Latest Posts by bipolaruchiha - Page 3

this is so petty but i hate how bipolar is treated like one of the big scary disorders but never talked about as one. people on here will talk about ending the demonization of ‘scary disorders’ like personally disorders and schizophrenia and did but not include bipolar despite being seen and treated by the general public as a ‘scary’ disorder. I had a mental health advocate tell me bipolar doesn’t count because it’s a mood disorder and therefor treated the same as gad and depression and i just. have you met a bipolar? listened to our symptoms? have you listened to doctors talk about us? our abuse rates? our suicide and alcoholism rates? the distain the public has for us? just include us in your positivity and advocacy please. im not asking for much

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

Simone Biles saying “Mental health is more important than sports” on the biggest platform she could have possibly done it from is why she’s incredible, actually

I-d

Why do we love to pathologise normal behaviour online?

By reducing nuances of mental health to sweeping statements, social media might actually be leading to over-diagnosis.

Did you enjoy reading as a child? I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the cherished hours you spent reading Harry Potter books were actually just your body’s way of dissociating in an uncomfortable environment (also RIP to your idea of JK Rowling as a decent person). Do you sometimes forget to text your friends back? It’s probably, definitely, because of a past trauma, and certainly not the natural result of a culture in which we are expected to be socially available at all times. Better get a therapist on the line! Do you struggle to concentrate at your office job, where you spend eight hours a day performing boring tasks in front of a screen? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there’s probably something immutably wrong with the chemicals in your brain. 

As far as the internet is concerned, just about everything you do might be evidence of a troubling pathology. Social media can undeniably be a great resource for people experiencing mental illness, alongside people who have ADHD, and people who fall somewhere along the autism spectrum. A condition like ADHD, for example, is still said to be underdiagnosed (particularly among women) and raising awareness about this might bring people to a diagnosis they sorely need. But as with many things online, there is a downside to a free, entirely unregulated flow of information. 

This is good. It talks about capitalism too.

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 

your bare minimum isn’t actually that bare or minimum. my dad once told me that there’s nothing in this world that’s easy and that’s true tbh. everything we do takes energy, time, and effort. even the little things. if you feel like you’re not doing enough please try to think about your circumstances and what’s currently available to you: chances are, there’s something that’s diverting or otherwise draining you. and to pull away from that and get something done regardless? well, i think that’s really admirable! please try to take pride in the things you do accomplish in a day, no matter how small or trifling you perceive them to be. you can’t be proud of your growth if you don’t notice where you already are!

i have never met an unpsychotic person who knows what it actually means to “not encourage the delusion” …not a single one

EDUCATE YOURSELVES: chronic illness edition

this is important! chronically ill people get a lot of shit from healthy people and this could be avoided if everyone knew a little more about chronic illnesses in general so i’ve made a list of things healthy people (and newly chronically ill people) can read in order to know more about chronic illness and how it affects our lives!

some general information and must-reads:

the spoon theory (aka: why we call ourselves “spoonies”)

a sudden illness - laura hillenbrand

young and disabled by rachel anne

harmful tropes in literature

13 things people with chronic illnesses want you to know

a blog by people with chronic conditions

brief explanations of some chronic illnesses:

chronic fatigue syndrome (ME)

crohn’s disease

fibromyalgia + AMPS

ehlers-danlos syndrome - hypermobility type

ehlers-danlos syndrome - all types

CRPS/RSD (complex regional pain syndrome

IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)

POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome)

dysautonomia

rheumatoid arthritis

lupus

autoimmune diseases

hashimoto’s disease

addison’s disease

endometriosis

depression (most people with chronic illnesses develop depression)

anxiety

bipolar disorder

and i’m running out of spoons but there are many, many more so spoonies, feel free to reblog add some if you want!

things to keep in mind:

although it says in many descriptions that most people who are diagnosed are over a certain age, anyone at any age can develop a chronic illness, and many are teenagers or even children. don’t tell a chronically ill person that we are “too young to be this sick” because it’s an ignorant thing to say and it’s harmful to us.

many chronic illnesses are invisible illnesses, which means that you cannot tell that a person is sick just by looking at them. never say to a chronically ill person that we “don’t look sick” because it is harmful and annoying, even if you mean well.

some spoonies need to use wheelchairs, canes, or other forms of assistance/ accommodations, so please never express doubt that a person might need this assistance. it’s impolite and insensitive. just because someone looks perfectly fine doesn’t mean that they don’t have a chronic illness that requires the use of a wheelchair or other assistance.

many chronic illnesses aren’t terminal but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a real problem. chronic illnesses are robbing us of their normal lives and we are living in pain because there is so much that doctors still don’t know about chronic illnesses. many spoonies have had doctors look us in the eyes and say “i don’t know how to help you” because there is so much research that needs to be done and there isn’t enough funding! so donate to organizations and hospitals who are raising money for research!

thank you for reading this! please reblog and spread awareness! thank you!

