[Kymaro]

Why are we “hating” on Bipolar.

It’s a disease process of the human body, no different than diabetes, high blood pressure, or fibromyalgia. Would we be screaming “My sugar is to high, dam it now it’s too low”? “I don’t think I’m going to take my insulin today because my sugar is good today”

How about someone with hypertension (high blood pressure) are we joining forum to “discuss” how it destroys our kidneys and heart? Are we saying “well my HTN (high blood pressure) is good now, so I don’t need these medications?

How about fibromyalgia? “I hurt like hell today, but I know if I take these pills there might be a chance I wont.” “But you know, today I feel good so I’m not going to take those stupid pills anymore”

These are only few examples of disease process that effect a person “just like us” that require “long term treatment”. Requires a great effort on OUR part to manage and seek balance. There is NO single (or cocktail) of pill that will “fix what we got”. WE are what it takes to fix us.

We all know, just like a diabetics, HTN, Fibromyalgia suffers we need to take our medications “for better or worse”, take care of our bodies with regular exercise, and keep a steady schedule. . We didn’t ask for this any more than the next. But why do we keep screaming out “I quit, I cant do this anymore, why me, to hell with life, look at me I can fly”

So if we have so much control of our lives, why are we letting BP lead the way? Are we not capable of taking our medications regularly, not able to exercise and eat right, set an alarm clock to keep a steady schedule? I believe we all are very capable of managing our lives. Sure we will have set backs, no more than a diabetic will have an off day, or a single stressful situation will raise our blood pressures, or a weather change will make us hurt more. But why are we hating of BP?

By hating on BP we are hating on ourselves.

[ladyjrnlist]

While I say your points are valid in many ways, you overlook an important difference. Those illnesses you mentioned are not diseases of the MIND. When we say we can't take it, or look at me I can fly (which I found kind of insulting) we are often experiencing symptoms of the disease that manifest themselves in emotions. These are not feelings about BP, these are feelings GENERATED BY BP. That's a huge distinction, in my book.

Of course, we can manage this illness as others do with their physical illnesses. I do my best to do all the recommended things.
I think most of us try to do that. If not, we should, as you pointed out.
And for the record, I know several diabetics who hate taking their meds and one who doesn't even do it regularly, so it's not just us BPs who have issues with that either.

[Kymaro]

Ladyjrnlist - Point well taken. "feelings about verses feelings generated" excellent point.

[Moose72]

I never said look at me but I once thought I could fly.

[vjdragonfly]

I agree Kymaro that BP is a disease and we have to take the steps to help control it. Yes we need our medicines like anyone else with a disease. I agree with ladyjrnlist, it is a disease of the mind. Unfortunately our minds are good at deceiving us. We get to feeling better and sometimes think we no longer need the medicine. Yes, logic says different, but some fall off the wagon just like an alcoholic. I have been here long enough to know people who have went through this and the aftermath that lays before them. Sadly some people can't really take it anymore and end there life. BP takes over your life and brings you down no matter how hard you try. It takes alot of time to find the right med cocktail. Then the question is how long will it work. So I don't feel anyone is making excuses or using their BP disorder. I don't feel anyone is hating on BP. We are all here to support each other and help each other on our journey.

[Confusedinomicon]

BP can leave scars that meds, exercise and mindful meditation won't fix. People tend to experience a lot of hurt before they are diagnosed and after it can be overwhelming accepting the diagnosis. Sure you can manage it, but it isn't going to make the underlying hurt go away until you manage to get to the source. Mood stability may be fixed, but it doesn't fix the hurt that BP causes. It's hard to stay on the 'plan' of stability when you have a hard time dealing with life in general. It's easy to be discouraged.

I agree with the others too. I think theres a lot of reason people have problems managing it.

I totally see what you're saying Kymaro, but I can also tell you my dad has high blood pressure, needs to take meds and has had to totally revamp his eating, and he gets angry at it all the time. It's affected his kidneys....half the time he eats bad foods and my mom is furious but he 'feels fine" so he wants to eat what he wants to eat...
i think lots of people who have lots of different illnesses, whether it's BP or even physical illnesses, get frustrated because it sucks to know you have to deal with something for the rest of your life.
Even the stupid migraines I get - I've had to cut out certain foods, perfumes...my favorite food, peanut butter....my life is changed forever and i take maintenance medications just for that....

I don't think we're hating on it - I think we're just frustrated like anybody else who has any other illness. Nobody wants to take meds for the rest of their life, no matter what they are for. Even when we know they are helping us.

[Ryask]

especially meds where the doctors can't even tell you how it works....i mean..they only ever say..we think it does this or that...do you know how scary it is to take a medication when they dont know how it works?...nevermind what it actually does to you..long term who knows?....hell..most of them have a chance to kill you...at least insulin for diabetics or medications for other diseases wont give you weird syndroms that make you shake, weird rashes that look like burns...or even just flat out kill you....

[sugahorse1]

I'm totally with Ladyjrnlist.

By the nature of our disease/disorder, it is our mind that is affected, and not a physical part.
For most of the time, we don't want to say - I give up. This is the consequence of the disease; just like high blood pressure and diabetes present their consequences in a physical manner.
Out moods are the result of our condition-not something we actually have control over

[Tsunamisurfer]

Very good thread with so many valid points about needing to own and manage our problems, and about why it is different from other more purely physical illnesses.

If I recall correctly, the diabetes analogy is a favourite argument used by pharmaceutical companies to give weight to the benefits of medication to treat it. But it does paint an overly simplistic picture of how the illness affects people, and what drugs are expected to achieve in treating it.

For example, people diagnosed with Bipolar disorder frequently experience heightened senses and awareness of emotional dimensions that most people pay scant attention to. Creativity is a significant marker for many bipolar people. Diagnosis and treatment usually focuses on reducing symptoms such as anxiety, delusional thinking, dangerous behaviours, and depressive symptoms. The drugs used frequently squash those positive traits like a bulldozer used to remove the weeds in a delicate bonsai garden.

Many of us experience the pain of treatments that do a rather crude job of helping us cope.

[Kymaro]

such excellent point of views! Everyone of your comments are great insights and have "really made us all think" about what we are experiencing.