Understanding bipolar disorder

Meuren Martins
Contributor
When we think about bipolar disorder, we think ‘abnormal.’
While the illness does characterize strange tendencies, bipolar disorder is much more than just strange behavior. According to helpguide.org, bipolar disorder is an individual’s ongoing battle with huge shifts in mood, energy, thinking and behavior. Different cultures around the world see bipolar disorder differently and with some cultures, bipolar disorder is misunderstood and seen in a wholly negative light.
In a recent study by the Archives of General Psychiatry, approximately 4.4 percent of Americans were diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  That number dropped to 2.4 percent globally – only 0.1 percent of people in India have been diagnosed with the disorder, for example. Countries with a lower percentage of bipolar behaviour, like India, usually do not identify the disorder.
In India, familial reputation is highly valued, and the idea of hurting that reputation forces some people to hide their mental health issues from their parents or close relatives. It’s the same in Middle Eastern countries such as Afghanistan, where many mental health professionals are not called upon in the community, according to the Sabawoon Afghan Family Education and Counselling Centre in Ontario.
For years, mental illness has been the victim of many stereotypes, and has been used in many jokes in western culture.
People with bipolar disorder also suffer from not getting the psychiatric help they need. The study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry revealed “less than half of those with lifetime [bipolar spectrum disorder] received mental health treatment, particularly in low-income countries, where only 25.2 percent reported contact with the mental health system.”
Though bipolar patients go through so much, the situation is not entirely hopeless. Through education and awareness, more people with bipolar disorder can be treated. People who are diagnosed with bipolar or other mood disorders can turn to websites such as those for the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, or the Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorder.
There is a general level of stigma associated with mental illness around the world. In some nations it has a lot of awareness, while in others, it may not even be recognized. As more knowledge is gained about mental illness, it will be helpful to challenge stereotypes and give better treatment for those living with various disorders, such as bipolar.