There are many facets to Mental Health. We have had some really bad "events" happen in recent months. Some of them touched us more personally than others. People want to blame many of these events on Mental Health. Personally it seems to me that anyone who would kill someone, outside of a military operation, must be a little "crazy". How could you not be when you take another life that way?
I am Bipolar. Him is not keen on me sharing that information. He is afraid that I will be judged in every situation by it. That people will be afraid of or for me. That they will start judging whether I am capable of dealing with my job, calling or the daily rigors of just living life.
I on the other hand usually give the information out shortly into a new friendship. Why? Because though I am medicated and under control I do occasionally have episodes still. They are considerably minor compared some of those I had in the past when I would become a danger to myself. But if I'm all spun up because of the mania, and I am only getting 1-3 hours of sleep a night for weeks, my friends need to know.
I don't get the "Puppies and kittens, I can do anything" kind of mania. I rapid cycle. I'm depressed at the same time I'm manic. I will bite my husband's head off and spit it out if he challenges me or make me angry. I usually give it about a week to know I am in a manic episode, not just being cranky and mean, then I let him know what is happening. When he asked the doc what he can do to help me when I'm manic, the doctor told him to "Put on his armor and try not to antagonize me". To disregard the angry things I might say or the un-rational thingsI may do that may rapidly get me to the point of tears or anger. That's when I get to the head biting point. Oh, yeah... and don't tell me I'm manic if I haven't recognized and declared it. Just quietly put on your armor and let me figure it out myself. I always do, but it may take a lot of drama to reach that point. This doesn't happen much anymore because the medication combination is working well. For now. Now I just get a little cranky and cant sleep.
The truth of it is, a casual acquaintance would never know I have a Mental Health issue. The world generally does not think of depression by itself as a Mental Health issue, they are just depressed. But... add mania to that label and suddenly you have someone that, in the opinion of society, could snap at any moment and do great harm to someone or a group of someones. The chance that there is not at least one person in your circle of people that is bipolar is zero. There are a lot of us, but a good portion feel like him does and keep it to themselves.
I'm not crazy. I have a brain that functions differently that yours. My brain works at warp speed, all the time, and sometimes it gets ahead of me. When a person has chronic insomnia for three or four weeks, they are bound to get cranky. So I let my friends and family know. That way when I ask them if I am acting a little manic, they know what to look for, what I am talking about and know they can give an honest answer.
I'm Bipolar. I have a Mental Health issue. I take head meds. It doesn't make me crazy.
Do you know someone who is bipolar?
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