Why is denial so strong in Bipolar disorder?

Question

(I've been accused of having it but still don't believe it)

Answer 1

You mean denial that you are sick? Lack of insight is one of the symptoms of the disorder. Many people with bipolar recognize very well that something is wrong. The trouble is, if you are depressed, it is only natural to look around in your life for an explanation of why you feel so bad. So you think it's your job, or your friend was mean to you, or you're bored, whatever. And a lot of times, the depressions are bad enough that you don't go to work or school or have subpar performance, and there are extremely negative consequences for that. So then you really DO have a reason to be depressed!! In mania, everything makes sense, you really believe the rest of humanity is a bunch of lazy idiots and only you and a few other gifted ones will light up the world for the rest of you to live happily ever after. How you think is so very dependent on mood, even for people without a mental disorder, it's so hard to step outside of yourself for a bit and see that there is something wrong, if you can even do that at all. Also, depression and mania cause severe cognitive problems, very often, so you can't think straight like you would normally. Also, there is terrible stigma, even the docs didn't want to see that I had it, because then my life would be over. So at the time I had a textbook case of bipolar, and even gave them the info and ASKED if I was bipolar (this was before the Internet) and they said no. Also, the meds ahve terrible side effects, and you have to take them forever. Nobody likes doing that.

Answer 2

Because of the high ups and the low downs the disorder brings...someone who is bipolar and not receiving proper treatment has a warped sense of reality. One day they are not only on top of the world, but feel they own it, the next day the want to crawl under a rock and feel worthless. Hard to have a reality check with those extremes.

Answer 3

I don't agree with you. Just because you are in denial doesn't mean that others are.

I have always known something was wrong with me but until my diagnosis I didn't know what. While I don't like being bi-polar I thought it was wonderful to finally know what was wrong. And until the diagnosis I was not appropriately treated. While it is a difficult disease to live with, it can be managed to some degree by medication & counseling.

Only until you can accept your diagnosis, can you become better mentally. You will also learn behavior modification so as not to lead a destructive life-style.

Answer 4

...all very good contributions.

denial is non-acceptance. and what one can deny be matter/feeling/idea of relationship.

this enables personal integrity of the being doing/being/having the denial symptom.

the intensity of denial measured by the feeling/mind rations within possible consideration(s)...with openness that other(s) ration(s) do/be/have forth-coming of the being.

any suggestion of a bi-polar identity show in the consciousness that there be two poles of identity and creation in the activities/behaviours and energy out-put which enables another to identify what-so-ever with in relationship.

so extreming highs and extreming lows associated with relationship to environment. self to environmental/social conditions.

so insighted by and through a consciousness.

with respect to realize what of the consciousness and enviroment conditions relate.

also with respect to history and present and perhaps also future.

having myself experienced movement from a pole to an other pole and with respect to some known conditions i have come to the conclusion (at least in the present) that what-ever is on the mind be material/idea for feeling creation.

the relationship between is ever creating / creative.

ecstatic and inverted ecstatic experiences are adjoined and opposing values of creation....each moving in relation to the other.

one side (love) or other side (fear) by relationship of created thoughts and physical feeling combinations.

if one is experiencing extreme lows of a bi-polar like symptoms/identities it must be true that there is a equal and greater appending love for there to be low consideration due to known or unknown fears.

i myself would not identity myself as a bi-polar person ... and yet ... i am sure i have experienced bi-polar like symptoms. and i say that not really knowing them all or agreeing with cause and relationship of parts. i don't know. i have not read an official script which details this so-called disorder...or whatever.

but going back to denial. yes. denial is a very real agitant or friend when denial split the consciousness of the person which may be holding a contradictory idea/experience mentally/spiritually embodied.

the holding or releasing of a definable or undefinable value(s) identity can truly do be have crisis experience.

but i must hold that a consciousness in coming to know that which it seeks to know as valueable will finally recognize that experience of seeming loss of values which cause to create extreme lows occur within the process of values identification to a person (and/or society).

giving a person a work/play sheet for values identification which relates holding and releasing criteria may be very helpfull in the process of soothing extremist feeling extra-polations in the experience.

fascinating topic for sharing of...

thank you for accepting my own contribution.

be well us

Answer 5

I think our lies or how we sometimes tend to fool ourselves is sysmptomatic of how we first buffer ourselves to endure painful truths and endure guilt so we can proceed to the other stages of dealing with stress until we arrive at a quiescent point .this process is common among those with not just mental disorders but normal daily activities as well just look around and you might see it .Bipolar disorder probably has more conflict on their plates then most of us.

Answer 6

Well duh...when you're up, you admit you have issues. And when you're down, you refuse to look at it since it is depressing, In other words, when you're up, you have more strength from being up to handle that you're bi-polar and not strong when down to face the reality of it.
If it is someone else that is bi-polar, not you, forgive me for speaking as if it was you..