🎉A Most Unreliable Narrator 🌎 Issue #180 World Bipolar Day
#bipolarstrong
Welcome to A Most Unreliable Narrator, the slice-of-life newsletter of GenXer around town, Lisa Rabey. I talk about anything and everything with a bit of swears. I’m glad you’re here.
Dear Internet,
March 30th is World Bipolar Day and I planned on sending this week’s issue on my history of the disease on that day. I was closing in on 2000 words and then I just dumped it all. Sunday, I didn’t feel like writing, so I pushed off this issue to today.
Bipolar is a misunderstood disease and its media treatment is abhorrent. It, and schizophrenia, are the two go-to diseases when someone shoots up, blows up, or is generally evil towards others. Bipolar has a really bad rap and while I have very little issue talking about it plainly, I’ve had people shun me when they found out because of the reputation attached to it. And a lot of ways, I can’t really blame them as I’ve been a raving asshole when my illness goes unchecked. The other thing that kills me is when people self-diagnose themselves as having the disease because they’ve have a rapid mood cycle. There is a lot more to the disease than just a rapid mood cycle and self-diagnosing is harmful to those who actually have the disease.
Keeping that in mind, I thought throwing out facts and figures to better understand the disease might help dispel the negativity surrounding it. Can bipolar be a scary thing? Fuck yes! Especially when you’re in the throes of a manic episode but it can be managed.
Women in peri or full menopause, and are bipolar, have an increased risk of having bipolar episodes (lucky fucking me!).
Adolescents as young as 10 can be diagnosed (I was 11 when I had my first manic episode).
Bipolar episodes can come from environmental or genetic causes or a combination of both.
Bipolar diagnosis can be managed with therapy and meds but there are many who choose to not manage their illness with either. I, on the other hand, know I will be on meds for the rest of my life and I attend regular therapy sessions.
Nearly 3% of the population aged 18 and over have bipolar.
Both assigned male or female at birth can get bipolar and the average age of onset is 25.
More than 2/3rds of those with bipolar have at least one close relative with the disease. (My grandfather, mother, and possibly an aunt were bipolar.)
It’s the sixth leading cause of disability in the world.
One in five with bipolar completes suicide.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance is one of the best support groups for those with bipolar. If you have a few bucks, please consider donating to DBSA. Thank you.
For now, and for me, things are relatively good. My heavy depression has lifted, I’m not having manic episodes, and I continue to take my drugs.
Wonderful Thing
Produced by Tina Fey and Sara Bareilles, Girls5eva is the story of a one-hit wonder ‘90s/’00s girl group who reform after an up and coming rapper sample one of their songs.
Girls5eva was on my radar for some time but honestly, I don’t remember how or when. What I do recall is I knew it was about the reformation of a ‘90s girl group which is always super cool.
The show is just so damn charming and wholesome. If you dig a middle-age coming of age story, musicals, and plucky heroines, watch Girls5eva on Netflix.
Famous for fun-hundred years,
lisa x
(Fuck fascists and Nazis!)
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