But I just look at them for what they are, tags that allow others to package me and prejudge me. And they actually come in quite handy, because it weeds out those not willing to look past the label and see who really dwells inside of the box. In fact, for that reason I'll wear my labels boldly. I really don't want to be around anyone who can't think "outside the box."

So why be offended if someone calls you a normie, or a beeper, or whatever? The labels actually hurt the people who use them as a tool of judgement more than those they give them too. And for the other side who use the terms with affection, those are the ones you know you want on your side.

I like what circles said, why be offended, I too have many labels others have put on me gay, desert rat and old hippie are some of mine....................

We have to label patients at work by their illnesses like COPD. post heart, diabetic, self to the bathroom, assist to the bathroom, total (meaning needing total care) cause we have so many patients in and out and just so many patients that we really don't have time to spend with them as individuals and learn what their needs are, this aids in their care and hopefully gives a little extra time to accommodate their needs......................

Really being called a "normie" does not usually happen to me and if someone thought I was normal.................LOL.....................I think that might be good..............................:)

AltanIslandAngel - "bipolar" gets shortened to "bp", which sounds like "beep", which got turned into "beeper". Strange because the end result is longer than simply shortening it to "bp".

Oh thanks, wondered where "beeper" came from, these boards first time I have heard it...................................interesting..................

I believe the whole beeper/normie thing gets thrown out of whack at times. I myself at first took a little offense when I first saw it, but like Curious said, it's more for the people who scorn or mock the Bipolar people rather than the ones who have their back.

I don't necessarily agree that it's such a general term, but see it more as a ways/means of an us & them, which I'm not thrilled about that aspect of it.

But I do see alot of posts in the BP site that tell of how wonderful their SO's and family/friends are so wonderful and how they don't know what they would do without them. I think it goes both ways, but it's nice to at least see appreciation and acceptance.

"Normie" is a self-defense term used by beepers when they are hurt and angry and feeling belittled and misunderstood by anyone who does not have BP. It helps them feel okay about themselves. It's a stupid term because, as pointed out by the others, there's no such thing as "normal" to begin with. My kids are an "Aspie" and an "Autie" and in their parlance, I'm an "NT" (Neuro-Typical - another version of "normal").

My late husband was an "alky", my sons are "Aspie" and "Autie", and my fiance is a "beeper" - if my life has been/is "normal" then God help mankind! LOL!

Don't let it get to you - it's meaningless in the long run. Choose a label you'd really enjoy and the next time somebody throws "normie" or anything else at you, just say "No, actually I'm a _______". The more outrageous the better. Love and Hugs...

well soss where i come from a singleton is someone who has no partner. I was one for a long time but i never minded being called that, i dont mind being called a normie, that would be one hell of a good day in this house at times!!!