These are some of the most common myths and misconceptions about the mental illness. By Katie Wright.
In recent years, more and more celebrities have opened up about their experience with bipolar disorder - the mental illness characterised by significant mood swings, from manic highs to deep depressions.
In 2020, Selena Gomez revealed she had been diagnosed with the condition, telling fellow pop star Miley Cyrus in an interview on Instagram Live she was "relieved that I finally had the knowledge of why I had suffered with various depressions and anxieties for so many years".
In 2018, Mariah Carey told People magazine: "Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me," after being diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder (which is associated with hypomania, or less severe manic episodes) following her hospitalisation in 2001. American singer Demi Lovato shared details of their diagnosis in 2012 documentary film, Stay Strong.
While it's encouraging to see people in the public eye speaking out and helping to destigmatise the condition, there are still a lot of misconceptions around bipolar.
We asked some experts and people living with bipolar to explain what they want the world to understand about the disorder...
1. Mania doesn't feel pleasurable
The stereotype of an artistic genius enjoying a period of intense creativity while in the manic stage isn't entirely accurate.
"While hypomania (a less severe stage that can come before mania) can feel pleasurable, as I'm full of energy and productive, if my mood spirals up into mania it feels incredibly scary," says actor Natasha Rea, author of Me, Myself And Bipolar Brenda. "At that point, I've literally lost my mind."
2. Having bipolar 2 isn't necessarily easier than bipolar 1
There are two main types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar 1 is characterised by periods of depression and mania, while bipolar 2 generally involves long periods of depression and hypomania - but that doesn't mean it's necessarily easier.
"Episodes of mania experienced by people with bipolar 1 are deeply distressing for the individual and their loved ones," says Simon Kitchen, CEO of Bipolar UK (bipolaruk.org). "But bipolar 2 can be equally challenging to manage, with people telling us they can have long periods where they're so depressed they find it hard to get out of bed."
3. Depression is much more than just a low mood
"Being depressed is not something you can just snap out of," says actor Adam Deacon. "Imagine being trapped under tons of rubble and someone suggests you simply free yourself... It's not that easy."
4. It's more common than you might think
"While it is impossible to calculate an exact number, it's estimated that over a million adults in the UK have bipolar," says Kitchen.
5. Bipolar can affect absolutely anyone
"It doesn't discriminate," says TV and radio presenter Leah Charles-King, who was diagnosed after suffering bouts of depression and anxiety for nearly a decade. "Bipolar affects people from all backgrounds regardless of gender, race or religion."
6. Diagnosis can take far too long
On average, it takes nine years from when a person first contacts a healthcare professional about symptoms to getting a diagnosis of bipolar.
"I first saw a psychiatrist when I was 19, and only got my diagnosis when I was 50," says app developer Andrew Thompson. "I struggled for decades with a misdiagnosis of depression."
7. People with bipolar can manage the condition
Although there isn't currently a cure for bipolar, a variety of different mood stabilising drugs are often prescribed.
"People with bipolar can be well for weeks, month or years at a time," says Kitchen. "With the right treatment and support in place, everyone with bipolar can lead a 'normal' life."
8. Women with bipolar can have children
"Ideally, they should get preconception advice and be under the care of a specialist perinatal team," says Dr Clare Dolman, patient and public involvement lead at the Section of Women's Mental Health, King's College London. "But there's no reason why they shouldn't be excellent mothers."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here