I was thinking of this recently. A lot of times lately I hear on Facebook how someone must be "bipolar" for this and that stupid reason. I find it really offensive but there is no changing it .. so I'll just have to roll with it.

Only we can use the word "bipolar"!

I hear things like - "oh, she's so moody she must be bipolar" or "oh, she changes her mind like the flip of a dime. She must be bipolar". WTF? No. Not okay.

We have to stand up and say something. These people are ignorant and I feel that it's up to us to explain it. We don't have to say we have bipolar. Just teach them a little.

I agree with dobie.

The only way to stop stigma , is to stand up to it.
You don't have to be aggressive or in somebody's face.

I approach this kind of situation with calmness and gentleness.

I let the person know, HEY, I'M BIPOLAR.... AND I'M OK .

Many BP people keep their condition hidden, I can understand this because of the stigma, but think of every group of people who have been stigmatized in the past........ once they opened up...came out of the closet , so to speak, they gained freedom and power over their so called stigma

...however if a person is ignorant enough to make a stupid careless comment about BP I don't think they're entitled to my telling them I have bipolar. You can't trust them.

In a country where everyone seems to find 'politically correct' terms for everyone except those who are mentally ill you get used to that kinda stuff. If you react a certain way you're asked if you've taken your meds, reporters on tv drop words such as crazy and mad all the time, having an MI and the issues involved with it makes you weird and stupid and dumb. I'll have people ask me not to use certain words around them because they find it offensive and then have them use what I consider to be offensive words to refer to people with MIs. One day I'll get them to change :-)

I've heard this said so many times, even in a movie.

You're definitely not alone in feeling this way. I've seen it used as an insult as well, and I get very offended by it too.

I have heard this numerous times and it definitely offends me. I just think about how the person that said it probably doesn't even know what it actually means and let it roll off my back....but there is something to be said for standing up for mental illness. Maybe one day Ill be strong enough to speak up...

It stems from pure ignorance. End of story.

I had to let go of a lot of inner expectations abut people .

I knew if I "Came Out Of The BP Closet " I would lose friends, maybe some family. I was willing to do that. I had nothing left to lose .

Surprisingly , almost my whole family "Gets It ", at least they try..... and those that don't...well I don't care anymore .

Most of my friends worked with me as I went through a breakdown, so they saw first hand how I went from totally fun and competent in my job , to a hopeless depressive bag of sadness.... most of them were / and still are, very supportive

When I told my sil, her eyes widened and I felt she was scared. I knew it was her issue, but since that time, she seems to keep her distance from me. I feel sad, like I'm not as trustworthy or something, like I'm gonna behave like Charlie Sheen or jump on her dining table. Sigh. I hate the term whack job....

I prefer the term manic depression anyway. But that's fallen out f use. Besides, I am not bipolar--rather I have bipolar. I like calling myself a beeper here, but in rl, I don't know anyone who would appreciate my humor....

Reply #2 - 02/27/15 4:08pm
" Only we can use the word "bipolar"! "

nooooo, electronics engineers need to using it.

I don't wantt to ask another modular synthesiser enthusiast "do you trapezoid modulations go both ways?"

In the old days (misty far away look in his eyes) kids used other terms of abuse, things that I won't repeat but have no I think gone away. Use of the term "bipolar" as abuse will no doubt go that way. And probably calling someone "autistic" or "Asperger's" for similar reasons will go away.

Then we'll find another inappropriate term of abuse.

Trapezoidal Modulations CAN go both ways but only if they "are bipolar or something" or transgender. In that case, someone usually rushes in and medicates them.

My mother had a group of nurses that in reference to me would whisper, she must be bipolar or something. Actually, I AM bipolar AND something. I waited for them to go to lunch one day and went to see them. After greetings of smiles and hugs from all of my "friends", I ask them how they felt about talking behind someone's back. In my opinion, good manners dictate you keep your negative shit behind someone's back - never to their face. They dropped the ball when they let it get back to me.

I don't feel obligated to educate someone on mental illness. Nurses should already know if indeed they are interested in knowing. Good manners, on the other hand, I can spend the rest of my life teaching you some manners because bad manners just annoy me.