I love this. I’m bipolar. Bipolar is part of me every day of my life. I do things every day to try and take care of myself so that I’m as stable as possible, but it’s not something that comes and goes like a common cold. It’s part of me and that’s okay. Thanks for this post! Loved the deep dive.
Hi—I just subscribed and wanted to introduce myself. I'm bipolar too, and I've been looking for people who think out loud about it as carefully as you do. Glad to have found you.
This gave me a lot to sit with. I'm a quiet person by nature—I leave most things unsaid, so I don't say either sentence out loud very often. But it made me notice which one I'd reach for when I do. The thing you named about “I have”—that it can carry a quiet request to forgive the symptoms, they aren't really me—named something I recognized right away. I hadn't seen the apology hidden in it until you pointed it out. And the idea that the identity isn't finished, that you're still writing it, is a good one to carry around.
I'm bipolar, and I've always preferred saying "I am bipolar" over "I have bipolar." As a therapist, I believe people should have the right to identify themselves however feels most authentic to them. I've had people correct me before, insisting I should say "I have bipolar disorder," but that never felt right.
The comparison that comes to mind is when people say, "I don't see race." I understand the intention is often kindness, but at the end of the day, my race impacts how I move through the world whether people acknowledge it or not. Bipolar feels similar. It shapes my relationships, my work, my creativity, my emotions, and how I experience life. Not just during episodes. Always.
That doesn't mean I think bipolar is all I am. It doesn't mean I think it's a bad thing either.
It just means it's part of me.
What I loved about this piece is that it recognizes the difference between a diagnosis and a person. A diagnosis can explain some of my hardest moments, but it can't explain me. Thank you for sharing! 🖤🤍🖤🤍
I love this. I’m bipolar. Bipolar is part of me every day of my life. I do things every day to try and take care of myself so that I’m as stable as possible, but it’s not something that comes and goes like a common cold. It’s part of me and that’s okay. Thanks for this post! Loved the deep dive.
Hi—I just subscribed and wanted to introduce myself. I'm bipolar too, and I've been looking for people who think out loud about it as carefully as you do. Glad to have found you.
This gave me a lot to sit with. I'm a quiet person by nature—I leave most things unsaid, so I don't say either sentence out loud very often. But it made me notice which one I'd reach for when I do. The thing you named about “I have”—that it can carry a quiet request to forgive the symptoms, they aren't really me—named something I recognized right away. I hadn't seen the apology hidden in it until you pointed it out. And the idea that the identity isn't finished, that you're still writing it, is a good one to carry around.
Looking forward to reading more. Glad to be here.
This really resonated with me.
I'm bipolar, and I've always preferred saying "I am bipolar" over "I have bipolar." As a therapist, I believe people should have the right to identify themselves however feels most authentic to them. I've had people correct me before, insisting I should say "I have bipolar disorder," but that never felt right.
The comparison that comes to mind is when people say, "I don't see race." I understand the intention is often kindness, but at the end of the day, my race impacts how I move through the world whether people acknowledge it or not. Bipolar feels similar. It shapes my relationships, my work, my creativity, my emotions, and how I experience life. Not just during episodes. Always.
That doesn't mean I think bipolar is all I am. It doesn't mean I think it's a bad thing either.
It just means it's part of me.
What I loved about this piece is that it recognizes the difference between a diagnosis and a person. A diagnosis can explain some of my hardest moments, but it can't explain me. Thank you for sharing! 🖤🤍🖤🤍