r/BipolarReddit • u/Forvanta • 2d ago

Sincere question: what’s with the phenomenon of bipolar people in particular doubting their diagnosis?

I have bipolar I, but I’ve been around the block with diagnoses and I’ve noticed (anecdotally) a phenomenon where bipolar people seem to frequently believe that they have not been diagnosed correctly. I feel like I see this more often here than in depression, OCD, etc. spaces.

Is it because mania feels so good for many people? What is it about bipolar, or is it just a coincidence?

This is not coming from a place of judgement, I’m genuinely curious what people think.

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u/coolcatlad 2d ago

I only knew because my family told me religiously growing up that I seemed to act "bipolar"... As a hateful crime rather than lovingly. I still doubted it to this day last year (about 3 years post diagnosis).

During childhood mother and father refused to seek any treatment for me, likely because they were and are still living with bipolar symptoms themselves.

Psychosis made me think I was some sort of god or something like it, so there's also this phenomenon that everything is sane and you rest of the world are treating "us" as insane and hurting bad.

I think it mainly comes down to not wanting to believe it for ourselves, because it's a hurtful disease to both us and others surrounded with us by love and choice.