Posted by Chris A. on March 24, 2000, at 1:13:59
In reply to Re: Me? Bipolar?, posted by k.darling on March 23, 2000, at 15:48:31
Why can't we refer to our illness as "an unstable mood disorder?" Let the nosocologists split the hairs. The transition from thinking of myself for years as someone with recurrent major depression to bipolar disorder has been rather traumatic. Somehow the "bipolar" bit made me "sick" or mentally ill in my own eyes. My own stigmatising has probably done as much or more harm as the illness itself. Preaching to the choir: The importance of a proper diagnosis is to get the correct treatment. There are probably a lot of people out there that could benefit from mood stabilizers, but wouldn't want to consider the possibility of a bipolar diagnosis because of the stigma. It is so sad. The attitude seems to be "Anyone can get depressed, but you have to be sick to be bipolar, especially bipolar I."
I wish for you, and all of us, healing. I pray that I'll never be guilty of passing judgement on someone because of a diagnosis - that I'll always see them as a fellow human being first.
Blessings,
Chris A.
poster:Chris A.
thread:27727
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000321/msgs/28004.html