Why don't I have a right to feel happy?

Question

I'm depressed nearly all the time, & therapists tell me to think positive & don't focus on the negative. But the minute I become happy, they wanna diagnose me as bipolar. Since WHEN has happiness become a mental illness? Everyone has highs & lows of life! Why does the term bipolar even exist? Why is it even a diagnosis?

Answer 1

That does make sense, everyone moods go up and down. But maybe bi polar is more extreme, and the cycles are more frequent, and it's not based on real life events. but if you are feeling happy without being super hyper, and it's a good peaceful feeling, that's a good thing. keep it up. Just thinking about positive does not always solve the problem, finding the core of your problems, and expressing yourself about the key problem and trying out solutions can make things better more than postive thinking, although positive thinking helps.

Answer 2

Everyone has the right to be happy, but some people just need some help. Even though happiness takes a positive attitude, I don't think someone can just make his or herself be happy. I've seen people on and off for over 20 years for depression, and I've tried a few different antidepressants. Finally, almost two years ago, I started seeing a good psychiatrist who specializes in medication. He diagnosed me as being Bipolar 2. I'm not ashamed of it. I don't consider myself to be mentally ill. It's just an imbalance of something in my body. Now I'm taking a mood stabilizer, not an antidepressant, called Lamictal, which is a drug originally made for epilepsy. I'm very glad I do. I don't call it a "happy pill." I feel down and discouraged some days, just like everyone else. That's just called "feeling normal." No one needs to go through life feeling depressed most of the time. There's help out there. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

One word of advice - If you do decide to take medication, I highly recommend seeing a psychiatrist. Other doctors don't have the expertise to prescribe those types of drugs, and to monitor it.

Answer 3

I think they created the "bipolar" label to hide that some people are just athletic and need something more athletic to do. Try exercising to brighten your days and keep your energy level happy! A psychiatrist sometimes says it will do the same thing. It's supposed to be a real disorder and it may be, but not every person in the world can be bipolar. It's just an excuse to put you on medications. Do you know schools get an extra 5 dollars for ever kid they put on Ridlin? It makes them study and concentrate harder. It's all politics. Do yoga, pilates, or aerobics! It will do you better than worrying over psychiatrists!

Answer 4

Being bi-polar is a medical diagnosis. If you think of the earth with it's north and south poles, I can explain it like this. Assume the north pole is VERY, VERY Happy, and the south pole is TERRIBLY extremely depressed. Most people spend their entire lives in the middle with approaches to the north and south. People who are bi-polar make very wide swings into the manic "happy" stage, and big deep plummets into the depressive stages. When they are happy, they're VERY happy, and when they're depressed they may not be able to get out of bed. The medications allow a person with the disorder to stay in the more "temperate" areas of the globe with the rest of us. Everybody has highs and lows, but bi-polar people swing way out further than is normal. Bi-polar people tend to "self-medicate" with alcohol and drugs, which isn't real smart, or healthy. I'd get a second opinion before taking any medication for bi-polar from any physician. The treatment, sometimes lithium, is sometimes worse than the disorder.

Answer 5

Bi- polar means very specific things. It means that you usually feel very depressed and unhappy for a period of time and than you feel really happy and capable of doing anything. When people are in manic stage or the very happy stage they have been know to go on buying sprees and spending thousands of dollars in a few days. Or they done things like try and paint the whole house in a matter of say three days by themselves. That's almost impossible even from a apartment as small as mine. Bi-polar means mood swings that are vastly different in a short period of time. If you don't swing from one to the other like I described than you probably don't' have bi-polar disorder but you should ask your doctors what your diagnoses is.

Answer 6

Yeah...I know what you mean. My husband had died...things were bad...I was sad. Things got better....thought I had a born again experience...was really happy that God cared about me...so they decided I was bipolar. (gave me MASSIVE doses of lithium etc....dr. said it was the most he'd ever given anyone...just about killed me) I wasn't bipolar. I think they have fads...if a diagnosis is popular...they think everybody has it. "Just because somebody...even a dr. ...says something...doesn't mean it's true.!" What made him think that was because I said "I'm the happiest I've ever been."...Be careful who you tell when you're happy. lol

Answer 7

That term, along with many others in the medical system exist, simply because they need to make money!

Answer 8

i think their is too much money to be made in medicine, and mental illness is the new cash cow!! i too suffer from depression, i have learned ways to deal with it without getting on meds or going to therapy (not suggesting that for everyone, it just works for me).

Answer 9

I think they probaly dont understand that you want to be happy. I wonder that too because everyone has different moods its part of being human.