Thread by @gothpissbaby, now i dont like kanye, i never have but as someone with [...]

now i dont like kanye, i never have but as someone with bipolar disorder i am really disheartened by the way new outlets are writing about him. they talk about him being bipolar but i think people don’t fully understand what being bipolar really means. CRASH COURSE STARTS NOW

DISCLAIMER: i am NOT a professional!!!! all of what i’m going to say is coming from someone who has bipolar 2. i’ve been diagnosed for about 2 years now and this is what i’ve learned from the internet and my parents who also both have bipolar II

there are three types of bipolar (there are other symptoms that fall under the bipolar umbrella but not everyone experiences them)

bipolar I is the most severe, most debilitating version of bipolar disorder you can have. when in a manic state, people are impulsive, reckless, they spend insane amounts of money, they can’t sleep, some people experience psychosis (intense delusions/hallucinations)

bipolar II is similar, but not as servere. instead of mania, bipolar II people experience “hypomania” a lesser version of mania. you can still have all of the symptoms from above, but they aren’t as intense. keep in mind, it still feels horrible.

when not in a manic or hypomanic state, you could be in a depressive episode or feeling normal (lucky you). the depressive episodes have typical symptoms, but don’t typically last as long as a major depressive episode would.

there is also a third type called cyclothymia that i’m not as familiar with. if you want to know more google it! it’s similar to the other two but easy to understand.

i’m going to focus the most of hypomania/mania because it’s the least understood and least talked about.

but here are some symptoms and differences between manic/hypomanic and depressive episodes (manic on the left, depressive on the right)

now you may be thinking “hey, this hypomania/mania stuff doesn’t sound all that bad! wouldn’t you want extra energy and motivation?” while it’s true that having that extra boost of energy can be helpful, most of the time you have TOO MUCH ENERGY.

hypomania feels like your body and mind are running at 1000 mph and everything around you is too slow, too boring, not stimulating enough, etc. sometimes i would have to get up and jump around and shake my arms and yell just to get the manic energy out (it didn’t always work)

you feel uncomfortable in your skin, sitting still hurts and you constantly feel like you need to move. one of the only ways i could cope with this restlessness was roller skating, it really helped me. but i don’t really skate anymore unless i’m hypomanic. but that’s unrelated.

hypomania is also having SO MANY THOUGHTS AND IDEAS and feeling like you don’t have time to do them all (which is true, the amount of ideas you have is enough to last you years). so when you feel like you don’t have enough time, you stay up later.

you don’t feel like you need to sleep when you’re manic, because your body is so full of adrenaline and ideas. there is no possible way to calm down unless you are soooooooo exhausted you have no choice but to sleep. this happened to me SO MUCH!!!

you feel unstoppable and everything thing feels possible. i can’t tell you how many projects i’ve started and never finished because my hypomania. everyone experiences starting and not finishing things but when you’re bipolar those projects are LOFTY and STUPID.

some of mine i never finished include:
•listen to every beach boys album
•painting all 50 canvases i had in my house and SELLING THEM
•sell clothes on depop
•play through all lego star wars games
•hand sewing a furby plush (not my long furby my mom helped with that)

these ideas take over your brain SO INTENSELY it’s all you can think about. it PSYCHICALLY HURTS
ex: last year i was sitting in math class CONSUMED with wanting to dye my hair green. i wanted it so bad my stomach hurt and my skin felt like fire. i felt this way for 3 HOURS!!!!

you also feel like buying things!! things you don’t need!! there are lots of things ive bought and don’t want/like once i’m not hypomanic.

some people also have psychosis which is hallucinations and delusions that the person experiencing thinks are 100% true. i don’t experience this so i would google it if you want some examples.

now you know that being bipolar does not mean “you switch moods quickly from happy to sad.” everyone has mood shifts throughout the day/life that’s normal. it’s BEYOND disrespectful to see people water bipolar disorder down to “oh my mood changes rapidly haha”

also, NEVER use bipolar as a word to describe things or your mood. it’s not a verb, it’s a mental disorder that is debilitating and i would do ANYTHING to not have. remove it from your vocab NOW.

by no means is what i said a comprehensive explanation of bipolar disorder. but now you know more than most people do.

sorry this was long, it’s very important to me. feel free to comment/dm questions, or share you experiences!!

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