High Functioning Bipolars
Australian Researchers Make Great Leap in Understanding Bipolar Disorder
The above link is a great transcript from an Australian broadcast on even more Bipolar research coming out from Australia.
The best part is this quote from the concluding statement:
GIN MALHI: Now treatment for bipolar disorder is very sophisticated and the majority of people are very high functioning and I think this is another misconception about bipolar disorder, that it's an illness, which leads to decline in functioning.
In fact, many people with bipolar disorder are higher functioning than most, and achieve a lot in their life, and very creative people, excellent business people, excellent minds.
tags
[Bipolar Disorder]
[Bipolar Research]
[High Functioning Bipolar]
The above link is a great transcript from an Australian broadcast on even more Bipolar research coming out from Australia.
The best part is this quote from the concluding statement:
GIN MALHI: Now treatment for bipolar disorder is very sophisticated and the majority of people are very high functioning and I think this is another misconception about bipolar disorder, that it's an illness, which leads to decline in functioning.
In fact, many people with bipolar disorder are higher functioning than most, and achieve a lot in their life, and very creative people, excellent business people, excellent minds.
tags
[Bipolar Disorder]
[Bipolar Research]
[High Functioning Bipolar]
posted by Mom, Interrupted at 4:40 PM
14 Comments:
I believe in the high functioning of people with bipolar disorder, especially if they have had effective medical care. My pdoc says that the longer people live with the illness well-managed the better their functioning becomes. And that has been true in my own life. When I compare where I was when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties, I can see that my life now - at 61 years old - is much easier to deal with. And I, too, have achieved more than most of my non-bipolar friends - especially creatively.
In a system and life style that accomodates my moods, i kick ass, in a system or life style that doesn't accomodate my moods i get my ass kicked
Ditto to bam!
Personally, I think that Bipolar can be very functionable if the person takes care of themselves properly.
Hate to say it, but there are so many people who are on medication, but they smoke, do drugs, drink, and just don't take care of themselves.
They use their bipolar as an excuse for their bad habits...sorry I don't agree.
I am on Lithium and I hardly drink anymore...Being on Lithium I am soooo functionable lately, very creative, and very productive.
I have my split moments of wanting to paint the town red so to speak, but I stop myself of course..Lithium allows you to stay in control.
Bipolars do achieve in life big time and it would be great if society realizes this...maybe the stigma would die down.
thatd be great if it were true...
The high functionality and creativeness come with Bipolar. It is up to the person to use it effectively. As for the stigma I do not think it would go away altogether in the society but people with bipolar can make it go away in their own social environments and amongst people around them. In my experience as a bipolar I think medication is only a helping hand in the times of need but what we make of ourselves is much more important. I agree with dream writer. It is like when we blame our parents or our past for our present failures and go on to believing our self to be a permanent failure without change.
Marja, Bam, Dream Writer, Sara, and radin:
Very interesting comments from all of you. As I write often here in my blog, I too feel it is our environment along with the combination of medication and our own tools in life what allow us to truly LIVE. This is very difficult.
I also feel there are various degrees of this disease. What may be possible for some, is just not for others. Just like some of us take only Lithium and maybe one other drug and others of us are on five medications.
Sara's disbelief is interesting as well. I am sure others feel this way as well.
We know of the Dr. Kay Jamison's in the world, and their are others right here in our blogging world who are high functioning, in their own right.
A message of being treatable with a little hope on the side is better than the ever sending media gunk of "Bipolar gone mad again" media that I usually read.
If you Google "bipolar + famous people" a website should be on there with over 75 names on it. Some are nothing short of brilliant.
I somewhat disagree with what's been said though. I agree that we function better on medicine, but disagree about the creativity.
I believe many inventions & art masterpieces come as a result of a bipolar person during mania. I have 3 bipolar relatives who won't take medicine because it inhibits their artistic work.
As for myself, I can't live w/o medicine, I'd get suicidally depressed.
I don't think the stigma of mental illness will ever, ever go away. We're 1 of the few disabilities & minorities people can still get away with ridiculing.
Jane-
What you say about the meds is true with some, but not all. I know this because I am fully medicated and finally still writing. I also know some of the people on your list you speak of eventually medicated as well and still produce work.
About the stigma...leave it to Jane to speak the raw truth. What about all our, (NAMI, others, and mine) to promote awareness? Reduce stigma? Are they worth it? Or does what you say ring so true and the uniformed and ignorant will stay that way.
Jane - Please don't give up hope on the stigma thing. I know we can reduce it. And one day - maybe not during our lifetime - but maybe one day there will be no more stigma. We have to keep fighting for that and hoping for that.
I stumbled upon your blog looking for some help about Bipolar Disorder. My grandmother is bipolar and has been on Lithium most of her life. A few years ago she decided on her own to stop taking it, bad idea. Over the weekend we had to commit her because she just absolutely lost it and was talking about suicide. She is now there against her will and refusing to take her medicine, her entire life she has never wanted to take medicine for this disease. I was just wondering if anybody had some encouraging words or how to help on why she refuses to take her meds.
Anonymous-
I am sorry to hear about your Grandmother. It is unfortunate that many do not find the "right" medication so that they experience true CHANGE in a positive way. Many have negative medication experiences and this prevents them from wanting to try again. THIS however is the only way, it took me several attempts before we got it right. Years, before things were back to "normal". This takes work.
Hopefully under the right medical care this can happen in a much sooner time period for your Grandmother.
Excuse me but doesn't "high functioning" refer to those affected by mental retardation? I have seen this term linked to mental illness again and again which only serves to blur the line between mental illness and mental retardation /developmental disorder.
I have been a "high functioning" bipolar II for many decades. I was CEO of 2 companies and a senior executive at 5 others. I was diagnosed 12+ years ago and have been on medication since. As you all probably know, Bipolar is sometimes called The CEO's Disease.
If you're interested, I now have a blog - The Bipolalr CEO (http://www.bipolarceo.com) where I discuss my issues with bipolar and work, as well as personal life.
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