Today, I was told I have bipolar disorder. I'm 31. It took so long to diagnose because my mom 'always figured I was just a super bitch half the time'. FML
I agree, your life sucks (30002) - you totally deserved it (2845)
On 08/19/2009 at 12:40pm - health - by crazychick (woman) - Canada (Ontario)
She probably called her mom to tell her about the diagnosis. And to ask why she's never noticed anything, haha
EDIT: That was supposed to go to comment 2
I knew I had bipolar disorder the first day I entered porn ;)
#35 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:57pm by JasmineTame
maybe u just have the personality of a bitch n she thinks ur blaming it on bipolar...then again maybe it just intensified the bitch in ya n she knew it all along -gasp-
#40 - On 08/19/2009 at 6:12pm by inconvienentgurl
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I agree with #1.
There is no such thing as bipolar disorder. Stop being a gargantuan hormonal bitch.
ass much? wtf... having bipolar is majorly shitty... it makes you wanna kill yourself half the time, and the other half you wanna do stupid shit that end up practically killing yourself...
its not something to joke about you idiot.
#55 - On 08/19/2009 at 8:13pm by xxmirandapandaxx
No dude, you're just stupid.
I agree with #49, get your facts straight before you say something totally absurd like that.
#65 - On 08/19/2009 at 10:58pm by growingsmaller
#42 you're a flat out idiot
how can you say there's no such thing as bipolar disorder?
a lot of people suffer from the major depression stage of bipolar disorder
you can't say bipolar disorder is because of your hormonal personality
some people really can't do anything about it because they're suffering so terribly
wash your mouth, and stop being so ignorant, idiot.
#93 - On 08/20/2009 at 8:21pm by turtlewatcher
Tell all the people that have suffered through frightening and very real symptoms of bi-polar disorder that it isn't real. Tell that to their famliy and friends who also must deal with this real disease. Why don't you go ahead and say diabetes and cancer are fictitous as well. Go walk around a freaking high way with your eyes shut if you say those speeding cars aren't real then just for you they might just disappear.
#98 - On 08/20/2009 at 10:38pm by SailorChibiMoon
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Still living with the mother at 31?
#2 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:03pm by Gilligans
That's what being bi-polar is. I'm bi-polar. If I don't take my pills I'm a dick half the time.
#5 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:09pm by NewLogic87
I'm bipolar and all the bipolar people I know are assholes except me. You also sound like an asshole. So does the submitter.
#45 - On 08/19/2009 at 6:30pm by mrdude1977
Being bipolar doesn't necessarily mean that you're a dick half the time, it just varies. Me for example, I'm just either manic and happy half the time, and then depressed and quiet. Sure, there's that irritability, but it's all about the personality of the person.
So yeah, OP could possibly just be a bitch.
#56 - On 08/19/2009 at 8:24pm by chinolatino
90% of Americans could be diagnosed for some mental disorder. The bipolar diagnosis is just a fix to your "super bitch half the time" personality flaw. it is your choice to either live with it or change it.
#74 - On 08/20/2009 at 2:14am by banana_rama
You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Bipolar people's brains are actually different from those of regular people. They're biologically unable to control themselves. It's like OCD and schizophrenia but not quite as severe. What you're thinking of is a mood disorder.
#77 - On 08/20/2009 at 3:32am by jewelzgalore
Jewelzgalore, do YOU know what you're talking about? Bipolar disorder IS a mood disorder. Kind of like how apples are fruit. There are unipolar mood disorders (major depression, dysthymia) and bipolar mood disorders (bipolar I and II and cyclothymia). Also, how can you say that bipolar is not as bad as OCD or schizophrenia? You can't really compare them, as they are completely different, and in their extremes, they can all be completely debilitating.
banana_rama: I suspect you made that number up. Absolutely everybody (ie, 100% of people) will have symptoms of some sort of mental disorder or other. Kind of like how 100% of people will get a cold or skin their knee at some point in their lives. However, the criteria for making a diagnosis are pretty strict, so not everyone who has symptoms of a mental disorder will qualify for a diagnosis of the disorder. In reality, over the course of a lifetime, about 45-50% of the population will qualify for a diagnosis of a mental disorder. Keep in mind that this includes substance use disorders, like abuse and dependence.
There is some evidence that certain disorders are overdiagnosed, such as ADHD and borderline personality disorder. However, bipolar is not one of them. Moreover, people with certain disorders really DO have trouble controlling their behavior and need treatment (medication AND therapy) to help them do that. I don't advocate using the disorder as an excuse to be a bitch, but neither would I be so foolish as to tell someone whose brain isn't working properly to just get over it without help. That would be like telling someone with epilepsy to just stop having seizures already: disrespectful and ignorant.
Or, she could've actually been suffering in the extreme highs and extreme lows this whole time.
