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

Nothing particularly directed at me but then I've just been diagnosed this year and most people I know don't truly understand it. But a few things annoy me, when someone is randomly angry or acting out and another person says "Oh he/she must be bipolar". And I have encountered people that are quick to judge the meds another may or may not be taking and basically dismissing MI as a serious illness.

That I need to be treated with kid gloves

I once got a virus and was so dehydrated my heart rate was 160 so my GP did a straight admit to the Hospital.

I was getting my IV and vitals done and the PA came in to go over my situation.. He looked down to review my meds and saw the "bipolar ones" and took a huge step back ... I was like WTF .. I couldnt even lift my head let alone go attack him.. Sheesh

I did complain to his attending and i got an apology from the PA the next time he came in .... I said why did you assume my sick self could harm you? His reply was he needed to learn more about MI as he was very wrong.

I was grateful the guy seemed sincere..

Stigma from the medical proffession seems the worst to me.

As a practice manager, I'd agree with this statement. You wouldn't believe the comments doctors and the like make to me about patients (not knowing I'm bipolar). It's sad. And they should know better!

Yes except my psych hospital keeps everything locked up except clothes. No way would they let me keep a purse or pills.

IMHO:

This is a foolish statement. Wow, just wow.

I hate the "She must be off her meds." kind of comments. As if I cannot experience douche baggery just because I am bipolar. Some people need to buck up and take responsibility for their action, not everything is related to me being bipolar.

Oh where do I begin... “you’re just high on your meds all day”. Lol I wish.

Or “she can work, she’s just lazy”.

I have family members who think I'm just in a rut and could think my way through it if I tried hard enough. Then there are the usual clueless comments and jokes that society makes. I only share my diagnosis with family and close friends but when it has gotten out to someone there is a slight change in the way they treat me. Finally, I read voraciously and I've noticed it becoming more common that the killer (I love murder/suspense) is bipolar and it's clear the author has absolutely no clue what that means. That tends to irk me.

Believe it or not, I actually carry two when I travel domestically and three internationally. Pdoc has also written me out a sheaf of paper scripts for what I take, and they come along internationally, too. Totes paranoid, but here's how I reason it:

Two sets come with me domestically in zipped cases. One goes buried, hidden low in my carry-on, while one goes on top for convenience in case I need something prn.

The one on the bottom is just basically insurance in case I didn't pack the top one right, or if I spill something and can't pick it back up.

Internationally, I've had issues with grabby customs agents trying to tell me that my pills are not allowed into the country, or that they have to be inspected in some lengthy process that you can't even bribe your way out of.

That's why internationally I do my usual high/low thing with the pills in my carry-on, and I put the sheaf of scripts in the carry-on, too.

I also make sure to check a bag traveling internationally, and I stash a third set of meds in there.

What usually works if a customs guy objects to my meds is that I get real loud, wave the scripts in the air, hold up the line behind me for as long as I can, and he gets disgusted and lets me go. If he still won't give in, I give him the top set of meds and that's usually enough.

What's a real drag is if he gets all mad and wants to search your carry-on completely. He may miss your bottom pills, but if he finds them you have to apologize a ton and say how old they are, and you didn't know they were still there.

It's always worked so far.After you put the poor customs guy through all that hell, last ting he wants to do is check your suitcase.

I've been debating on speaking out on something and for good or bad I can't help myself. I do not wish to offend or call anyone out even if it feels I am.

A lot of the time when someone hears about mental illness it's when someone has murdered their children or shot up a school. But we here know that is an extreme case and not the typical behavior of the average person with the illness. Throughout history, those of us with mental health issues have not been treated in the most healing, compassionate or caring manner despite having a life threatening illness. We have and still do experience barbaric and archaic treatment from professionals and the public. We have, like so many minority's before us come a long way but still have much farther before we arrive at adequate. To achieve Civil Rights, it's taken many very brave men, women, humans. People with the courage to speak out for themselves or their family members. People willing to be open about their struggles, humanize it, put a face to it. It's not always safe to do so......just like with gay rights and people standing up you do put yourself out there for abuse. This doesn't make it right and it shouldn't be accepted as a "what do you expect dummy,.....should have kept it to yourself" kind of thing. Don't ask don't tell is shameful. I'm not brave enough to stand up but I wish I were. I applaud those who do and thank them for their courage. I'm sorry for any harm doing so has brought them.....it should not be expected or accepted. We all have benefits from those who came before us advocating on our behalf.....we should be grateful for these people.....not feeling they get what they deserve for telling the truth.

Beautiful Elsa

My friend thought I would harm her children!

Holy s--t, I didn't expect this many responses! Thank you! It's interesting to see the sort of stigma that other people experience. Sad, but as well as a psychiatric patient, I am as psychology student.

It makes me sad to see and it's f--king mind-blowing to see the dumb s--t people have said and assumed.

This is sad indeed to hear this. I can't say I'm surprised though.

Yes, they SHOULD know better.

Everytime anyone does a horrible crime they are automatically Bipolar .. last week a church shooting happens and it was tagged BP AND BPD

Shame people cant see there are just evil people in the world that have no mental illness, just people that have no value of life for others.

I haven't faced too much stigma, just in the medical arena. One time I broke my toe and all the urgent-care doctor wanted to talk about was my psych history. Other times I've had to tell medical people about my bipolar meds and they wanted to talk about that more than anything else.

I have lost a few friends because of this. They didn't say "Oh, I can't be friends with you anymore because you're bipolar", they just sort of slipped away, out of my life, and didn't respond when I tried to ask them why. I sometimes have to remind myself that they weren't truly friends anyway or they'd have been supportive rather than run the other way.

I have heard the one where they say you are just lazy. You could work if you wanted to. I have had a girl I worked with for a while she became afraid of me when she found out I was bipolar. I had to tell her not all of us are dangerous. The funny thing is I am still friends with her.

I take offence when people come up to me and use the term "people like you"

their's nothing wrong with actually saying the name of the illness.

"people like you" just makes it sound patronizing

I once was asked, if your helusinations were made in to an action movie, what would it be called?

I didn't take kindly to that

also people saying " yeah, I have it I have it," even if they actually don't have the illness, I mean it's mean to people like us who do actually have it.

I have experienced it but have been able to ignore it.
the worst, I think, is the unspoken dynamic that it must be kept secret in some areas of life.

Like for instance, my sons friends families and families on his sports teams. We are with these same people most of the year and its not really their business anyway but if I was to tell them the repercussions would be ugly.
sure not to my face, but in ways like keeping their kids away from me so in turn keeping them away from my son. Shunning if you will.
After recent weeks of having some issues I would really love to tell them
"listen, I understand how I acted and things I said and emails I sent were weird paranoid confusing and offensive but I was having somewhat of a bipolar episode and I'm sorry"
but I cant and it sux

you do well to ignore it

I'd have to say something (depending of course on what it is), I don't think I could ignore it though

I remember once, someone I knew called jake came in to the room while I was suicidal.

he asked me, so why do you feel that way?. what happened?

I just said to him, well, I guess i'm going through a low mood right now, it will probably pass

and he goes.. the nearest cliff is about 20 minits away. want me to drive you?

horrible horrible

I was dismissed from work cause of it

I can't get a job in my chosen field cause no one will hire me duw to me not being able to do 24 hour shifts/nightshifts/sleep in's etc

I can totally relate. I’ve lost my last 3 jobs because I had an episode or locked myself in the bathroom from anxiety. One job told me to “go home and don’t come back until you get some Xanax”. That is no lie! What kind of boss says that.

My first husband told me that people who have MI are just mentally lazy. I divorced him!