Bi-Polar, is it getting a bad rap? What do you think of the media labeling that's taking place?

Question

After the spate of reports where suspects of violent or sexual crime have been said to suffer either bi-polar illness (manic depression), unipolar illness (deep chronic depression) or schizophrenia, it would seem every one of them did what he or she is alleged doing because of illness. Do you buy media hype about these illnesses which in reality do not create more violent personalities or behaviors than any in the general population? Why does the media make such a point of noting a suspect's mental illness and never saying that his/her behavior is an aberration even among sufferers, and is not typical of that mental illness? For you among sufferers, as I am, what do you think of this labeling? I'm getting tired of hearing that the first thing mentioned about a suspect is that he is "bi-polar."

Please, you among the juvenile set who answer questions like you take off your clothes and leave them thrown around your room, refrain from grabbing easy points with throw-off and inane answers here. If you have a true contribution to make, I welcome that.

Answer 1

Media labeling is often the result of sensationalism. An attempt to bolster ratings or readership by offering a "cheap and dirty" point of view.

It is far easier to convince the public that a crime was done by "some mental defect" that it is to place the blame on the society for not properly dealing with the individual who did the crime. Criminals are nothing more than an indication of how poorly a society is at nurturing its own citizens.

Being Bipolar is not a crime, it does not lead to criminal behavior and has little to do with actions that involve the general population. Ignorance of this is currently being shown in the mass media and apparently accepted by the public.

Answer 2

I think too many people are mis-diagnosed in the first place. It seems any inappropriate behavior is attributed to being bi-polar now.