J'ACCUSE!

By Anonymous - This FML is from back in 2016 but it's good stuff - United Kingdom - Farnborough

Today, my brother accused me of faking my bipolar disorder for attention, all because I don't act the same as the bipolar girl in some TV show he watches. FML
I agree, your life sucks 22 569
You deserved it 1 759

Top comments

Wait, you mean tv shows aren't always 100% accurate? Hmm, never would have guessed.

expertsmilee 26

I'd rather be any kind of bipolar than that kind of stupid.

Comments

Develop a fake "third personality" so he'll shut up about it. But don't let him find out you're faking because then it'll backfire because they'll think you're still faking it all in the first place. Never mind. I'm bad at advice. Don't listen to me you'll dig yourself in a hole you can't get out of.

Honesty is the key. Nice was to get out of the Chamber of Secrets and Dishonesty.

Bipolar disorder is NOT a multiple personality disorder.

You would be completely justified in screaming in his face at full volume. That kind of stupid needs to be corrected somehow and SOON!!!

Educate him, only thing you can do! Good luck

Like that show where this guy had Tourette's syndrome with the coprolalia and everyone thought you get that when you have Tourette's.

Ooooh, that pisses me off so much! I may have a mild case of Tourette's - I definitely have tics - and I don't have that. (While I do swear profusely, it's completely voluntary and not a symptom.)

This is why shows having neuroatypical characters should actually put effort into researching the disorder they are trying to portray as well as make it clear that symptoms vary. Assholes like OP's brother take the portrayal of a disorder in one show and run with it as if it is the only way that disorder can manifest.

They may have put research into it - I don't know what show it is so I can't say for sure - but mental illnesses manifest themselves differently for different people. So there needs to be more representation in general; if you only see one portrayal of mental illness, you won't get a nuanced understanding.

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO HELP END STIGMA AROUND MENTAL ILLNESSES!!! People need to be educated and learn that not all people react the same way with their illness and that everyone has a different experience and different ways to cope with the type of illness they have.

Exactly! That could also help people with mental illnesses, because if they think that all people with bipolar disorder act like Character X, they might not realize they have bipolar disorder, which can lead to them not getting help (and possibly self-medicating).

KayleeFrye 39

There are so many ignorant people in the world. I'm sorry that you're related to one. Huh. Who knew that TV shows aren't always accurate?