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 )

OP what.is.mental.illness [Instagram]

if you’re a mentally ill adult, especially if you’re psychotic or have bipolar, i highly recommend you look into getting a psychiatric advance directive. basically they’re a form you can fill out where you can specify what kind of treatment you want and don’t want in the case that you ever get legally declared incompetent. normally, getting declared incompetent means that psychiatrists take away your right to make decisions about your mental health care. for example, they can force you to take medications you don’t want or institutionalize you longterm without your consent. also the state appoints someone they choose to legally “consent” in your place.

what a psychiatric advance directive does is put limits on what the psychiatrists assigned to you can do. you can appoint your own person to be your legal representative, someone you trust who knows you and cares about you. you can also specify what hospitals you don’t want to be sent to or what doctors you don’t want to see or medications you don’t want to take or whether or not you consent to electroconvulsive treatment. you can also say what you do want, like i put down that they decided to institutionalize me, i wanted it to be at a specific psych ward i’d already been to and had a not terrible time at. and now, if i ever get declared incompetent, psychiatrists are legally not allowed to put me back on the meds that gave me a seizure. 

nobody wants to be legally declared incompetent. it’s really scary to think about, but it does happen, especially to people with psychosis or bipolar disorder. it’s better to have legal safeguards in place ahead of time and not need them than to get declared incompetent and not have an advance directive

Things that don’t make you a bad person:

Displaying “scary” symptoms of mental illness

Being diagnosed with multiple disorders

Having one or various personality disorders

Being diagnosed with NPD, BPD, or ASPD

Having very low empathy, or no empathy

Having symptoms that cause anger, emptiness, or paranoia

Having triggers or “strange” personal boundaries

Needing extra help or accommodations

Having intrusive thoughts about upsetting or scary topics

My face is having uncontrollable spasms. Great. It hurts really, really, really bad.

I think part of why I have trouble explaining pain to the doctor is when they ask about the pain scale I always think “Well, if someone threw me down a flight of stairs right now or punched me a few times, it would definitely hurt a lot more” so I end up saying a low number. I was reading an article that said that “10” is the most commonly reported number and that is baffling to me. When I woke up from surgery with an 8" incision in my body and I could hardly even speak, I was in the most horrific pain of my life but I said “6” because I thought “Well, if you hit me in the stomach, it would be worse.”

Credit: Ashley McMinn

Even if you don't think/know that you have [disorder] (or even if you know you don't!) you're allowed to use coping strategies meant for or associated with that disorder. You can use ADHD tips for your poor memory. You can stim even if you're not autistic (stimming has a lot of overlap between disorders honestly). You can use chronic fatigue tips if you have depression. You're not stealing resources. If it helps you, it helps you, whether you were the target audience or not

if you feel like your bipolar doesnt present in the same way as other people’s its okay. 

if you feel like you dont relate to other people with bipolar disorder its okay.

if you feel like you dont experience symptoms that you “should” or you do experience symptoms that you “shouldnt” its okay.

youre not secretly faking. 

bipolar disorder is a complex mental illness that wont look the same on everyone. whatever it looks like on you is a normal way for bipolar disorder to look. you’re valid and loved and welcome in our community. 

Hi! I’ve been diagnosed with BP2 just today, I will start with the meds tomorrow and I am looking for friendly blogs to follow.

I am new to everything and don't even know what I need but your blog looks nice 🙊 also, what is your propic? Is it a pride flag? Does BP have one?

Looking for advices as someone completely new on the matter! 🙈

welcome to the community! im glad you found my blog helpful and if theres ever anything i can do to help just let me know! As for your questions:

some friendly blogs to follow

@lumberjackloving // @bipolstar // @bxpolar // @bipolarbotany // @bipolarpng // @basicbipolarbitch // @actuallybipolar2 // @hypomania-dreams // @bipolarblueberries // @bipolarbuttercup // @lamiictal // @bipolar2andbpd // @bipolarmoss // @bipolar-type-2-confessions //

and @compassionatereminders, @positiveautistic, and @recoverystuff aren’t bipolar specific but they are my favorite reovery/positivity blogs!

that should get you started!

