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Yeah, being triggered into angry outbursts all the time doesn't sound like Bipolar Disorder (I assume even when not intoxicated?) -emphasis on 'triggered' and 'all the time.' I can see how her saying this to family could make you very uncomfortable as they may then get the impression that people with bipolar disorder are like this. This is one of the reasons that misconceptions regarding bipolar disorder really get to me sometimes: there's enough stigma without adding on behavioral issues that are not related, then people blame these on bipolar (diagnosed or not) and the misconceptions are proliferated, more and unnecessary stigma, and on and on. I'm thinking about that Dr. Phil episode someone mentioned here one time.
I remember interpreting for the mother of a teenage patient in outpatient psych who was seeing a pdoc for angry/rage outbursts. Her energy in that room practically put my hair on end, her demeanor was so aggressive. She hadn't been diagnosed, but when she said that she would stay up all night, the pdoc said "Well then, you may be bipolar afterall" (the mother protested, saying that she stays up all night sometimes because she's texting her friends).
In any case, the patient then turns to me and says, "Tell her [her mother]! See, it's not my fault!!"
Ugh. Maybe she does have BP, who knows, but the 'see, it's not my fault' really got under my skin: it was positively triumphant.
Doesn't look like she's going to seek help, so I have no advice on that front. But maybe you can explain to family what bipolar is and is not about (without necessarily mentioning the person you're talking about as this could end up being divisive). This sounds like one of those situations where some psychoeducation for family would be useful. Best of luck.
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