Bipolar is a brain-based health condition that is often misunderstood and stigmatized. Here are four common misconceptions about it that I’ve noticed and want to set straight.

Faulty Reasoning about Bipolar

Sometimes when I’m reading around on the internet or on social sites I pick up on a scent like a bloodhound. I don’t know exactly what the problem is, but I can tell that there’s an inaccurate underlying assumption or foundation of belief that is affecting the dialogue.

I don’t have any specific examples because it takes time and reflection for me to sniff it out, but, in general, I try to think about why X person would say XYZ. For example, what might motivate a specific person to think about bipolar in the way that they do.

So, I’d like to address some common misconceptions about bipolar that I’ve noticed.

Misconception #1: Bipolar Is a “Disease” That “Manifests” in Us.

“Bipolar” is a term that scientists use to describe people who have a certain set of life experiences. They need to give this segment of the population a name so that they can study it productively.

Doctors and researchers are working on brain scans, blood tests, AI technology, and the like so that they can find a black-and-white way to do things. That’s just how scientists are. (God love ’em!) But unless or until that happens, they have to get all of their information about bipolar from us—via the things we tell them, the behaviors we exhibit, and the observations they make of us.

In other words, WE come first. We manifest this set of common experiences that they like to call bipolar. It doesn’t come after us like a virus or something.

Just remember, we the people with bipolar (PWB) define “bipolar”— not the other way around.

Misconception #2: People with Bipolar Are Less Valuable Members of Society.

Social stigma abounds.… Sometimes PWB are dismissed as “broken” or untrustworthy. In fact, some researchers have “found” that “bipolar disorder among the working population can have a significant, negative effect on work relationships, attendance, and functioning, which can lead to substantial costs to US employers arising from lost productivity.”

I think it’s true that PWB typically don’t do “regular,” full-time, 9–5 jobs. But I think that’s just because we are genetically wired more closely to our hunter-gatherer ancestors than most people. Back in the prehistoric days of extreme weather and extreme living (when geneticists suspect that bipolar entered the human genome), there were two good ways to survive: either go all-in and make full use of all resources, or conserve resources and wait for better times.

Taking a moderate, middle-path approach to life was not a great survival option for our species until modern life came along and made mediocrity a thing. So, “bipolar behaviors” were valuable in prehistory because they helped humankind survive. How’s that for adding value to society?

Misconception #3: People with Bipolar Are the Only Humans Who Experience Extreme Moods and Behaviors.

Sure, certain extreme moods (like mania) and behaviors (like increased risk-taking) are hallmarks of bipolar disorder—but there’s more to the story.

Neurotypical people take stuff too far sometimes. They feel low and depressed sometimes. “Normal” people can overspend, overindulge, and ruin relationships with the best of ’em. These experiences are not unique to us as PWB. What is unique to us is the high degree of variability of our own moods and energies as individuals.

We experience the same basic feelings, moods, emotions, and energies as other people do, but our brain chemistry causes us to experience them in a more complicated, more frequent, and more mysterious pattern. That’s all.

Misconception #4: Bipolar Is Completely Different from Other Mental Health Conditions.

With bipolar, the list of symptoms is vast. And from the physical experiences of anhedonia and hypersexuality to the mental experiences of racing thoughts and delusional thinking, the wide spectrum of bipolar symptoms overlaps with those of many other conditions.

• We can identify with people who experience major depression for obvious reasons. Depression is one of the “poles” of bipolar; sadness, lethargy, and hopelessness are unfortunate commonalities.

• We understand what people who experience anxiety disorders are up against. Excessive worry and panic attacks are par for the course for many PWB.

• We can relate to people who experience schizophrenia by virtue of the disordered and/or delusional thinking brought about by both conditions.

• We can empathize with those who experience borderline personality disorder; we also have difficulty with managing emotions and maintaining stable relationships.

• We even share some space with autism, if you ask me. Some of the symptoms related to autism—like difficulty with reading others’ intentions, difficulty adjusting to social situations, and intense fixation on a particular object or activity—feel like a description of bipolar.

We have an awful lot in common with other folks!

With so much experiential overlap, it almost feels like the mental illness community is one big family. None of us are alone in the battles we face.

Scientists are coming to recognize these similarities, too. Geneticists are contributing loads of new data to the scientific community. And—instead of providing that long-sought definitive clarity—the new data seems to blur the lines even more. As one researcher describes, “Interestingly, this work in genetics is indicating how non-specific some genes are for psychiatric disorders, having associations in common for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism.

Sniffing It Out

This is by no means an exhaustive list; I know there are many other misconceptions about bipolar out there. These are just a few that I haven’t seen addressed.

What about you—has your inner bloodhound picked up on any foul scents of misconception in your journey with bipolar?

Originally posted June 27, 2022

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