Those of us who are around mental illness on a daily basis, have to ask ourselves what is me authentically and what is the illness? It’s hard at times to distinguish between the two.
I’m bipolar and I suffer from paranoia. They should be synonyms. It almost seems as if, if you’re bipolar, you’re automatically going to suffer from paranoia.
I know from experience; my level of paranoia runs the gamut. I have had episodes where I have thought that people were being sent to my house, that my house was bugged, that people or the feds were watching me, or that I was being followed. I got to the point where I wouldn’t drive.
If you are bipolar, you are no stranger to terrors, the most common of which are night terrors. Usually within your first hour of sleep, you’re awakened by a very vivid very real nightmare: a night terror. You may say, “Well, kids have nightmares, adults have nightmares. They’re just nightmares.” However, a terror is usually reminiscent of something that has actually happened to you, so it may be a recurrent memory.
We hear the term thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean to be “grandiose?”
Well, some people think that they are better than other people; some people think they cannot be understood by anyone else unless it’s someone very special who understands them. Some people feel that they have special capabilities, at times even entering the delusional—they think that they are the only person who can solve all of the world’s problems.
I went to the psychiatrist this week and we discussed fear: fear as it pertains to causing paranoia and anxiety in bipolar disorder.
There are different types of fear. There are everyday-life apprehensions; there’s the fear of making a mistake, of upsetting someone, of not trusting your appearance.
Told in conversational style, Maricela Estrada shares with us in Beautiful Bipolar Bisexual, a life filled with questions. She is a very brave, strong woman who has not only battled mental illness but also being bisexual, and fighting two stigmas makes for a tumultuous tale.
Why is it that bipolar individuals seem to alienate nearly everyone who cares for them?
I’m going to tell you why. Bipolar people tend to be known for a few things. We are artists when it comes to lying, we are suspicious (or most commonly referred to as paranoid, because we think that everyone lies to us the same way we lie to them), and we are moody. So it’s not so much that we are in a good mood or a bad mood; it’s more like a manic mood versus a depressed mood. That makes each person wonder on a day-to-day basis, just how you are going to be—and how they’re going to connect with whatever person they’re getting today.
If you are reading this, you’re either here because you are Bipolar or you love someone who is Bipolar. I’m not going to bore you with the details on what Bipolar Disorder is or the statistics. If you’ve come this far and you’re reading this, you probably already know what it is. All be it, you may not like it. That’s why we’re here…acceptance.
For better or worse, whether you are “on” it or not, there's no escaping Facebook. And while there are plenty of good reasons to use it, there are also some interesting themes arising that speak to the organic process of human experience. So, for all its pros and cons, let's not overlook Facebook's ability to work therapeutic wonders. It really is a fascinating study in human nature.
Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with mental illness. Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May; it reaches millions of Americans through the media, local events, and screenings. It gives Americans an opportunity to replace stigma with hope by bringing much-needed understanding and education to others.