Sure, maybe 90% could be diagnosed with something, but some people are really suffering with severe depression.
Stop being so ignorant
#94 - On 08/20/2009 at 8:24pm by turtlewatcher
Don't blame your mom. You're 31, aren't you? I'm 18 and went out to seek help myself for my depression. If it affects your life, it's on you to fix it. If it doesn't, who the hell cares?
#7 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:11pm by Alex_DeLarge
Bipolar is one of the hardest disorders to detect and diagnose, particularly because it is often mistaken for other things (depression, ADHD, schizophrenia), particularly in adolescents whom everyone expects to be moody, or if you have bipolar II or cyclothymia rather than full-blown rapid-cycling bipolar I. Plus, the OP clearly has sought help if she now has a diagnosis. It's not her mom's fault it took this long, but it's not her fault either.
#17 I agree, I have bi-polar II as well as borderline personality disorder. If one doesn't know anything about them I just come off as a moody, selfish bitch
#18 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:28pm by LittleMel4
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Do you have a "disease"... or just a shitty attitude?
#24 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:36pm by SmittyJA24
@18 regardless of the disorder youre still a moody selfish bitch. the disorder just tells everyone why. dont kid yourself, it doesnt change who you are just because it has a name.
#85 - On 08/20/2009 at 6:52am by organisedchaos
I agree with you. I also have bi-polar II (since I was 2yrs old) and borderline personality disorder. And off medication I am a very difficult person to be around. Moody as hell and unpredictable. I can be happy as all hell and hyper, life of the party, and then I can snap into super bitch and then into the person who wont get out of bed for days and wants to die. It is a killer hard disorder actually disorder(s) to live with and manage since medications constantly have to be adjusted as your body and brain get used to them and and they stop being effective. I wasn't diagnosed until I was...24 I think...I had to go through hell and back to get the proper diagnosis but going through my life history the signs were there right into my toddler years...yay life :P . But no that you have the diagnosis, get the help, it is hard as hell to get the right med combo and dosage but worth it and the pysch help too, makes all the difference in the world. Actually makes concentrating, looking forward to life and a future and achieving things so worth it.
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You're 31. You've had over a decade to take yourself to the doctor.
Just because it took this long to get a diagnosis doesn't mean she never went to a doctor. Read Madness by Marya Hornbacher. She was in and out of hospitals being treated for all kinds of things (eating disorders, substance abuse, depression) before she was properly diagnosed with bipolar.
it takes an average of 7-10 years for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder to be made. many people with bipolar disorder seek treatment for their depression first. it can take a few years for the doctor and patient to realize something else is going on. it took me 6 years to be diagnosed. from age 17 to 23. my parents even suggested to my doctor when i was 17 that i might be bipolar. the doctor dismissed it to teenage moodiness.
bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder, it manifests as mood swings between periods of mania (feelings of high energy and euphoria) and depression
it's defined as a medical condition that is characterized by bouts of mania and depression, which basically means that sometimes you're up, and sometimes you're down, like normal people, but when you're up, you're UP and all that matters is staying happy and having fun, and when you're down you're DOWN and nothing matters at all
#15 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:22pm by PoeticPixie
I'm with you. My parents thought me being depressed and socially anxious was just "part of my personality". That was nice.
#16 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:23pm by papertigers
Dido. My mom always said my sleeping habits were part of being a teenager. They call it narcolepsy when it doesn't go away.
#21 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:29pm by Genephix
Lol, or not so much. Same here, same here. I got ISP: Isolated-Sleep-Paralysis that's been recurrent since I was 12 -for me it's generally due to stress. But "the mother" keeps telling the doctors that I'm making it up and I just sleep too much. Sigh. I give up- until I turn 18.
#36 - On 08/19/2009 at 6:01pm by nightDREAMERms
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LOL
#25 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:38pm by colonel_crunk
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Why don't you stop being a bitch half the time, instead of using psychobabble as an excuse. It's your choice if you are rude to someone. Deal with your emotions like everybody else does. YDI for blaming society because you can't be bothered thinking about other people.
Way to be ignorant... It is called a mental disorder because the symtoms are caused by processes that are out of conscious control, and often influenced by a chemical imbalance . It's not even that hard to find this out, so I think I'm going to have to assume you are lazy, judgemental and enjoy being ignorant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder#Causes
#51 - On 08/19/2009 at 7:49pm by Apocalyptus
I agree! It's amazing that practically everyone who replied has the same thing...hmmm deal with life much??
i totally understand. i'm bipolar and so is my sister. until we were both twenty our parents just thought we were mega bitches.
I'm sorry your mom didn't/doesn't understand your disorder, but you've been a legal adult for 13 years. Why didn't you go to the doctor without your mother's blessing?
#33 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:51pm by aheartofstars
Yeah because being bi-polar means you are mean all the time. what movie did you still that from? I am bi-polar, to bad being you being a bitch is not what bi-polar is... it is much more detailed than that stupid idiot.
