Bipolar Support Group

Snap out of it

There are a lot of people worse off than you

You have so many things to be thankful for, how can you be depressed?

You’d feel better if you got off all those pills

What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger

Go out and have some fun

I know how you feel

So you’re depressed, aren’t you always?

This too shall pass

We all have our crosses to bear

And as a bonus, my personal favorite: We create our own reality.

Why These are Stupid Things to Say

Any of those statements shows that you have no idea what you’re talking about. You fundamentally do not understand the concept of an illness if you think any one of these are appropriate. I suggest trying it with other disorders and see how you feel:

Hey, diabetic, snap out of it.

Hey, epileptic, I know how you feel.

Hey, paraplegic, so you can’t use your legs, isn’t that always the case?

Hey, person with multiple sclerosis, we create our own reality.

You get the idea. No one would think that is reasonable, and it’s no more reasonable just because you can’t see the illness because it’s in my brain.

These Are Hurtful Things to Say

And perhaps worse than showing ignorance, these things even inflict pain on the person you’re trying to “help”. You are saying that:

They could choose not to be sick if they really wanted

Their illness is not serious

They have no “reason” to be ill

Their treatment is wrong

They’ll be better off from it

They would be fine if they would just “go out”

Their illness is minimal

Their pain doesn’t matter

They should just wait for the pain to end

Their illness is just like anyone else’s problem

They choose to be sick

Again, I dare you to tell a person with any other illness any of those things.

And lest we forget, the mentally ill person in front of you is already probably feeling very bad about themselves, and you have chosen to go and make it worse.

I've never really noticed anything wrong with you.

Now that's after 10 hospitalizations, ECT treatments and years on disability. I guess wild and crazy gal or severely down and out just seems like the norm to some. They seem to think that the pdoc's are just having fun putting a normy in the crazy clink.

Post edited by: Cthebird, at: 03/15/2012 10:49 AM

If only all adults were so thoughtful.

Yeah, I get depressed like you.

*someone who doesn't understand mental illness* I'm bipolar like you! But I'm not bipolar...? I'm under going diagnoses... Yeah but I'm exactly like you! (Or I hate people who hint at it)

Turn that frown upside down! (This happened today and I hit the person who said it)

I completely understand everything you're going through, I nearly killed myself once. I broke a nail (or some pathetic excuse)

You said some of the ones people have said to me or my daughter who is also bipolar.

1. Snap out of it. Hear this one the most and mostly from people who should know better. My husband is a recovering alcoholic and most of the people in my Alanon group would tell me this everytime that I was depressed when I came to group. Alcoholism is an illness and the alcoholics in their lfe couldn't just snap out of that. Plus, if I could snap out of it; don't you think I would.

2. You'd feel better if you got off all those pills. My daughter's husband tells her this almost daily and has even hidden her pills from her.

3. I know how you feel. Yeah sure! The main reason that I came to MDJ was because I would find people who understand bipolar disorder and OCD.

My own personal favorite - It's all in your head. They mean you made it up; it's not real

I also was shopping once and I heard two young Walmart employees saying I hate those bipolar people. I really got pissed and confronted them (something I usually wouldn't do).

We all have or own cross to bear is classic with my friends too.

I'm not saying that we should have more rights or get better treatment then anyone else. Only that we are either not taking seriously or oh it can't be that bad. Oh, i don't know, how about you go through mental anguish for weeks, listen to the voices of ungodly voices and then tell me it's not so bad. Really?

yeah, it's all in your head, exactly.

The last primary care doctor i met, told me that i was over medicated and she didn't know how she was going to help me with my health problems if i was going to choose to take these meds. What?

I would suspect that you would treat me like anyone else with these illnesses, no matter the cause. Did you not take an oath.

Post edited by: niecyspieces, at: 03/15/2012 11:47 AM

There's one you'd never say to a person with a physical ailment.

Thanks for posting.

Exactly, like the house will fall down and everything will go to hell if you don't clean when your sick. Okay, when you have the flu make sure your house looks great, then we can talk..lol

Post edited by: niecyspieces, at: 03/15/2012 11:52 AM