Bipolar is an illness....... not a personality flaw

[jazzmonkey]

I have seen on here too many times that a parent is bipolar so they are worthless. Please stop this. It is a pepetuation of a stero type that mental illness is okay to use as a dehumanizing tool. People use to use race the same way. Not once have I seen on here that "oh parent a has diabetes so they are worthless. " Did you know that a majority of Americans suffer from some form of mental illness or personality disorder. That it affects every family in one way or other. That if one parent has it than there is a strong chance that the skid that you love like your own will either have it or have a child with it. That in the '50's people with cancer were talked about in the same way as people with mental illness are today. It is the last bastion of socially acceptable bigotry. If mental illness affects your family get educated, yes if BM is actually bipolar than SM needs to get educated. NAMI online is a good place to start. Thank you for reading this.

[Bozo75]

I'm bipolar and before I was diagnosed, I'm sure my kids hated it. The highs and lows suck and I would get really low. I've been on my meds for 5 yrs now and things are so different and better now. I honestly don't know what I would do without them.

[liltigersmom]

I'm not bipolar
I have bipolar disorder
do you call someone with cancer, cancer?

[liltigersmom]

Haha oh my...

Mania is not curling up in a ball, that would be ::::drum roll::: please, depression.

Quoting cc77:

I think there are a lot of medical conditions that result in someone not being able to care for a child.  I am sorry, but that is my opinion.  If you can't keep a child safe, cared for etc then you are unfit.

If you are going to be so manic that you curl up in bed and ignore your child that is neglect.

If you go off your meds and get so angry you are throwing things and hurting those around you that is abuse.

Medical diagnosis or not.... you are unfit in these situations.

[liltigersmom]

Imo I think, it all comes down to, how the person manages their illness.

Clearly some cannot, my friends sister, was bipolar, had tons of kids, abandoned them. So no, she wasn't fit.

But a lot of people, can manage their illness, just fine.

[mirm99]

Thanks for posting... I agree completely...

[lilangilyn]

I appreciate you posting this. I think some people get bi polar confused with border line personality disorder. Bi polar people have the ability and the desire to live perfectly normal lives. They do not have the same issues as those with personality disorders and can have great jobs, kids and families.

Have you read about the success of this being treated with vibration therapy? I have a family member that this is working so well on that she no longer needs medication. It's so wonderful. You would never know that she has ever been diagnosed bi polar.

[chanizen]

There is a difference between living with a mental illness and behaving poorly. For me there has always been a HUGE distinction between the two. I have known kind and wonderful people who struggle and overcome mental illnesses or mental challenges. And of course there are many cognitive "typicals" who behave poorly. I agree with this post entirely.

I have been recently been re-examining how I use the word crazy (personally, I do NOT use it to mean mentally ill). I use it to describe what is to me irrational behavior or behavior intended to shock, threaten or disturb. But because it can be so dismissive... And so many people use the term to put down people with mental illness. I'm re-thinking it.

There is no reason to mock or belittle a person with a mental illness. Honestly, I think most people do it out of fear and not just ignorance.

Also, when I see statistics where 10% or more of the female population is diagnosed with a disorder..... It's not a disorder. It then is either 1). Mislabeling and misdiagnosis OR. 2) within the range of NORMAL behavior.

[neverbeamom]

I'm bipolar!!  Proudly!!  Haha.

I have personality flaws, for sure.  That is not one of them.

[neverbeamom]

Uhhhh....

Comparing apples to oranges.

Quoting Ms.Gwen:

How about MS or alzhiemers? Should you be allowed to care for a child if you literally can't lift a finger to help them or can't remember that they even exist?

[neverbeamom]

Hmmm.  When I used to get manic, I would clean my house top to bottom, shop for crap I didn't need, not sleep for 48-60 hours, and write like crazy.  That's MANIA.

You're talking about the DEPRESSIVE part of, "manic depression," another term for bipolar disorder.

Quoting cc77:

I think there are a lot of medical conditions that result in someone not being able to care for a child.  I am sorry, but that is my opinion.  If you can't keep a child safe, cared for etc then you are unfit.

If you are going to be so manic that you curl up in bed and ignore your child that is neglect.

If you go off your meds and get so angry you are throwing things and hurting those around you that is abuse.

Medical diagnosis or not.... you are unfit in these situations.