My profile pic

My profile pic is indeed the flag that I made for Bipolar Disorder! It’s a redesign of a slightly more popular flag which can be found here.

Some Advice

Comply with your meds! If you have a problem, speak to your psychiatrist, don’t just go off of them yourself, it can be dangerous.

Set a regular sleep schedule. sleeping too much or too little can induce or worsen depression or hypomania so going to bed and waking up the same time every day is a good idea.

Try tracking your mood with an app like Daylio or Bearable, that way you can see patterns and swings at a glance

Just like winter can cause depression in people without bipolar, spring can bring hypomania in those with bipolar. Just a heads up since spring is right around the corner

Blue light, the kind of light phones and computers give off, can cause your brain to stop making melatonin, the sleep chemical. That can cause or worsen hypomania during spring time so consider using an app or program designed to block the blue light from around 6pm until you go to bed during springtime.

your symptoms might not look exactly like other people’s symptoms and that is absolutely okay. bipolar presents in different ways for everyone. dont worry about faking or ‘doing it wrong’

make some friends in the community! this community has made me feel a lot better about my diagnosis. its a very welcoming and friendly group of people! Welcome, and congrats on a diagnosis <3

a seemingly homemade shirt

found in a goodwill in Columbia, Kentucky

somewhere around 60% of bipolarians are unemployed, and bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world so here is a reminder that youre not alone. your worth is inherent and not linked to how well you can do a job. you have worth because you are alive not because you are able to produce labor for someone else. happy disability pride month to all the bipolarians who don’t or can’t have a job. I’m proud of you. 

and for those who do work, 88% of bipolarians surveyed said that bipolar disorder affected their ability to perform at work, so if you work and struggle, here is a reminder that you’re not alone. I recognize the struggles you face, from those caused directly by your illness, to discrimination, to working hard to appear “normal,” your efforts dont go unnoticed. your worth isnt defined by how well you do your job, either. happy disability pride month to all the bipolarians who struggle through their work but still manage to get it done. I’m proud of you, too. 

Leia Organa - Bipolar Pride

“I’m not crazy- That bitch is!” - Carrie Fisher

(bipolar pride flag by @bipolarings !)

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. 

Fuck you *hypos your mania*

I literally cannot overstate how important creative hobbies are when dealing with mental illness. If you can’t draw, there are coloring books. If you can’t write a novel, you can write in short journaling bursts. If you can’t sing in the shower, you can listen to music. Sometimes with mental illness it feels like we have this dark presence inside of us that is bumping around in our brain and organs, causing problems. It helps immensely to let it out.

I found this table describing two different ways bipolar disorder can present, classic and atypical. It’s interesting because while we talk more about the classic presentation, the atypical presentation is actually more common (it was discovered second, hence the name) 

The most interesting thing to me personally is while many with bipolar disorder will fully recover between episodes, many won’t–they will experience subsyndromal symptoms. which is why i, and possibly many of you too, find myself in a sort of depression lite™️ even when im not in a full-on episode. 

Here’s a video that goes over the chart and explains the difference between the two and a little bit of the history behind their discovery. 

I haven’t seen anyone talk about this on tumblr, so I thought I’d bring it up. It‘s not diagnostic material, but psychologists do use these terms when deciding what medication will (probably) best treat your specific case, with the classic presentation responding better to lithium and atypical responding better to anticonvulsants and atypical antipsychotics 

isn’t that neat? 

reminders for dealing with intrusive thoughts:

you are not your intrusive thoughts, they don't make you an awful person (i promise)

your fear and disgust towards your intrusive thoughts shows you acknowledge that those things are bad, therefore you'd most likely never act on them

you are not dangerous or disgusting or "insane"

you are not alone

it will be okay

your loved ones will be okay

you will be okay

A while ago, I made up the word bipolarian to mean someone with bipolar disorder.

There's nothing wrong with "people with bipolar disorder." But it takes a lot of characters, and sounds too much like person-first language.

Bipolarian amuses me because it sounds like "planarian." Cut our heads in half, and we'll become one body ruled by two heads. Seems appropriate.

Here's a plushie two-headed planarian. Aww, such a cutie

i talk a lot of shit for someone who has to take 6 pills a day so they dont blow their brains out