YOU Are Bipolar!

I-d

Why do we love to pathologise normal behaviour online?

By reducing nuances of mental health to sweeping statements, social media might actually be leading to over-diagnosis.

Did you enjoy reading as a child? I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the cherished hours you spent reading Harry Potter books were actually just your body’s way of dissociating in an uncomfortable environment (also RIP to your idea of JK Rowling as a decent person). Do you sometimes forget to text your friends back? It’s probably, definitely, because of a past trauma, and certainly not the natural result of a culture in which we are expected to be socially available at all times. Better get a therapist on the line! Do you struggle to concentrate at your office job, where you spend eight hours a day performing boring tasks in front of a screen? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there’s probably something immutably wrong with the chemicals in your brain. 

As far as the internet is concerned, just about everything you do might be evidence of a troubling pathology. Social media can undeniably be a great resource for people experiencing mental illness, alongside people who have ADHD, and people who fall somewhere along the autism spectrum. A condition like ADHD, for example, is still said to be underdiagnosed (particularly among women) and raising awareness about this might bring people to a diagnosis they sorely need. But as with many things online, there is a downside to a free, entirely unregulated flow of information. 

This is good. It talks about capitalism too.

manic episode symptoms/warning signs

THIS IS NOT GOING TO APPLY TO EVERYONE!!! this is my own personal experience. mental illness isn't a one size fits all, i'm not claiming to be an expert or know what everyone's mania feels like, this is just what i've experienced

increased irritability

increased energy

change in appetite, not feeling hungry for days and then becoming ravenous

frequent sensory overload

oversensitivity

changes in sleep pattern, sleeping only 3-4 hours or shifting to sleeping more during the day and being awake all night

noticeable increase in productivity, that might start out as good, but you notice yourself being hyper fixated and jumping from several different projects

increase in impulsivity

feeling like you've lost control over yourself and your actions

paranoia

intrusive thoughts

nightmares

talking a lot, rambling, going on long rants

a feeling like you're watching yourself on a screen, like someone else took over your body and you're watching from the outside as they live your life

being aware you're making bad choices or that you are being reckless but not caring or being able to stop

dissociation

impulse purchases and reckless spending

reckless driving

impulse to change appearance or alter your image that can feel like a NEED if it isn't done immediately (for me this manifests in my hair, like cutting it or changing the color at 3 am. it also used to be comorbid with my eating disorder, which led to extreme fasting to try and lose weight)

feeling like you can accomplish things you couldn't normally do, feeling powerful, inflated ego and sense of self. i sometimes would think i was invincible and that nothing could hurt me and tried to act on it to prove it

increase in libido

risky sexual behavior

heightened emotions, everything feels larger than life, the highs feel like they'll never end and the lows feel like the end of the world

for myself this was only in extreme cases, but visual or auditory hallucinations. i've only had visual hallucinations a couple times, but when things got really bad, i would hear things that weren't there, or hear people calling me when i was all alone

feeling like thoughts are racing and you can't stop them, feeling like everything is loud and you're being pulled in a million directions

friends and family noticing uncharacteristic behavior, cutting people off, becoming VERY irritable, or showing too much affection in a way that isn't normal for you

and, inevitably, when it ends: The Big Crash. the depressive episode after that knocks you out

It is still a balance of trying to let go and not be rigid despite knowing this. I am not expecting to reach perfection, but just getting through every day,  a day at a time, and knowing that bending is okay. 

prescribe me adderall or i will start cooking meth in my fucking bathroom you fucking psychiatrist

bipolar pride flag: for when you’re fuckin bipolar baby!💖💖💖💖

ive been wanting to take a swing at making this kind of thing for ages, and since im manic I figured i’d do it!

color explanation under the cut

Keep reading

a seemingly homemade shirt

found in a goodwill in Columbia, Kentucky

Not to sound like a 90s shallow prep, but how you dress can affect your self esteem, and putting energy into wearing things you actively like and projecting an ideal of yourself through fashion instead of seeing clothes as things you have to put on out of obligation helps.

It also can give you a sense of control over your appearance that you otherwise wouldn’t have lmao

Another thing people don’t talk a lot about in hypo/mania is that it can cause your emotions to be very intense and switch very quickly. doctors call that emotional lability

so while the bi in bipolar represents mania and depression which last an extended period of time, switching emotions quickly and intensely can still be a bipolar experience in hypo/mania

Common phrases said to you before you realise you have Adhd

You want the real ADHD experience?

Most ADHD resources

Trying to find coping mechanisms or tips

Mentioning ADHD to anyone

Trying to get professional help