In my life as a mental health advocate, I've seen people blame anything and everything on bipolar disorder. It includes everything from thoughts like this obsession and anger to actions such as infidelity and shouting. And in my hundreds of posts here Bipolar Burble, you will find that many things are associated with bipolar disorder. That said, it's a mistake to blame everything on bipolar disorder.
Blaming feelings in bipolar disorder
Of course, bipolar disorder brings with it many feelings. It's a mood disorder, and your mood and feelings are connected. If you are depressed, your mood will be seriously affected. In the absence of euthymia (“normal” mood), bipolar disorder can affect how you feel. Many people often do not experience euthymia, which almost always means that bipolar disorder is to blame for some of the feelings.
That is, some feelings have nothing to do with bipolar disorder. For example, when a loved one dies, grief and the feelings it brings are normal and not to blame for bipolar. Unfortunately, bipolar can do these things negative feelings are worse or longer. It is difficult to know which feelings are due to bipolar disorder and which are not.
Blaming thoughts for bipolar disorder
Just as feelings are intertwined with mood disorders, so are thoughts. Your thoughts are often controlled by your mood. Depression, mania, etc. if you live, you will have thoughts to accompany the associated feelings. The surrounding thoughts are self-blame and suicidal tendencies for example, it is common in bipolar depression. Thoughts surrounding excellence and creativity are shared hypomania or mania, for example.
It's also important to remember that thoughts come from your brain and that bipolar is a brain disorder. So of course your thoughts are affected. Although the thoughts above cover moods, in my experience, other types of thoughts can also be blamed for bipolar disorder. We have a lot in common in the way we think, and I think that's because our brains are all diseased in the same way. For example, obsessive thoughts common for those with bipolar disorder.
Blaming the Acts of Bipolar Disorder
This is where things get sticky for me. While all of the above is true, and many things can be blamed on bipolar disorder, we are still sentient, independent beings responsible for our own actions. There are exceptions to this, namely in the form psychosis. In the case of psychosis, yes, in many cases your actions can be attributed to bipolar disorder. People who have lost touch with reality may not appreciate their actions or the consequences.
However, this is often not the case with most people. Most of the time, you can't blame your actions on bipolar disorder. I know some people want it. I know some people treat bipolar disorder as a get-out-of-jail-free card, but it's not. A strong desire to take action be able blamed for bipolar disorder. Actually doing this action can't blamed for bipolar disorder. Activities are optional.
Don't blame everything on bipolar disorder
People will argue that things like anger are very hard to deny and that the actions they take in anger, for example, are not their fault. I don't agree. No one is forcing you to yell at someone. No one is forcing you to hit someone. It's your voice and your body, and it's up to you to use them responsibly, kindly, and consciously. Bipolar disorder cravings are not the same as having a gun to your head. I know they can be extremely powerful and effective, but they are not undeniable. People like us deny them every day.
The thing is, by blaming everything on bipolar disorder, you're not only “getting out of jail,” you're cursing yourself for never changing or improving. You will always make the mistake you made “due to bipolar disorder” because it is “not your fault”. Actions are definitely your fault. But we can all get better. Improvement is a lifelong process. The mistakes we make today should not be the mistakes we make tomorrow. We are not at a party. We are on such a path we chart.
Don't get me wrong, none of us are perfect and we all do things we shouldn't all the time. Everyone does it. We are human. But that doesn't mean we can blame bipolars for it, and it doesn't mean we shouldn't. take responsibility for it.
How to Avoid Blaming Bipolar Disorder for Everything
We all need to learn to take responsibility for what we do. When we hurt someone, it's important to stand up and say so we To make a mistake. An invisible hand did not. we did This is powerful. That means we have to do it again. It helps both us and the people we hurt. It helps us to try to improve and it helps us to validate that the other person feels hurt. Because it is reasonable for a person to be hurt by you and your events. They don't have to justify your actions because of bipolar disorder. It is also unreasonable to ask them to do so.
Learn to separate your actions from your thoughts and feelings. Your thoughts and feelings may be overwhelming, but they shouldn't force you to take them out on others. To learn separate your brain from your mind and use your mind to dictate your actions I want not taking what they feel is managed to take This is possible. Invest in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); it might help you. Invest in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT); it might help you. It takes time to separate your brain from your mind, your actions from your thoughts and feelings, but you can do it. Remember, you always have a preference for how you think and feel. You just have to learn to do it when you want to.
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