[Merlin]

This post is to gauge the general interest for a sub-forum focusing on Type II Bipolar Disorder.

[99fairies]

I'm from Alberta too!

[BipolaRNurse]

Maybe we bipolar 1 folks need our own sub-forum too, if you're going to segregate the membership on this forum like that.

[Merlin]

Maybe it would be a good idea to have sub-forums for both. The personality disorders forum has sub-forums for each of the different disorders, the depression forum has a sub-forum for postpartum depression and the PTSD forum has sub-forums for complex PTSD and combat PTSD. Having sub-forums has not eliminated the usage of the main forums.

It would be contradictory to the forum name not to have one

[Pookyl]

Yes I’d like to see a sub forum for Type 2 but only if there is one for Type 1.
Thanks.

[~Christina]

Seems to me that many people would not learn new things about there Bipolar whether they are I or II

I have learned a lot from II’s

I think the across the board support we already have would suffer if it was split up.

Why segregate it ? Seems to me it would cause stigma by having it split that way.

So I have BPI can I post on the II forum? Or do I need to stay in my own lane???

I think it’s a terrible idea , but this is my opinion of course.

Creating it wouldn't force me to only read stories from there alone. I'm type two and I post in the general section of type one. So having it would obviously be beneficial for type two and anyone who's dating one.

My neighbours are having a party next door that's a riot

[scatterbrained04]

I don't know that I'd like sub-forums personally. I think not having them is part of what keeps this forum so active. I've learned a lot and received a lot of support from our BP1 folks. BP1 and BP2 are similar enough that I don't feel sub-forums are necessary.

[Wild Coyote]

I live with BP II and I don't want the community split up. This forum is a strong, compassionate community as it now stands.

I have been reading all of the threads/posts. This division idea was first proposed recently by two members who allege they are discriminated against because they have a diagnosis of Bipolar II. (Merlin was not involved in the thread/comments to which I am referring.)

I live with Bipolar II. I have never been treated poorly or encountered any discrimination because I have a Bipolar II diagnosis and I have been very active in the forum. If there was discrimination because of diagnosis I would have encountered such. I saw the threads/posts and the issues/opinions were not based upon diagnoses, as in BPI vs. BPII.

I feel strongly a couple of recently upset people are trying to break up the community. I am sorry they are upset; however, splitting the community is not the answer. If they are unhappy here, please leave the community instead of trying to divide the community.

I strongly believe that those of us knowing this community well also know the compassion and support we all show across the board, regardless of diagnoses, and will desire to keep the community just as it has been.

We all need one another. Most of us realize this.

Let's stay together!


WC

I don't see what the big thing is, but we do have a section for phobias!...

YES YOU

I like having everyone together. I'd like to articulate a well thought out response but it's 530am and I'm tired. Lol. Count me on team stay together though.

[wildflowerchild25]

I agree with wild coyote. In my opinion (I’ve been here five years) this forum has never been strictly a bp 1 forum. There are a LOT of members with bp 2.

I also think that the diagnosis is so fluid that there’s no point in splitting it up. I personally was dx’ed bp 2 at first. Then a hospital dr dx’ed me bp 1 due to mixed episodes. Now that mixed episodes are part of bp 2 as well (according to the new DSM), my new pdoc thinks more bp 2 because I don’t do reckless things when hypomanic and therefore probably don’t really get fully manic. So which subforum should I post in?

If posts won’t be moved all over the place then maybe I can support it, but if the mods are going to have to move posts about hypomania over to the bp 2 forum and vice versa, then I don’t support the idea.

[Moreta]

I don't think it should be split up. I've been here since 2009 and this forum has been just fine with it all being together. BP I and BP II is close in what happens, one just happens to have more mania and the other one just happens to have more depression. If we're splitting up into subforums can we have a BP in remission one too. :P

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by Moreta

I don't think it should be split up. I've been here since 2009 and this forum has been just fine with it all being together. BP I and BP II is close in what happens, one just happens to have more mania and the other one just happens to have more depression. If we're splitting up into subforums can we have a BP in remission one too. :P

Not having BP, my vote doesn't matter at all, hence I did not vote. Just some perspective though: I think Mo's idea of a BP in remission is a great idea. Although maybe a whole subforum isn't necessary at this point, just a thread could be started.

