Post by Mea on Jan 7, 2016 5:08:43 GMT
Bipolar
“This weather is so bipolar!” “My friend is so bipolar!” Did you know that “bipolar” the word is not an adjective? Write it down. It’s not an adjective. P.S. That’s not even what that word means. Game Over. Try again.
Bipolar: What everyone seems to think it means.
Holy ableism, batman! It’s almost like emotions aren’t consistent over time! It’s almost like humans have an entire spectrum of emotions they can feel at any given time! “You’re so bipolar!” Way to shut someone down and reduce their experiences to a misused vocabulary word. Congratulations. No gold star for you. It also goes to show that you apparently think a diagnosis of a mental disorder somehow makes someone’s decisions and emotions less valid, if you’re going to use “bipolar” as a way of shutting someone down. Reevaluate yourself, please.
What does it actually mean to be bipolar then? Well, there are actually two types of bipolar disorder! There is bipolar Type I and Type II. Bipolar is mainly defined by someone who experiences manic and/or hypomanic episodes, and possibly depressive episodes. Here is the handy dandy checklist, courtesy of yours truly, which covers both types of bipolar disorder.
The easy difference is that Bipolar I involves manic episodes, while not requiring the experience of hypomanic or major depressive episodes, can still have them. Bipolar II requires the presence of both hypomanic and major depressive, but does not include manic episodes at all. If a manic episode is experienced, it’s Bipolar I by definition.
As you may have noticed in the link, hypomanic and manic episodes are incredibly similar! There is one simple difference between them. Manic episodes may involve psychosis and may also require hospitalization. Hypomanic episodes do not.
How does one define psychosis? It means the person has lost some touch with reality, and they may experience hallucinations, delusions, and/or disorganized speech and behavior.
The weather, as it happens, does not experience manic episodes, or even major depressive episodes. The weather is not a single functioning unit nor does it have the capacity to experience a mental disorder. As you have also read, someone changing their mind or experiencing a different emotion over the passage of time… That’s not bipolar. Episodes can last weeks sometimes, and yet here you are talking shit.
tl;dr If you say something like, “Lol you’re so bipolar!” a) you’re wrong about what that word means b) you’re ableist.
Tip: If someone changes their mind, or their emotions change, don’t attempt to “diagnose” them. Even if their mood swing is a symptom of a mental disorder, do no use that diagnosis to invalidate them.
-Mea
“This weather is so bipolar!” “My friend is so bipolar!” Did you know that “bipolar” the word is not an adjective? Write it down. It’s not an adjective. P.S. That’s not even what that word means. Game Over. Try again.
Bipolar: What everyone seems to think it means.
- The weather is doing something different than it was five minutes ago.
- That person is expressing a different emotion than they were five minutes ago.
Holy ableism, batman! It’s almost like emotions aren’t consistent over time! It’s almost like humans have an entire spectrum of emotions they can feel at any given time! “You’re so bipolar!” Way to shut someone down and reduce their experiences to a misused vocabulary word. Congratulations. No gold star for you. It also goes to show that you apparently think a diagnosis of a mental disorder somehow makes someone’s decisions and emotions less valid, if you’re going to use “bipolar” as a way of shutting someone down. Reevaluate yourself, please.
What does it actually mean to be bipolar then? Well, there are actually two types of bipolar disorder! There is bipolar Type I and Type II. Bipolar is mainly defined by someone who experiences manic and/or hypomanic episodes, and possibly depressive episodes. Here is the handy dandy checklist, courtesy of yours truly, which covers both types of bipolar disorder.
The easy difference is that Bipolar I involves manic episodes, while not requiring the experience of hypomanic or major depressive episodes, can still have them. Bipolar II requires the presence of both hypomanic and major depressive, but does not include manic episodes at all. If a manic episode is experienced, it’s Bipolar I by definition.
As you may have noticed in the link, hypomanic and manic episodes are incredibly similar! There is one simple difference between them. Manic episodes may involve psychosis and may also require hospitalization. Hypomanic episodes do not.
How does one define psychosis? It means the person has lost some touch with reality, and they may experience hallucinations, delusions, and/or disorganized speech and behavior.
The weather, as it happens, does not experience manic episodes, or even major depressive episodes. The weather is not a single functioning unit nor does it have the capacity to experience a mental disorder. As you have also read, someone changing their mind or experiencing a different emotion over the passage of time… That’s not bipolar. Episodes can last weeks sometimes, and yet here you are talking shit.
tl;dr If you say something like, “Lol you’re so bipolar!” a) you’re wrong about what that word means b) you’re ableist.
Tip: If someone changes their mind, or their emotions change, don’t attempt to “diagnose” them. Even if their mood swing is a symptom of a mental disorder, do no use that diagnosis to invalidate them.
-Mea