Things That Don’t Make You A Bad Person:

some e-cards you can send to help with distance communication ♡ free to use privately, if you’d like to repost them publicly please credit! 

i feel like a fake bipolarian bc it feels like my episodes DO match that cartoony "mood shifts in a couple of seconds" instead of gradually shifting over the course of weeks. it feels like i have no stability i'm either depressed or hypomanic.

It's completely normal to question your diagnosis--I did for many many months following mine. The most important piece of advice i can give you is to speak to your doctor if you feel like you've been misdiagnosed. I can't diagnose you, all I can do is tell you my personal experience.

in my experience, though, there could be explanations for how you feel while still being a "real" bipolarian!

"my episodes DO match that cartoony "mood shifts in a couple of seconds" instead of gradually shifting over the course of weeks."

this is called emotional lability. one explanation is, actually, hypomania. it's not a symptom spoken about frequently, but hypomania can cause intense and frequent mood swings, including intense sadness that mimics the hopelessness we see in depression. it is one of the reasons hypomanic people are often misdiagnosed with bpd. 

another explanation is mixed episodes, not just feeling both at the same time, but switching from one to the other over the course of days or within a day. I think there's a misconception that mixed episodes aren't very common. talking to other bipolar people, i think they are pretty common, and this will lead me into this next point,

"it feels like i have no stability i'm either depressed or hypomanic."

this is normal in bipolar disorder! These are called sub-syndromal symptoms. between episodes, some bipolarians experience symptoms regardless of not being in a full-blown episode, and it can feel like you're never really stable.

That being said, if you experience frequent mixed states and sub-syndromal symptoms, two traits common in atypical bipolar disorder, its completely possible to feel the way you feel!

Again, I cannot tell if you are Really bipolar through an ask on the internet, and if you feel that you have been misdiagnosed, please speak with your doctor! They will know more than a blogger on tumblr dot com. But as far as I Know, these are normal bipolarian experiences. 

I hope this helps, I hope you figure it out soon, and I hope you’re well! <3 

friendly reminder that bipolar ii isnt the “easy,” “soft,” or “lesser” bipolar disorder. just because we dont experience full-on mania doesn’t mean our experiences are somehow invalid. 

hypomania has the power to ruin relationships. 

depression has the power to ruin lives. 

we end up hospitalized for depression. 

we’re more likely to rapid cycle and contrary to popular belief, our depression can cause psychosis 

our suffering is real and cant be discounted solely because we experience a lesser form of mania. 

adulthood really does hit you like a fucking truck when you spent all of your teenage years thinking you were gonna kill yourself eventually,

a seemingly homemade shirt

found in a goodwill in Columbia, Kentucky

As it was requested by quite a few people, I made a Venn Diagram showing the overlapping symptoms of ADHD and PTSD. I really hope this helps!

( click here for other diagrams )

the idea that meds/therapy can’t fix problems caused by situational/societal issues can coexist with the idea that meds and therapy can be very helpful for many people and shouldn’t be demonized or presented as useless for risk of scaring people away that might really benefit

for my fellow psychotics who struggle with thinking someone is in their house, a method I’ve found that really works are these guys:

i put them on my front door and anytime it opens they ring. that way if i think someone has broken in or i see someone who isn’t there i can think back to if the bells have rung, and if they haven’t i can assure myself it’s not real. obviously it’s not fool proof, like if you are prone to auditory hallucinations, but it has really helped me calm down in time to avoid major psychotic breaks. it’s a real lifesaver

nonpsychotics encouraged to rb

YOU are Bipolar!

This ADHD and Autism Venn Diagram was requested even more highly than the ADHD and PTSD diagram, and I finally got round to making it…

(Click here to see other diagrams)