The Stigma of Bipolar Disorder

How many of us truly know the struggle behind bipolar disorder?   Do you know there are several types of bipolar disorder?  These types include bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic disorder, mixed bipolar, and rapid-cycling bipolar.  Each of these forms of bipolar disorder present with varying degrees of depression and mania (either hypomania as with bipolar II or manic episodes varying in severity).  As an individual without these forms of bipolar disorder it is easy to made misinformed judgments about those suffering from the disorder.  These judgments can and will cause further environmental disturbances for those trying to manage their daily lives under the anguish of bipolar or other mood disorders.  It is essential for us to understand bipolar as an issue with the brain; an issue that causes troubling chemical imbalances.  Seeing it as such will enable us to separate the individual from the disorder and hopefully allow us to see the person as a sum of all parts, not simply their disorder.  The next time you encounter someone behaving strangely in public, ask yourself, "Is this person struggling on an unseen level?"  Then ask yourself, "Is it worth judging my fellow man simply because he or she is exhibiting behaviors other than what I am used to?"  This will certainly support us with growing in empathy for our human counterparts.  It will also allow us to build the self-awareness to measure if we are being fair in our judgments of others.  Remember, people that demonstrate various behaviors indicative of mental illness have not asked for the maladies they have received.  Therefore, we should be supportive and loving towards them as we continue attempting to survive this difficult life together, treating one another with the dignity we all deserve.