Social Stigma Research Paper

Bipolar Disorder as a Social Stigma A stigma can have many different meanings, but in sociology, a stigma is a concept in which someone is perceived as “different,” usually in a negative manner. Every person has some type of stigma that separates them from the rest of society. There are three types of stigmas: abominations of the body, blemishes of character, and a tribal stigma. Abomination of the body is a physical stigma that can be seen with the eye, while blemishes of character is a flaw someone has within them, usually having to do with one’s personality. Lastly, a tribal stigma are traits that a specific ethnic group, religion, or nationality has that is abnormal from the others. However, I will be talking about a specific stigma that I obtain and how it affects my daily life; this stigma falls into the blemishes of character category. I have personal experience with the stigma, bipolar disorder. Both my parents and myself have been diagnosed with this disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior. In other words, you can be overly happy one minute then have periods of being extremely angry or sad. People tend to misinterpret this illness in many ways (uncertainty of definitions).
Many people just assume that someone who is bipolar is “crazy” or “out of control, but this is not usually the case. Others also do not realize that it is a disorder that you must be diagnosed with in order to know if you actually obtain the illness. People are constantly telling others they are bipolar just because they had an intense mood swing at one instance. However, there are many other symptoms to bipolar disorder such as lack of sleep, feelings of worthlessness, weight loss or gain, loss of interest or pleasure in an activity, and losing your grip on reality. There is more to this disorder than people think. We cannot just “get over it,” or “suck it up” or “snap out of it.” It can take years or even a lifetime of medication and therapy to control the symptoms. For example, my dad has been going to therapy and taking many different types of medication for over twenty years, and still continues to struggle with his life because of it. Another thing that bipolar people have to deal with is others looking for their minor failings as evidence to their illness. If someone knows you are bipolar they will hold you against any outburst you make. If I fail a test, I am usually upset for quite some time and not in the best mood towards others, and my friends will constantly point out that I need to “stop being so bipolar.” In my opinion, most people are upset when they fail at something, not just a bipolar person. Anything that I do that is out of the ordinary is supposedly because I am bipolar, according to others. This is not always true, however. I feel like I always have to be as nice and calm as possible to everyone I know or else someone will point out my flaw. Personal boundaries are definitely violated if someone knows you are bipolar. I have had friends and even family try to stir up an argument just to see me snap. Some people find it entertaining, while others just want to see how far I will go. As I mentioned earlier, my dad is bipolar, and he does this the most. It turns into a complete yelling match by the end because he ends up getting angry too. It amazes me how much amusement people get out of a small white girl screaming at the top of her lungs and punching things. I have even had this girl at school try to fight me just to see what I would do. When others break personal boundaries towards me, I tend to break personal boundaries towards them. I have even broke personal boundaries with myself, which is something beyond my control. Bipolar disorder is an illness that struggles with personal boundaries more than many others, so people should not do such to them. There are a few responses to this stigma, but correction is probably the most important. This stigma is corrected by medications and therapy/counseling. I try to see my therapist at least twice a month, in order for her to give me the right medication. She has to know how I am acting and feeling with each medicine before she can know what is working best for me. It is also just nice to talk to someone who is not going to judge me when I am feeling a little bit “psycho.” From personal experience, medicine has helped tremendously. It makes me feel more calm and less stressed. However, it has not got rid of the issue overall. Other bipolar people might not think as I do, but I believe bipolar disorder has a secondary gain.
I tend to get extra attention from my grandparents because they know I have not always been the most happy child. Also, my parents do not expect me to get perfect grades due to the stress I put myself through. People also tend to be super nice to me knowing that I will get very angry, very fast if they say something upsetting. I guess someone could say I get a little special treatment, but only from the people who know I am bipolar and how it affects me. Being bipolar has also helped me to scare people, so no one wants to mess with me or take advantage of me (my niceness or
meanness). Reassessing bipolar as “normal” is also very important. It is my normal, and it is not something I can take away. About 2.5% of people are bipolar, which is a lot of people. Also, some of the symptoms bipolar people have are seen in people who are not bipolar. There are always people who are going to be moody, due to their lack of sleep or exercise. Eating unhealthy can also cause a person to get sad out of no where. There are people who have a hard time focusing on things that are important due to the amount of stress they could be under. Overall, what I am trying to say is that almost everyone has a little bipolar in them. I wish I was not bipolar, but seeing others do similar things I struggle with makes me feel a little less abnormal. If a person who is bipolar can just admit that they are bipolar and that it is perfectly okay they would be much happier. I am not speaking for all people with bipolar disorder; I am just sharing my own experiences with the illness. We can learn from each other and increase awareness, which can hopefully lessen stigma in society. I have learned to deal with people mocking my illness, but not all people are like me. It is not just bipolar disorder that is stigmatized, it is all mental illnesses that are stigmatized. I do not even believe they should be called illnesses. That makes it seem like I regret who I am, which is not the case. Being bipolar is not an illness because it gives me insights and abilities thats those without an “illness” has. People may call me crazy, but at least I can say that I am different.