Society likes to group everyone with bipolar together. They insist we are all alike. We are all violent. Every time something violent is done in this country it is blamed on bipolar. The person must certainly have bipolar. I can’t speak for others, but for me, it gets pretty tiresome constantly being in the group that is responsible for all violence. I am far from violent. I am as non-violent as you can get.
Occasionally a famous person will come out and admit they have bipolar. They have talents. People forget the slew of famous people who have bipolar and they are coming out more and more all the time.
My best friend Allison and I are as different as black and white in some things and completely the same in others. We both have writing talent. People with bipolar disorder tend to have some type of creativity even if they haven’t found it yet. I have been writing since I was a young child with non-diagnosed bipolar.
We met online blogging. We clicked even though the only thing we had alike at that time was a love of writing. Allison is rough and tough and I am a quiet little mouse. I am afraid of life. Allison loved my writing and persuaded me to try to write for International Bipolar Foundation. I applied with trepidation and received an email from their blog editor.
I have a blog on bipolar and that was really all the credentials I have besides writing for much smaller blogs. The email included info and a guidelines booklet and I was asked if I wanted to volunteer for survey groups. Allison is a writer also for this group.
I read the guidelines and received help from Allison about her experiences. She is a little wild for me. Our personalities clash, but for some reason in a good way. I got up the courage to tell her to stop running over people and they will treat you better. I waited for the explosion, but she accepted it and found out I knew what I was talking about.
Allison considers herself a rebel and I consider myself a Mental Health Advocate and go around and do projects that are easy going, but still get the point across. I have appeared in video clips, by a NY producer. She is doing other projects and I am willing to help her however I can.
Allison wants to relate more to the younger, alternative crowd and I am aiming to help all ages. We are both in our 50’s.
She looks for the world news and serious subjects. I write simple subjects to help everybody. I agonize over what I should write next, what simple subject. She is deeply researching hard core topics and calling people to interview. I search online and use my personal life. I have had plenty of life experiences with bipolar.
She and I are different as black and white and by that I mean she has a black and white blog and I have color and keep mine bright. I used to be into the black world, but now I prefer bright colors to cheer me up.
But in the end Allison and I are both trying to help others while we work on our own bipolar. Also to scientists, psychiatrists and therapists – we aren’t all alike. The most important thing you can do is listen to your patients. We know ourselves. Patients, if you don’t get that respect and get listened to, find a new support person or all of them if necessary.
I have been lucky and have had the best support system. I still have to explain what outside the box means though. They are good, not perfect.
To read more from Teresa, see the rest of her posts for IBPF here or visit her personal blog here.
