What is some of the stigma you've faced due to your bipolar disorder?

What are some assumptions people have made about you, or things people have said to you because of your bipolar disorder? I've faced some things myself, but I'm curious as to what others have experienced.

DW dismissing my objections to her assholery as "an episode."

The biggest stigma I continually face with regard to mental illness is the stigma about medication. "Do you think you'll always have to take it?"..."There are other ways, you know, to deal with symptoms"..."Have you ever considered supplements instead?" And so on. Very frustrating, frightening, and hurtful.

"Hide the knives"
"Are you sure you can ___?"
the worst
"It would be a nice job with more money if I accepted the promotion, but I can't count on you handling more things with the kids. Who knows when you will have an episode?"

IMHO:

It is foolish to reveal a diagnosis to anyone except life long friends and family members whom you are certain will not use it against you.

It baffles me that people tell others their personal business then wonder why they are judged, condemned, stigmatized and thrown to the dogs.

Best wishes!

You are *such* an alcoholic!

I don't tell people, but my employer found out twice. I really freaked out more than they did. Anyway, I don't tell people due to stigma concerns

None, and my dx is no secret.

Not everyone wants or even can hide their mental illness. I can know someone for years....see them daily and not tell them one personal thing about me....to the point they find me weird and intriguing.......or I can be manic, meet someone and tell them the most embarrassing, personal details of my life. It baffles me how some with bipolar cannot wrap their little brains around that.....I'm pretty darned sure I'm far from the only one.

I've had many very terrible experiences with medical professionals who should have known better treating me like a criminal and being very overtly aggressive without warrant. Maybe if I'm feeling better later and less annoyed I will share some.

When I told some freinds, they worked hard to try to get me stop taking my medication. At one time this became a big problem between us. When a close freind and his mother found out, they treated me as though I do not know how to manage my own life and I needed all the help they can give me. This included lectures on eating right, even telling me how to make a salad. This is when I roll my eyes and let it go in one ear and out the other. In both cases they thought they were doing the right thing for me, but there is that stigma associated with my MI that they were responded to. I have had a few situations where when I mentioned that I had BP, they would distance themselves from me. So when someone asks me what I do for a living, I tell them that I am retired.

My employer found out what my diagnosis was due to a hospitalization. A year later, an opportunity for a promotion came up and my manager pulled me aside in a private room after I had applied for it and told me that I didn't get it because he and the other managers were worried that I would be able to handle the added pressure of the more demanding problems the customers would present to me because of - and here's what he said..."you know, your history, your past and well, we don't want to put any extra stress on you. We want to keep you where you are rather than push you and you know, well..."

I was fuming. But there was nothing I could do because it was just the two of us in a room and if I had reported it as discrimination, it would have just been my word against his.

I ended up leaving that job in November anyway and I'm studying professional photography and photojournalism now. Life is much better without that job.

My dad use to hide my meds and my son's meds! I got more grief from giving my son meds then ever anything on me.

The only time I've had a problem was not being taken seriously at a HOSPITAL that I needed my meds. I was admitted through the ER with a bowel blockage. Night time came and they wouldn't let me have my psych meds. I was in such horrendous pain I was actually screaming. It was humiliating. Add to that no benzo to help me calm down, no AD and no seroquel to sleep.

Finally called my husband crying hysterically about 5am and begged him to help me. He came storming in like a raging thunder cloud. I could hear him yelling at the nurses station. They told him "in our opinion she didn't need them, and wouldn't hurt her to be off them few days." He told them either give me my meds or call an ambulance so I can move her to another hospital. I got my meds.

What...the.. f**k?.???? After that I always carry a pill box in my purse in case of emergencies.

What...the.. f**k?.???? After that I always carry a pill box in my purse in case of emergencies.

That's a great idea.

So many people have mentioned to me that I can stop myself from getting depressed and mentioned certain things to me. When I take my medication, work out and eat healthy. Other times I've actually had people call me crazy or an alien.

Another thing that kinda annoys me is when people ask me, so what do you do for work and I'm on disability due to my mood swings and I can only work so many days a week. Then I noticed how they don't really enjoy talking to me once they notice certain things about me. There's times I get frustrated dealing with people. So when I feel really stressed out, I have a good cry and I make sure to do it alone so nobody asks me what's wrong.

When some friends found out of my diagnosis, they tried to have me get off all my medications. I guess they did not believe I needed them. Perhaps they did not want to admit to themselves that I, a friend of theirs, have a MI. I do not know. When a close friend and his mother found out about my dx, they started treating me as though I am no longer capable of managing my life. His mother would lecture me on eating healthy and even go so far as to telling me how to make a salad. At this point my eyes would roll up and I would just let what she was saying go in one ear and out the other. There are those that tell me what do I have to be depressed about. When asked about what I do for work, I tell them I am retired. I do not want to explain to them that I am on disability due to my mood swings.
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People think I'm odd or standoffish but no one knows I'm bipolar.

Sometimes friends made assumptions that someone with Bipolar is just somebody who blows up at any moment and is "happy then sad" all in one day, rather than understanding episodes. I asked them if they knew what mania is to shed light on what Bipolar really is, and they looked at me clueless, so I educated them. At least the few friends I actually listened, but sometimes they still believe the stereotypes that are being spoon fed to them.

It bothers me a lot when people do not take me seriously when I really make an effort to appear that I am having a good time, and they do not understand when I can't help it. The one thing that really bugs me: people constantly thinking there must be a situation that is upsetting me, and that's why I'm depressed, when it's really just an episode. I know it's harmless, but the thing is, it doesn't get through their head when I keep trying to reiterate and explain what it truly means to have Bipolar depression. The mania: super embarrassing, but I kind of stopped caring. Almost.

People will play therapist with me, thinking it must be "this or that" when I'm depressed, but it's not. They think depression automatically means you are just unhappy about something and that's it. I know a lot of people aren't coming from a place of hate or wanting to be intentionally judgmental, but I've encountered a lot of close mindedness, nevertheless. Sometimes it is overt (like my mother, who seems to just see it as a sign of weakness), and other times it's more discreet.

I am happy that many here have had little problems with revealing their diagnosis to people who do not need to know.

Some of us with BPD have been grossly abused and taken advantage of.

It is true that many cannot appear "normal" at all times and obviously everyone will know you have a mental illness if you have to go to hospital. It was impossible for me to hide it for 11 years.

By grace, I have been able to get past the chaos and I have no reason to share that part of my life unless I feel someone needs to know.

What people tell others about themselves is a personal choice and as with all choices we live with the consequences.

don't get too close to her, don't touch her.. if you do, you'll be messed up for life because you'll get her illness.

you deserve to be locked away. bipolar people can't have lives and make decisions

you're lazy and your house is probably filthy, and I bet you don't shower either.

you couldn't even look after a pet rock

you're uninteligent

you're controled by satan (I have also had you are controled by demons)

I have also had by my family..

bipolar people can't have families. you'd do better without us

and the obvious turning away when you say to someone your diagnoses

I don't face too much that is directed specifically at me. My immediate family knows, but I tend to just get quiet around them when I am in an episode. A few people at work know, but half of them are bipolar too.

The worst I get is "are you still taking your meds?" when I'm depressed from my family. My son will say stuff like, "you can't help it, your bipolar" about certain things. He's young and doesn't fully understand, but he is trying.

Now at work, people say a lot of stigma related comments, but they are not directed at me.

I've never had it directed at me... But the stupid jokes and comments coming from the so-called *normals* are very irritating...

I had what I considered at the time a friend with depression. She refused to take meds though. When I told her I was on meds and wanted to get off them, she basically said I needed them because without them I'm dangerous.