Category Archives: Bipolar Diagnosis

Telling Your Family You Have a Mental Illness – You’re Not OK

February 13, 2012 / by / Breaking Bipolar

When I told my mother I had a mental illness I’m pretty sure she didn’t believe me. She didn’t come right out and say it, but it was pretty clear she was suspicious. Once she did feel something was wrong … Continue reading →

Why Didn’t Evolution Cull Bipolar Disorder? – Bipolar Benefits

February 9, 2012 / by / Breaking Bipolar

Most, including myself, would argue that, particularly without treatment, bipolar disorder is a decrease in functioning. Untreated depression and mania disrupt every part of a life in negative ways – that’s what drives people to get treatment in the first … Continue reading →

Mental Illness Diagnosis Removes Responsibility from the Patient

January 22, 2012 / by / Breaking Bipolar

As I work, I battle the misconceptions around mental illness. It feels like often, all day, every day, it’s the only thing I do. But I do it because I feel it’s important. I feel it matters. I feel it … Continue reading →

Is Bipolar a Personality Disorder?

January 9, 2012 / by / Breaking Bipolar

I’ve been studying mental illness for a long time and while I knew the answer to this question, I couldn’t really have told you why. This is mostly because I haven’t done a lot of work on personality disorders, but … Continue reading →

2011 In Psychiatry – What This Year Taught Us About Mental Illness

December 15, 2011 / by / Breaking Bipolar

There’s nothing new under the sun. Or so I’ve been told. And while nothing new may exist, we sure learn about new things all the time. People do lament that our understanding of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses is … Continue reading →

When is Bipolar Disorder Not Bipolar Disorder?

August 30, 2011 / by / Breaking Bipolar

By now we know the symptoms of bipolar disorder – wild mood swings from euphoria (mania or hypomania) to depression. We know that bipolar disorder comes in lots of variants, bipolar 1, bipolar 2, cyclothmia, rapid-cycling and so forth. But … Continue reading →

Negative Gut Reactions to Bipolar / Mental Illness Information

July 21, 2011 / by / Breaking Bipolar

We all have gut reactions to information. It’s the reaction when our stomach knots or tumbles, our breathing quickens or stops, our eyes light up or look down. It’s the reaction we have before realizing we’re having a reaction. And … Continue reading →

Do Mental Illness Diagnoses Matter? We’re All Different.

May 15, 2011 / by / Breaking Bipolar

I’ve written about this several times, but never said it quite this directly: No one is a diagnosis. No one fits the criteria for “bipolar” or “depression” exactly. No one is a “Patient Like You.” It’s why someone only has … Continue reading →

More Bipolar and Psychiatric Myths

May 9, 2011 / by / Breaking Bipolar

In response to some of the comments I see here and elsewhere, here is my response to another ten myths about bipolar disorder.

Biological Evidence for Depression – Mental Illness Exists

April 7, 2011 / by / Breaking Bipolar

Common messages spread by certain special interest groups are that “mental illness doesn’t exist” and “there is no biological evidence for mental illness.” It’s not surprising I take great exception with these claims. So do most doctors. But the brain … Continue reading →