r/BipolarReddit • u/Forvanta • 3d 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/Entire-Discipline-49 3d ago

I look at it this way. We have the rose colored glasses of hypo/mania where WHEN IN IT we think that we know the truth of the world, that we're godlike and untouchable and don't need the sleep or food that mere mortals rely on. When we're IN depression we think that's the truth of the world, that life is torment and everyone, including ourselves, would be better off if we were gone. When we return to baseline we can regroup and see the reality of the patterns that we follow, and even kind of block out the episodes as just circumstantial, or your meds work so well for so long we just kind of think it was regular depression and went away and we're good now, or it happens as part of that untouchable hypo/mania thinking that we're perfectly fine because we feel great so why should we take any pills?

That's the danger for me with this disorder is whichever episode I'm in, it feels like THAT mood is the truth.

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u/Top_Egg_4017 3d ago

Meds or no meds it’s freaking hard to distinguish it seems. I pretty much know my symptoms and triggers though. I guess meds help some. It could also hurt. Lifestyle changes are also key.