-----*Please read the freaking disclaimer at the end of the take before I offend your sensibilities and you start a spam war against me in the comment section. This take is a satirical response to another one, so don't report my article*-----
So today, let's talk about bipolar...and women. Already I can hear the sound of outraged fingers violently hitting the keys in response to such a claim... but have a read first...
You may think I'm going to write a load of unfounded bullshit just to have a pop at women, and that may be true - it may not. You'll have to make up your own mind on that one, but what I will be discussing is a study or two that has looked into bipolar and women. I may also touch on some of the issues bipolar people encounter and how quite a few of these are quite similar to traditional "female characteristics".
It is a fact that women are more prone to bipolar disorder than men. It is also observed quite often that men are much more adept at logical things like maths, systems and engines than women. It is widely observed that women require assistance with everything. (ever try showing a woman how to work a computer? Apparently doing everything at snail's pace is preferable to getting the job done.) All of these characteristics are also true of people with bipolar disorder to some degree or another.
Although bipolar disorder is equally common in women and men, research indicates that approximately three times as many women as men experience rapid cycling.¹
So what is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder
a mental health problem that mainly affects your mood. If you have bipolar disorder, you are likely to have times where you experience:
- manic or hypomanic episodes (feeling high)
- depressive episodes (feeling low)
- potentially some psychotic symptoms during manic or depressed episodes²
Sound familiar? I won't name names, there's too many for starters - but also because we know it's a very common issue with the users here. Unable to keep boyfriends and problems reading too much into every single little thing men do and emotionally over-reacting in hysterical fits of rage. Holding grudges for days, if not weeks, dwelling on things people have said or done and gossiping like crazy. Being emotionally psychotic...if you have ever dealt with women with bipolar then you will know these are things they struggle with. They also often take the most emotional approach to situations and find it difficult to understand logic or rationality and why we sometimes put our feelings to one side and try to deal with situations calmly, and objectively.
Boys tend to have a stronger rational basis for their feelings whereas girls tend to think emotionally first, and then logic is at best an afterthought. Children with bipolar disorder go through unusual mood changes. Sometimes they feel very happy or “up,” and are much more energetic and active than usual, or than other kids their age. Sometimes children with bipolar disorder feel very sad and “down,” and are much less active than usual.³
Rationality is a vital human trait, politically, economically and socially. In the world of society, it is what allows two people to put aside what their own short-term, emotionally influenced interests are to one side and work together to a common goal - trying to understand the rationales and motives of other people even if we are not literally in that person's shoes. In the world of human development, it probably would not have been possible to create machines, engines, language and any sort of system whatsoever without logic. When it comes to human relationships, rationality is very important.
The first type of rationality, refers to the ability to put your own feelings to one side and work towards a larger goal. In a long-term relationship, people are often required to postpone satisfying their short-term desires in order to progress together towards a common goal - something that is in both those people's interests.
People with bipolar often have a hard time putting the emotions that they feel in the present to one side, because they believe that the other person in the relationship has neglected their feelings in someway because they were not constantly paying that person attention. This is even the case when paying too much attention makes the other partner seem too needy or attached so the instable person with bipolar disorder loses interest, but only gains interest again when their partner makes their attention a scarce and therefore valuable commodity. However, if the partner does this too much, the person with bipolar disorder starts to believe that their partner is no longer interested and therefore acts in irrational and chaotic manners. All of this is due to the hectic and irrational mood changes people with bipolar go through.
Bipolar disorder is characterised by recurrent episodes of elevated mood and depression, together with changes in activity levels
Elevated mood is severe and sustained (mania) in bipolar I disorder and less severe (hypomania) in bipolar II disorder
Depression is usually more common and longer lasting than elevated mood, and—together with inter-episode milder symptoms—contributes most to overall morbidity
Other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorder and alcohol and drug misuse, are common
Risk of death from suicide and from natural causes, most often cardiovascular disease, is increased
Treatment is with drugs and supplemental psychotherapies; for both acute episodes and maintenance, treatment is guided by whether mania or depression predominates.⁴
This was a cut down version of an incredibly long list....but looking at this list I'm sure many of us can draw comparisons between the traits of bipolar disorder and common issues many women have about society and relationships and common complaints men have about women; that they feel verbally and psychologically harassed when they make their attention a scarce commodity, and excluded from relationships altogether if they appear too needy or generous with their attention. Difficulty putting their short-term emotions to one side. Difficulty working towards a common goal. Dictating their own set of rules about social etiquette on the spot. Constantly emotionally and psychologically demanding when they're in a relationship. Unable to vocalise emotions without being passive-aggressive (expecting their partner to mind-read) or extremely dramatic. Emotionally damaged. Tendency to manipulate, spread lies and misinformation and create drama and chaos at social events. Anxiety about small, irrelevant things....you get the picture.
So we are able to draw a link between the two: bipolar disorder traits and common gender stereotypes, but what does this mean? Does it mean that all manipulative, dramatic women have bipolar disorder? Does it mean that they psychologically and verbally harass their partners? Does it mean that women are callous? Yes. I mean all of those things. Plenty of conclusive results have been drawn to the question "Do all women have bipolar disorder?".
1. https://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics_bipolar_disorder
4. https://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e8508
*DISCLAIMER* ------------------------------------
Obviously this take is full of stereotyped assumptions about women and people with bipolar that would be extremely offensive outside of the context of this take, which was a satirical response to this one. If you took offense then it's probably because you're a crybaby. Props to @KenM9215 for inspiring the idea:
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