#34 - On 08/19/2009 at 5:51pm by ineedadvil
She said half the time, idiot. And you're being a bitch enough to prove your theory wrong.
#43 - On 08/19/2009 at 6:14pm by Genephix
O.o So many bi-polar ppl. Makes me wonder, how many ppl at my school secretly have this disorder as well...
#37 - On 08/19/2009 at 6:03pm by nightDREAMERms
Welcome to my world. My mom said it was just 'stress'. Even though at the time it was summer vacation and I did nothing but lounge around the house all day, yeah really stressful. Somedays I'm a super bitch, up to my old tricks, but it won't last forever, no. Next day I'm your super girl, out to save the world, and it keeps gettin' better ;)
dunno about you, but a lot of people say the summer vacation makes already fucked up kids more fucked up - they don't have something to keep them busy.
I personally find having a lot of things to do less problematic (emotionally speaking) than having almost nothing to do.
i love that song....OP: Your mom sounds like a super bitch
#73 - On 08/20/2009 at 1:14am by jazz2dasmith
Parents never believe there's something mentally wrong with their kids unless it's something like ADD or something. I had chronic depression all throughout High School and my Mom always just told me to shut the fuck up and to cheer up. If I wasn't in a 'happy' mood around her, I'd get slapped.
Im sorry to tell you this #46 but your mom really sucks!!
OP The next time your mother says so in front of you tell her that you have an excuse to be a bitch and she doesn't.
#48 - On 08/19/2009 at 7:22pm by fawfulster
It is neither YDI or FYL. People are diagnosed as being bipolar all the time. Just take the time to learn how to handle it.
#47 - On 08/19/2009 at 7:04pm by jessicaclaire
Being bi polar is just the doctor diagnosing you as a bitch.
#53 - On 08/19/2009 at 7:54pm by ElNegroHombre
wow... thats kinda the most dumb ass response you can make...
I have bipolar disorder.... its kind of like a living hell.. its not something you should ever joke about.
#54 - On 08/19/2009 at 8:11pm by xxmirandapandaxx
Bipolar is not a living hell. It's simply another obstacle one must overcome. And yes, I do have it.
i've never been tested for bipolar disorder but i have most of the signs of it, and people notice after being with me for a while. my mom think i'm just a bitch too. FYL. FML.
#58 - On 08/19/2009 at 9:31pm by triplethreat13
well that sucks for you and for all of the people that are bipolar.
#59 - On 08/19/2009 at 10:05pm by blackberry1993
In my experience, being a raving bitch half the time is a pretty accurate description of bipolar people.
I'm so sorry. I didn't get diagnosed with a certain disorder until I'd lost almost all my hair and was in college and on my own health insurance- my mom thought I was just fat and lazy. Once I took the right medicine, I dropped 90lbs in 6 months. Some people just don't understand medicine (especially in mental health), and just blame the patient.
#62 - On 08/19/2009 at 10:34pm by justmeagirl
You have enjoyed 13 years of legal adulthood. I think you can accept responsibility for your own medical issues at this point.
I'm sorry you ended up being bipolar too. My dad still won't believe I am and I was diagnosed 6 years ago. My family still believes that I just have never ending PMS.
#67 - On 08/20/2009 at 12:08am by pyschoscribe
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there is no bipolar disorder
#68 - On 08/20/2009 at 12:08am by izsy9667
It's not a choice. It has to do with the structure of your brain being messed up.
#78 - On 08/20/2009 at 3:35am by jewelzgalore
Well, obviously your mom was right. Half the time you are a super-bitch. But since we live today not only is there a name for it, it's treatable. So you can look foreword to being a super-bitch by nature but super-[not a] Bitch by science!
Okay, first of all, thank you letitbe56. Everything you said is correct.
Just to reiterate to everyone, BP is VERY hard to diagnose. It isn't the OP's fault the diagnosis didn't come until she was 31. I was lucky enough to have a psychiatrist who recognized it immediately.
I have BP II, and it IS REAL. I'm in school to become a psychologist and to spread understanding to the tons of ignorant, hurtful people out there. It's so sad what all the people with mental and emotional illnesses have to go through just because of a persistent stigma.
OP, I'm sorry. Hope everything works out, and don't listen to anyone who says it isn't real or makes you feel like you might be making it up (I've been there). We've got to stick together.
#75 - On 08/20/2009 at 2:17am by screampillow
I'll be honest- I have depression. I've come a LONG way from wanting to kill myself, but during that time I displayed signs of bipolar and personality disorders. my doctor still doesn't know if I have that or not. I've been seeing him for almost 3 years. it's really hard to catch and diagnose apparently. I'm a 23 year old male.
