People living with Bipolar Disorder (BD) not only affects the life of the individual with the disorder, it also affects the lives of the people surrounding him/her. The distinct changes of moods can occur suddenly and disrupt family dynamics. As shown in the article titled Extra dimensions in all aspects of life—the meaning of life with bipolar disorder, the extent of the family’s understanding and acceptance is the level of the closeness of the family. The acceptance creates a support system for someone who has BD. Participants in this study claimed that many of their relationships were scared off because they were “too intense”. And on the other side of the disorder, friends would get annoyed how often they were “sick”. While in popular
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Due to the age of onset, the concern of one’s identify and the impact that BD has. One of the interview questions for the participants in this study was how others define you. Many of the subjects discussed how people judge you by your disorder. Others think that the BD is who they are but the participants do not think that BD defines them. Again, I find it interesting that both articles touch upon the sense of discouragement that people with BD have throughout their life. Whether it be their work life, love life, or familial relationships, it seems as though all aspects of their lives are affected from an early age. The age of onset is also extremely important to discuss due to the cognitive development adolescents endure during this time. At this age, they are learning and modeling their behavior with their surrounding environment. This in addition to possible genetic factors creates intense symptoms and more long term …show more content…
An outside article written by Christopher Lane Ph.D titled “The bipolar child is a purely American phenomenon”: An interview with Philip Dawdy, places much of the blame on pharma companies and “Harvard crew of child psychiatrists”. In this he argues that BD2 is more defined by depression and agitation. He claims that “the minute someone gets hit with a bipolar disorder diagnosis of any subtype, then they are faced with a profoundly bad set of social assumptions; they get stigmatized by friends and family; and they lose their jobs.” While, I do not have a lot of experience dealing with BD2, I do find that his point as some merit. This label of BD2 is very harming to an individual’s life. He/she is looked at differently and people become more cautious around them. Dr. Lane proposes calling the BD2 diagnosis something else, however does not offer a solution to his suggested change. Despite his argument, I do believe that BD2 is becoming more socially acceptable. While society may never fully understand the full effects on the individual, there is more sympathy for those who are
Due to the age of onset, the concern of one’s identify and the impact that BD has. One of the interview questions for the participants in this study was how others define you. Many of the subjects discussed how people judge you by your disorder. Others think that the BD is who they are but the participants do not think that BD defines them. Again, I find it interesting that both articles touch upon the sense of discouragement that people with BD have throughout their life. Whether it be their work life, love life, or familial relationships, it seems as though all aspects of their lives are affected from an early age. The age of onset is also extremely important to discuss due to the cognitive development adolescents endure during this time. At this age, they are learning and modeling their behavior with their surrounding environment. This in addition to possible genetic factors creates intense symptoms and more long term …show more content…
An outside article written by Christopher Lane Ph.D titled “The bipolar child is a purely American phenomenon”: An interview with Philip Dawdy, places much of the blame on pharma companies and “Harvard crew of child psychiatrists”. In this he argues that BD2 is more defined by depression and agitation. He claims that “the minute someone gets hit with a bipolar disorder diagnosis of any subtype, then they are faced with a profoundly bad set of social assumptions; they get stigmatized by friends and family; and they lose their jobs.” While, I do not have a lot of experience dealing with BD2, I do find that his point as some merit. This label of BD2 is very harming to an individual’s life. He/she is looked at differently and people become more cautious around them. Dr. Lane proposes calling the BD2 diagnosis something else, however does not offer a solution to his suggested change. Despite his argument, I do believe that BD2 is becoming more socially acceptable. While society may never fully understand the full effects on the individual, there is more sympathy for those who are