World Bipolar Day
Bipolar disorder is fairly common and one in every 100 adults.
Bipolar disorder is fairly common and one in every 100 adults will be diagnosed with the condition at some point in their life. Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it often develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40.
There are plenty of people who have developed bipolar disorder and gone on to live extraordinary lives. Here are just a few…
About Bipolar
Bipolar I (Manic Depressive) disorder is a mental disorder characterized by persistent and/or unusual mood swings can lower an individual’s quality of life.
Bipolar II disorder is not a milder form of bipolar I disorder, but a separate diagnosis. While the manic episodes of bipolar I disorder can be severe and dangerous, individuals with bipolar II disorder can be depressed for longer periods, which can cause significant impairment with substantial consequences.
Bipolar in the Media
Silver Linings Playbook is by far one of the most accurate depictions of bipolar disorder within a familial system and how it affects relationships, and men and women alike.
But that doesn't mean Bipolar is properly represented in the media.
Christine Anderson, a mental health advocate living with bipolar II disorder and a content director for Integrity Counseling Group in San Diego, speaks to how bipolar disorder is negatively represented within culture, partially due to the lack of discussion about the condition.
“Most people have some experience with anxiety or depression, whether it’s personal or someone they know,” Anderson says.
“But because bipolar isn’t talked about openly, there’s a lot of misunderstanding and even fear about the condition. People with bipolar have fairly [typical] lives in between episodes, but we get reduced to what we’re like at the extremes — either manic or depressed.”
Bipolar IRL
With the expansion social media and the "great mental health awakening" brought on by the pandemic, we're not getting to see IRL depictions and understandings of Bipolar Disorder and those are are affected by the disorder.
This is significant because it allows neurotypical people to truly see and understand Bipolar and reflect on the positives of the disorder rather than the deeply negative aspects of the disorder typical media outlets like to home in on.
There is still a long way to go in normalizing Bipolar Disorder and bringing about more awareness, BUT I think we're heading in the right direction, just maybe not as fast as most people in the Bipolar community would like.
What you can do
Publically call out misrepresentations and stigmas against the disorder
If you're Bipolar, be honest with those around you about the reality of living with the disorder
Stand by your bipolar friends - support them, love them, defend them
Donate to Bipolar Foundations
Support Bipolar Creators on social media
Demand protections for Bipolar people.
Famous People Living/Lived With Bipolar Disorder
Carrie Fischer - “At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of.”
Russell Brand - Brand has been diagnosed with ADHD and bipolar disorder. He often references being bipolar in his performances and writing.
Vincent Van Gogh - “ The tortured artist, Vincent Van Gogh, is believed to have suffered from bipolar disorder, creating some of his work during manic states.
The American Journal of Psychiatry examined a number of historical texts, including his own letters, in coming to this conclusion.
Catherine Zeta Jones - Zeta-Jones has been public about being bipolar and has been an advocate for de-stigmatizing mental illness, hoping she can inspire people to seek treatment.
Demi Lovato - Lovato said she wants women to know that “it’s possible to live well, feel well, and also find happiness with bipolar disorder or any other mental illness they’re struggling with.”
Buzz Aldrin - Following his historic trip to the moon, American astronaut Buzz Aldrin struggled with bipolar disorder. As the pilot of the first successful moon landing, Aldrin was quickly brought to fame. The intense scrutiny of the public eye triggered his depression and alcoholism.
Selena Gomez - In 2018, Gomez went into a psychosis and checked into a treatment center. There, she was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Gomez began hearing voices in 2018, in the thick of her Revival tour, but, according to the documentary, she didn’t know what was happening. Her assistant, Theresa, said that the singer was “hearing all of these voices, and they just kept getting louder and louder and louder.” She was was eventually taken to a treatment center for psychosis.
Virgina Woolf - Her disorder was strongly related to her family background. Moreover, Virginia Woolf was sexually molested by her half siblings for nine years. Her bipolar disorder symptoms presented a pernicious course, associated with hospitalizations, suicidal behavioral, and functional impairment. The examination of Virgina Woolf's biography and art can provide clinicians with important insights about the course of bipolar disorder.
Winston Churchill - Churchill’s doctor, Lord Moran, wrote in his memoir “Winston Churchill: The Struggle for Survival” that he had diagnosed the prime minister with bipolar disorder. Despite his battles, or perhaps because of it, Churchill was a man of immense accomplishments.
Florence Nightingale - Florence heard voices and experienced a number of severe depressive episodes in her teens and early 20s -- symptoms consistent with the onset of bipolar disorder. Nightingale was hailed as a national heroine, and she raised nursing to a respectable profession for women.
References:
https://www.thecut.com/2022/11/selena-gomez-on-bipolar-disorder-in-my-mind-and-me-doc.html
https://olympiahouserehab.com/celebrities-with-bipolar/
https://summitmalibu.com/blog/famous-people-and-celebrities-with-bipolar-disorder/
https://psychcentral.com/bipolar/media-portrayal-bipolar-disorder#negative-portrayals