Diagnosis: Bipolar
Diagnosis: Bipolar
When I was 20-years-old I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 2. Suddenly my life made sense. One word explained why I was the way I’m. It was a pill hard to swallow. Especially for my family. My mom hasn’t completely accepted and it’s been 9 years since the diagnosis. I don’t think she will ever fully accept it. I guess is very hard to hear that your only child will need to take medication to be able to function like a regular person for the rest of her life.
I’m very open about my condition with my friends and the people who knows me. But my family, uncles, and aunts, don’t know about it. My parents kept it secret. I guess they didn’t want them to judge me. Also, they didn’t want the world to judge me. Because even though I’m happy and I don’t see why I should keep it a secret, I know people judged people like me.
That’s the reason why I’m writing a series of stories about the reality of how truly is to be a person with bipolar disorder. I believe that the only way we, bipolars, and other psychological conditions, are going to stop being misunderstood and judged is by educating the public and sharing our stories. Because Hollywood has done a terrible job so far, instead of actually tell true stories, they have exaggerated the symptoms and show us like unstable monsters or time bombs. And at least in my case, I’m nothing like that.
Every brain it’s different. So every single case of bipolar disorder it’s different. Different combinations of medication, different levels of severity. So I can only talk from my personal experience. Also, I’m not a psychiatrist. I will try to get an interview with one for the next piece. But if you feel related to my symptoms or my stories, or you know someone like me, a member of your family, the first step should always be looking for professional advice.
If you are starting the hard process that is to diagnose, and start to seek the treatment you need to be patient. It took me two long years to finally found the right combination of medication that works for me, and two psychiatrists. Because you need to find the right doctor for you! The person that is committed to keep looking for a combination of medication that allows you to function like a regular human being and not just give you whatever and walk like a zombie in life!
There are a lot of doctors out there that they simply don’t love their job. They prescribe you standard doses of medication, following a recipe as if you were a baking cake. The next morning you wake up without light in your eyes, no personality, no energy, empty. The reason why a lot of psychiatric patients stop taking their medication over time. Who wouldn’t stop taking something that steals everything that makes you who you are?
I was lucky. I found a wonderful woman on my second try. She promised me that she wasn’t going to stop trying until we find the perfect combination of medication that allowed me to feel “normal”. I don’t like that word because nobody is normal. And if you considerer your self that you are boring. Life is too short to be normal, a touch of craziness is needed. If I wasn’t I wouldn’t have the nerves to take the risk to create this company, to write this personal story, and be vulnerable to criticism. But if sharing my story might help one person, just one that is worth it for me.
As I write before on the home page of the site, the purpose of this site is to have a safe environment for dialogue and conversations. Even for topics like this one that might not be very comfortable for most people. But I’m open to answering your questions about my condition as honest and open as I can be.
Zuzu Ramirez CEO of Stop Look Share
Comments
Post a Comment