broken, shattered -- however you want to put it. I get this gnawing feeling those around me don't even look at me like I'm a human being. I'm "sick". I can't possibly understand how to live like a "normal person" and therefore my suffering is all there is to me. We know living with bipolar isn't easy -- but I can't accept that type of mentality. I'm not less of a person because of my illness. It's not even therapeutic to take the label and somehow let it consume you.

-- I IN NO WAY AM TRYING TO STEP ON ANYONE'S IDEALS OR BELIEFS, BUT I DO WANT TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT WHICH MAY BE A CHARACTER FLAW WITHIN MYSELF. PLEASE, IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, THAT IS FINE, BUT PLEASE LET'S NOT START A WAR --

I never could buy the ideas of the common people or those they used in recovery units for things like drug addiction. "Once an addict, always an addict", "you never really are cured, you're always in recovery". That person is always going to be labeled ADDICT the rest of their life and that label never comes off. In my opinion it is just detrimental. ( I should note I have never been through recovery or have addictions of that nature, so I'm not trying to demean the process of healing or how it works, but from the outside, I always found it cold and disheartening). That's how I feel people view us. BIPOLAR whether managed or not , is this terrible disease that makes us sub-human.

[Also, again, I'm not equating addiction and bipolar, or choice/genetics or anything of that nature... I'm going with the mentality of people here -- The world sees a label, and it never leaves you. It defines you in their eyes and their interactions with you].

But at what point do you just accept it? How much of it is true? Maybe I am not able to thrive on my own. Perhaps I have to be talked down to and belittled, or treated like "Oh, he's sick" and have my opinions and ideas dismissed. Maybe it's only LOGICAL that that happens... or maybe there should be a shift in mindset for both sides of the isle.

Anyway, I'm done with my rant. I just wanted to get that off my chest

[~Christina]

I “ have “ Bipolar but it doesn’t define me. I don’t consider myself sick.

I like everyone on the planet has challenges.

My “ label “ only comes up for my health providers and thats mainly for billing purposes with my insurance company and managing my meds.

“Addicts” are also just a part of who there are. They have a struggle too. Yes they get a “ label” so Doctors are careful about certain meds that can/ could cause a problem with a possible problem of “ seeking” out certain meds/ chemicals.

My Bipolar !? There are many meds I just have to avoid because it can make me Manic and give me out of control anger. Recent steroids for my asthma was making me angry and hateful, but I had to breathe. So it was as short as possible to get me back to breathing easier.

Everyone I know has a label of some kind but it doesn’t define who we are as a human being.