Bipolar Myths - What is true?

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As with most anything, the more it comes into the spotlight, the more people try to understand it and at the same time, the more stories and/or misconceptions become ‘fact.’

A recent article spelled out these myths and did it’s best to explain them – from my own point of view I would like to give my own explanation on how they have affected me and my life.

1. Bipolar disorder means I’m really ‘crazy.’ From what I have experienced, people basically think that if you have any mental illness at all you are crazy. Bipolar Disorder seems to be the “illness” of the decade, so of course those with it seem ‘crazier’ right now.

2. Bipolar disorder is a medical disease, just like diabetes. I, myself, am guilty of this one. I use diabetes as a way to explain the need for medication. So many times I am asked why I take it, just deal with it. I tell them, as with an illness I need my medication to keep in an even keel. In reality, I know that my Bipolar Disorder is more than medical and that beyond medication I need to focus on my environmental stressors a life in general.

3. Manic Depression is different than Bipolar Disorder

I think this has confused people, when it reality they are the same thing – same struggles, same medications, same treatment – different name.

4. I’ll have to be on medications for the rest of my life.

This is a tricky question. Like most people with Bipolar Disorder I went through the phase when I knew I could do this without medication – with a little knowledge and therapy it wouldn’t be so bad. Ok, so I was wrong. It took many, many years to come to grips with the idea of medication, but now that I know what it needs to take to stay well, I take my medication.

5. I’m feeling better since taking my meds, which mean I probably don’t need them any more.

This goes along with number 4 above. Feeling better is not a reason to stop taking them. Like an antibiotic, you need to take the whole prescription whither you feel better or not.

6. There’s no need for Psychotherapy in Bipolar Disorder

With any disease, medication alone is not the answer. There needs to be some changes in your life, in how you live, relate to people, how you think and believe.

7 and 8. Atypical Antipsychotics are only for Schizophrenia, or have little or not side effects.

Medication seems to be a big deal when it comes to BP. Is it needed or not, will it work or not, what should I take, etc. in recent years more and more drugs, previously used for other disorders have come to be useful in treating BP – this may feel some people feel that their illness is worth than they thought – misconception ensues and the reluctance to take the meds.

9. I may just have depression.

While this may seem like a temporary fix, it won’t take long before the cycle begins and the depression leads into mania – taking you on a journey you never expected.

I have Depression and I am alive!

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For those with mental illness, from the time the words come out of the doctor’s mouth it seems to define who you are, the illness becomes all you think about, hear about and write about. It seems to take over your every waking moment – but in the midst of it all, you can’t forget who you are, yet that seems to be the first thing we lose – our identity.

Some of that may come from society in general, mental illness, to them, is who we are. They can’t see past the words, the image, and the actions.

What we need to do is to remind them that we are people, no matter what. We just fight to show people the true face of mental illness – wouldn’t they be surprised if saw the truth.

If you live with severe depression, or know someone who does keep these things in mind – write a note to them, or to yourself to remind you who you are, the person that is inside because there will be days when you will find yourself lost and wondering where your life is going.

Does a history of mental illness in your family dictate whether you will have kids?

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I read an article recently how a history of mental illness in a family can deter some from having children themselves. It is not really something I thought of when my girls were born. There is a history of mental illness in my family, my father was paranoid schizophrenic, I have Bipolar Disorder, and my father’s brothers live mental illnesses. It never occurred to me, however, that this could all be passed to my children.

As they grew older, however, I began to see things in them that I knew were indications that they may have inherited the family legacy in some form. My oldest, now 20, lives with OCD and ADD, My middle daughter, now 18, has ADHD, Tourettes and is Bipolar. My youngest, now 16, seems to have escaped “the curse,” but her temperament makes me wonder.

According the article, it is well known by mental health professionals that certain mental illnesses run in families. While they believe that inheriting Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder is around 1 percent, those who live with the illness or have loved someone with the illness may believe that number to wrong and even the 1 percent is too much of a risk. The difficulty when it comes to deciding to have children or knowing if the illness will be passed on is, there is no test to detect the possibility, as with cystic fibrosis or Tay-Sachs, it is a crap shoot at best.

There are actually two schools of thought by professionals. Some recommend seeing a psychiatric genetic counselor to explore the actual risk of the illness being passed. Also, those who have a relative with a mental illness and decide to have children, they will become more diligent, keeping an eye out for any sign that they may catch it early and they can help from the start.

Even with all the research and counseling, the stigma of mental illness alone, even with a 5 to 10% chance, can keep many from having children.

So, what do you do?

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