I'm so sorry, it must suck to have something like that and not have anyone be able to tell you what it is. I was researching mental disorders and found this awesome site, nolongerlonely.com, its a dating site for the mentally ill, if you ever need anything like that - hope maybe that helped? :)
#80 - On 08/20/2009 at 4:09am by janelovesnyc
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I killed my dog with a sledgehammer last weekend, but that was just my agoraphobia and schizoid tendencies. and it isn't my fault that my generalized anxiety disorder and borderline-personality disorder make it impossible to work, so I sit at home all day and collect government checks. and my fibromyalgia and antisocial personality disorder gives me so much pain that I have to take morphine and oxycontin all day, everyday. and my crippling depression and meglomaniac paranoia is the reason why everyone hates me and I'm not succesfull and wealthy. it's really not my fault at all - I can't take any responsibility - ask my doctors. it's my diagnosis.
this is a very good comment, maybe an FML on it's own. you'll have my vote (instead of all those wineys who have just 1 or 2 mental illnessess)
@75: please don't become a psychologist. you'll be relating all people's problems to your own, therefore not helping them in a objective manner but being overprotective and making things worse
You don't know this person. Maybe she will be like that, but maybe she'll be the next Kaye Jamison.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Redfield_Jamison
So? My mother didn't get me diagnosed for Autism, even though all my special needs teachers asked for it back when I was five (I left special ed when I was 7) and when I was 18 I was diagnosed with Aspergers. The main thing is you now know how you work and how you can make yourself a better contributor to society.
:-)
Wow. Are you blaming your mother for your issues? THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE ISSUES. Take some responsibility.
You're not alone - my mom didn't know she had ADD until she was nearly 50 and I got diagnosed with it, and she figured out that it had come from her because she has the same symptoms as me and my dad doesn't. It just wasn't something people knew much about when she was growing up, so she basically grew up thinking that she was just dumb or something, when really she just couldn't concentrate. Your mom probably didn't realize there was a medical reason for the way you were acting.
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Thankfully, a large fraction of bipolar people's lives are lost to suicide.
wow, that's disgusting. looks like you've got some mental problems of your own to sort out. Plenty of people get on just fine with bipolar disorder, despite the fact that they have to spend every waking moment trying to keep their moods under control. Don't talk about things you clearly know nothing about, especially if you're going to be an asshole about it. It's a huge challenge that you're lucky you won't have to face, and honestly, I admire those who are brave enough to try and live a normal life with a mental illness far more than i admire someone who doesn't even attempt to imagine what life is like with a debilitating illness. Use that presumably able mind of yours to show some compassion and be grateful for what you've got
How can you blame your mom for that? In my freshman year of college, I started having panic attacks and suffering from so pretty bad depression. I was 18 and I knew to get help for myself. You're a fucking adult, take some responsibility for your own life.
#100 - On 08/21/2009 at 8:33pm by star_ver
Way to make up an fml, if you were actually diagnosed with BPD, you wouldn't say bi-polar, as judging by the apparent history of the 'symptoms' of being a bitch, but never having a manic outbreak (impossible to miss) you could not have BP-i, BP-ii is inconsistent with your 'symptoms' of bitchiness whcih would most likely make the diagnosis cyclothymia, which you would say rather than BPD.
Also bitchiness has nothing to do with BPD, bitchiness would be a symptom of Histrionic Personality Disorder, just becuase BPD is classified as an affective disorder that has an effect on moods, it doesn't mean that you are either really nice or really mean, that is so far off the mark as to what BPD is and a common misconception of an idiot making up stuff so they can think they're cool by posting on fml.
Although there are many types of BPD, they are generally considered to have a manic episode (high energy, like a person on adderol only also making very poor rash decisions, like buying 300 egyptian cotton dress shirts while trying to pimp out your co-worker (true story from my abnormal psych prof. who suffered from BPD). Also some sub-sets require depressive episodes to be present as well, same criteria as depression, and for some require mixed episodes.
Chances are you really are a bitch though regardless.
my exboyfriend has bipolar and got me pregnant and left me... his reason... i didn't mean to get you pregnant, i never wanted to have a child...
#105 - On 09/20/2009 at 6:46pm by J_Shorty_17
My Dr tried to diagnose me with bi-polar disorder a few years ago, but I knew I wasn't. I recently found out that I have PMDD (Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder) it's basically insane pms..depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations..here's a site that has a list of the symptoms...http://pmdd.factsforhealth.org/what/symptoms.asp Treated with anti depressants, hormone therepy or in worst case scenarios, Hysterectomy. You should talk to your gyno about this, if your only crazy half the time. Drs are so quick to assume..double checkin couldn't hurt :)
#106 - On 09/24/2009 at 1:15am by reigncloud
YEAH. I think im bipolar too but when im a super bitch, they say im just blaming it on the disorder!!
#107 - On 03/13/2010 at 8:49am by xshinexbrite96xx
