The reason why there is a rising trend is because medicine has advanced since the days of leeches and bleeding people, so we are catching it easier.

Seriously, shut the fuck up. Anyone who says that bi-polar is all marketing, well… you’re either bi-polar and in denial or you’re just a hateful ignorant pudz.

There is certainly a trend in being diagnosed bi-polar. Hollywood underlies that trend as so many so-called “stars” are afflicted by it. Therefore it’s chique to have it.

So, my having bipolar disorder is fashionable? Imagine that! Wonder if it comes with a purse and shoes to match!

However, bi-polar illness can only be accurately diagnosed if historical evidence indicates mood shifts lasting periods of six months to two years reoccur with regularity. Even that, I question.

Facinating. Would you mind showing me solid research that indicates Bipolar Disorder doesn’t exist? Obviously, you’re well-informed and trained enough to draw such conclusions.

Anything else is just plain moodiness and erratic behavior, which we all have.

I’ll be sure and pass that on to the manic guy wearing a hospital gown and directing traffic at a busy intersection.

But the again I question mental “disorders”… period. What has become labeled as “disorders” are simply temporary states of distressing symptoms caused by changes in the brain’s chemistry due to an individual’s inability to adequately cope with environmental stressors.

Man, I wish I’d known that before I spent ten years going from doctor to doctor in search of why I was either spending money like it was going out of style or sitting in my recliner all day, staring at the ceiling because I was too depressed to move. Just think of all the money I could have saved!

It really isn’t “rocket science.” LOL

No, but apparently it’s your science - at least one you made up in your head. No, wait… that would be a mental disorder, and according to you there isn’t such a thing!

Now, all sarcasm aside, here’s is what irritates me the most about posts such as this:

People who have either never had a loved one or experienced themselves debilitating results of having a mental illness, along with the side affects of medication, just seriously need to back out of a subject that they have no clue about. Go away. Honestly, your so-called knowledge of mental illness is something we don’t need. It’s difficult enough to gain acceptance socially without nonsense such as this going around.

Am I angry? You betcha I am. Unlike a lot of individuals with bipolar disorder, I’ve “come out of the closet” with it. I refuse to let society intimidate me any more than, say, someone with diabetes. Enough is enough. On the other hand my son (now 25) keeps his illness completely under wraps. My cousin won’t even carry pills in her purse for fear that they will rattle and people hearing it will think she’s “crazy.” My son’s best friend is afraid if his boss finds out he will lose his job. Given that I lost two jobs when my employers found out just reinforces that concept. Sure, it’s illegal to fire someone based on an illness, but believe me when I tell you that if an employer wants to get rid of you, they’ll find a legal way to do it.

We get enough b.s. from society without having posts such as these contributing even more problems. I wouldn’t call this way of thinking rocket science. It’s more like Monopoly when you’ve rolled doubles one time too many: Please leave us alone. Do not pass Go or collect $200.

However, bi-polar illness can only be accurately diagnosed if historical evidence indicates mood shifts lasting periods of six months to two years reoccur with regularity. Even that, I question.

Anything else is just plain moodiness and erratic behavior, which we all have.

But the again I question mental “disorders”… period. What has become labeled as “disorders” are simply temporary states of distressing symptoms caused by changes in the brain’s chemistry due to an individual’s inability to adequately cope with environmental stressors.

It really isn’t “rocket science.” LOL

JD Stottlemire, author,
“You Me and Apollo: Hope Beyond Bipolar Disorder”
http://www.youmeandapollo.com

It’s really important to speak to a professional though. Those online quizzes and so on are good to give you an idea of what your illness may be but as you can tell from this post it’s not easy to diagnose bipolar disorder and it takes an experienced psychiatrist. Sometimes more than one; second opinions are good.

As for your parents, it is often hard for people to understand mental illness but a counsellor can help you approach them, and also recommend some books and other info you could give your parents to educate them. There’s also something called family-focussed therapy that helps the whole family help you and each other cope.

Best of luck, and try to keep in mind that many people do recover and manage their bipolar disorder, and you can too.

P.S. Avoid drugs and alcohol, at least for now. It’ll make things worse.

So my question is how are we going to stop the process - I can’t boycott the drug company. I don’t have bipolar depression, I have unipolar depression, but I am doing very well on my meds.

1. Don’t believe everything you read.

2. The BMJ “article” was actually a news item based on a real article in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. If you’re going to criticize a study, please go to the source rather than provide commentary about commentary. Have you heard of the telephone game?

3. Scientologists love to tell people that every type of mental disorder is overdiagnosed and non-existent, just disease mongering by Big Pharma. It’s part of their disinformation strategy. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8sDa84AJ7c which refers to their “Antipsychiatry Media Index” and gloating over the number of newspapers they manipulated into reporting that antidepressants don’t work. Other, antipsychiatry groups and leftist media disseminate Scientology messages without realizing it.

4. The BMJ news item did feature two quotes I think are very important; one from a mental health charity rep (not a drug company) who said, “…failing to identify the condition can have extremely damaging consequences.” That’s very true. There is a lot of literature about the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of bipolar disorder, that goes way back. Data based on people who are unquestionably bipolar tells us that on average it takes nearly a decade to be correctly diagnosed. Talk to nearly anyone who is bipolar and they’ll tell you (anecdotal) stories about the chaos in their lives before getting appropriate help.

5. It’s a straw man argument. The problem is not really that something is under or over-diagnosed statistically, the issue is one of correct diagnosis (I refer you also to autism arguments), and it really is a big deal with bipolar disorder because the medications for unipolar depression are different and using the wrong drugs can make things far worse.

6. This kind of thing makes me weary.

I’m glad you shared your story because certainly there are people misdiagnosed as bipolar who aren’t, and it’s important to recognize that. But, the opposite tendency is and always has been worse, IMHO.