Facts and Myths about Bipolar Disorder.
1. Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness with a biological cause.
2. Bipolar means you alternate between depression and mania.
3. Bipolar affects between 1% and 5% of the total population.
4. Bipolar disorder cannot be cured.
5. Bipolar disorder can be treated, sometimes with success, other times not.
6. Bipolar has the highest successful suicide rate for any group of people at 25%
7. Diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle can assist with bipolar but it will not cure it.
8. Someone with bipolar can be triggered into a certain state by external influences.
9. Co-morbidity is often present with multiple disorders including addiction.
10. Medication can take up to 4 weeks to have an effect.
11. Electro convulsive treatment is still used to treat bipolar disorder. Sometimes with success, other times not.
12. Bipolar is considered a serious medical condition.
13. Bipolar Disorder is not the same as major depression – mania has to be present in bipolar disorder as well as depression.
14. Bipolars are not legally insane – they can study, own property, sign contracts and make all their own decisions.
15. Bipolars often have difficulty in relationships due to stigma and misunderstanding.
16. Manic and depressive phases can last from a few minutes to several years.
17. Mixed states means that a person can have both mania and depression at the same time.
18. Rapid cycling means a person cycles between mania and depression in a short period of time.
19. Some bipolars experience psychosis, a state where they lose contact with reality and have hallucinations. Not all bipolars experience this.
20. The mood stabilizers that are used to treat bipolar are often anti-seizure medications. This does not mean bipolars get seizures.
21. Bipolars can be high functioning and live full, happy and productive lives.
22. Bipolars are often very lonely.
23. Loud and sharp noises as well as bright light can trigger a bipolar.
24. Not all bipolars can work due to severe anxiety, depression or mania. Some however can work full time.
25. It has been suggested but not proven that bipolars have high intelligence and are very creative.
26. There is no conclusive evidence what causes bipolar.
27. Bipolar is recognized by all leading medical universities and is included thoroughly in the DSM-V
28. Bipolar disorder is usually treated by a Psychiatrist.
29. When a person has both bipolar and schizophrenia its called a separate disorder namely schizoaffective disorder.
30. Bipolar and manic depression is the same thing, its not two separate disorders.
31. Rapid cycling, mixed states and psychosis are not types of bipolar, they are symptoms.
32. There are 4 types of Bipolar namely Bipolar 1 (with mania), Bipolar 2 (with hypo-mania), Bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) and Cyclothymic disorder.
33. Bipolar 3, 4 and soft bipolar is not recognized by the DSM-V and should not be used.
34. Bipolar medication has from a few to a lot of side effects that range from light to severe.
35. It can take several years to get a proper diagnosis as someone with bipolar.
36. Bipolar 2 is not less severe than bipolar 1.
1. Bipolar is a choice.
2. Bipolars can “snap out of it”
3. Bipolar disorder can be faked.
4. Bipolar disorder is demonic possession.
5. Medication will always help.
6. All bipolars are hyper sexed.
7. Bipolars are insane.
8. Bipolar cannot be treated.
9. Bipolars have no accountability.
10. Bipolars are prone to criminal behaviour.
11. Bipolars cannot function in society.
12. Bipolars cannot take care of themselves.
13. Bipolars cannot work.
14. Online testing can diagnose a person.
15. You will outgrow bipolar.
16. Children cannot have bipolar.
17. Its easy to diagnose bipolar.