I try and look at different forums, even if I don't have a Dx in that because I learn things and also can offer general support. I agree with Wild Coyote's analysis of the current situation and I will also add that what I have noticed as an observer is that this seems an attempt to segregate the community rather than meet a more specific need. I have noticed a lot of "get off my thread" or "you don't have my Dx so you don't know" comments lately. This is very invalidating and if someone were to post in the new BP2 forum and get this response, it would be very upsetting.

If a new subforum is being created is it because members have a specific need for that forum to discuss solely those issues or is it an attempt to segregate out members they don't want to be able to contribute?

Seesaw

Nah. I prefer to chat with people of all BP types. Besides, you'd need subforums for BP 1, BP 2, BP NOS, cyclothymia, etc etc, and who knows what else. And the decision for splitting things up would be subjective, not objective, despite the DSM 5 criteria. It'd get really, really confusing, and I don't know if I'd post at all because I wouldn't know what to do. Do I only post in the BP 1 forum, or do I also offer support for people in the BP 2 forum? And what would I even say to people who are in the BP NOS category? I want to talk to everybody, even if the forums are split. But if I consider the case where i wasn't confused, i wouldn't give a crap about the few people who complain about people posting "in the wrong forum" because I'd post anyway.

[leomama]

Fascinating. Did these kind of discussions happen in the ptsd and personality disorder forums? This definitely points to something unique about this forum.

[jacky8807]

I dont know whats fascinating but i do know the majority would not benefit and does not want seperate forums. I have been on this board a long time and have never saw a problem until now. Never

[*Laurie*]

No.

Originally Posted by scatterbrained04

I don't know that I'd like sub-forums personally. I think not having them is part of what keeps this forum so active. I've learned a lot and received a lot of support from our BP1 folks. BP1 and BP2 are similar enough that I don't feel sub-forums are necessary.

I completely agree with scatterbrained04 on this.

I think I've noticed perhaps a few more members with bp1 here, but not many more. I, personally, don't notice that many threads that seem too focused on a bp1 experience. When there are, couldn't it be interesting for people with other bp types? Ditto with the other way around.

Though some people with bp1 do not always spend as much time in depression as people with bp2, they do often still spend more time in depressive states than manic. Also, many or even most people with bp1 know what hypomanias are very well. I think only some people with bp1 go from stable (or depressed) directly to full blown manic without a period of hypomania. I have bp1 and have spent extended periods in hypomanias before becoming full blown manic. I've also at times been hypomanic without it going full blown. Given that, how are we that that different?

I have spent many years at bipolar support groups that we're primarily visited by people with bp2. I always received lots of support, despite having bp1 and made friends with various members. I've given support to others, too. When someone with bp2 writes about depression, I understand. When they write about hypomanias, I understand. Mixed states, I understand, even if my mixed states have usually leaned to the full blown manic side.

Oh well, it would be admins decision really. I look forward to discussing other topics with everyone, but me staying subscribed to this would only give me psychosis. Wow I need sleep....

[liveforsummer]

I kinda like it the way it is. That’s just my input.

I'm back after more sleep and some coffee. While bipolar 1 and 2 present different challenges, we do share a lot of common ground. Psychiatry visits, therapy, medication, certain symptoms, the stigma, etc. Support is good.

In comparison to the personality disorder boards, they are divided and each is quite slow. Additionally personality disorders are very different. I have a friend with antisocial personality disorder and his concerns are totally different from mine with borderline personality disorder.

I think if people with a specific type of bipolar want to have their own thread, that's great. Otherwise I really think we are all in this together. Much love to all bipolar types.

[Nammu]

Bipolar is along a spectrum to start randomly dividing the line when even the so called experts can't agree on where on this line people are placed is just an awesome unnecessary complication. Especially when it was brought about by some random new person who just wants total agreement and doesn't want people to have the various voices that make the BP forum so unique.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm not in a place where I can make a coherent statement so I'll just say that I agree completely with Wild Coyote and Scatterbrained. It seems like a horrible idea to me that would eventually ruin the forum. .