Apologies to anyone who misinterpreted what I said about BP being incurable. I failed to see that it is assumed I was talking desease. It is NOT a desease, it is a Disorder---I thought my rambling mind and fingers made myself clear to all.

Again, apologies to any whom I offended.

I find it easy to say I'm bi-polar, but when I explain it to a doctor I always use my bipolar disorder...hmm.
Your right though hon-
HUG!

Actually nana
There are 2 deff schools of thinking in the psyhciatric world

Disease..biochemical imbalance causing significant disruption in cognition(organic)..there for can be considered a " disease"

I understand, dd. Kinda like the coding in a DSR. Different countries, nations, even states have conflicting psychiatric descriptions.

What you are saying makes sense to me. I was wrong, so I again offer my sincere apologies for any offense I committed.

Heretic, I share your school of thought. I find I have a more positive attitude about myself if I use terminology that does not define me by the disorder that I have. It does not feel so dominant in my life.

I also agree everyone has to use the terminology that best suits them whether it be to describe themselves or just words used in conversation.

I live with Bi-Polor when im level on my meds....I am Bi-Polor when having "episodes" whatever you wish to call them. At that moment it does define me because it has taken over and that is who I am at that moment.....so yah

Words are so defining of who we are. Unfortunately we live in a world that has taught us to judge ourselves more than we judge others. Both things that I feel are wrong, but that is another topic. I have Bipolar disorder. I am not bipolar. Simple as that, but that is what is right for me and not for anyone else. In the mental health field we are called "consumers". I hate being judged as a "consumer". There are a few reasons why I hate this word. Firstly, people used to die of what was called consumption, what we now know as tuberculosis. Secondly, consuming implies that we are users of resources that are finite. We are consuming, using up things until they are gone. Personally, I like to think of myself as a client of mental health services. I pay for the services so I am the client. Just like you are a client if you hire a lawyer. I just hate the word consumer. It is labeling us as being less than the average person who is not using mental health services. Words have power. Let's use the words that empower us, not make us less that who we are.

I don't care how people choose to label themselves. If they're offended by me saying that they are bipolar I will respect that. Will I necessarily remember that? probably not. I call people who have bipolar disorder (including myself) bipolar. I really get discouraged with all the sensitivities of others and the PC. This isn't a personal attack Heretic, I don;t want you to think that in any way.

for me that is just nitpicking. It boils down to semantics. Yes what you're saying is true, I am not bi polar I have bi polar. But I think when some one says they are bi polar it is just an expression and there is no meaning behind it. So no it doesn't bother me if some one says they are bi polar. Besides we do call our selves beepers here. So in a sense it is a label.

Some don't like the label but for me it is just a way to identify with others who have the same disorder. But it's not like I go around saying I'm bi polar to ever single person I meet. I only tell people who need to know.

But.....what about when you would say..not that you would..but you might...

"I'm mentally ill..." vs " I have a mental health problem"

Or like when someone says about someone else "You're fat" as opposed to "they have an eating problem" or "they are overweight", because I mean technically speaking you can't be fat then if you are talking in a literal sense...or as in you are what your label is.

Personally speaking, I always say that I have BP Disorder, however I don't see an issue with how anyone else wishes to phrase it. I phrase it the way I do because it is an illness, it is not who I am, but then again I get in a whole big argument with myself about that too! Because maybe I wouldn't be who I am without my illness?

Okay now I am just babbling...excuse my said babbling.

I love words and find semantics to be a fascinating and very revealing subject. We need to consider what we say and what it means to us, as well as how other people would perceive it.

I am Surferchica. I am also married to a great guy named George. But, because I am an individual, I don't introduce myself as "George's wife"....but as Surferchica, who is married to George. It is passe to be defined by the one we are married to, correct?

I am not bipolar. I have bipolar disorder. Therefore, am I not, "mentally ill"? But I don't want to be defined by mental illness, therefore I don't say I am bipolar or mentally ill.