I Can

by W.J.K.
(New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

“I can’t do this. I have an issue, a problem, and especially today I do not feel happy like I did last week. Just leave me alone!”

When asked the question, “Is bipolar disorder a disability?” this is the set of words that come to my mind. Each sentence is a testament to the fact that being bipolar can be a disability. Saying I cannot do something is defining the meaning of “disability”: the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness. Bipolar disorder is an issue, a problem in many ways, and being overly happy and then overly depressed are symptoms of the brain disorder. The most disabling aspect of being bipolar, in my opinion, is the effect that it has on my relationships with other people.

“I cannot do this.” What can’t you do? Live your life? Most of the time the answer is yes; you cannot live life in a manner conducive to happiness or being able to do things that attribute to normality. Your feelings of doubt control you, and they don’t allow doing “this”. This facet of bipolar disorder only contributes to the perpetual feeling of depression that always creeps up when it really should not.

“I have an issue, a problem, and especially today I don’t feel happy like I did last week.” What’s the problem? Why do you feel happy one day and then horrible the next? The reason is at the core of being bi-polar. These are the symptoms that allow you to be disabled in the first place. The mood episodes result in changes in energy, sleep, and behavior. All of which inhibit you in some way or another depending on their extremity.

Finally, “Just leave me alone.” the worst disability of them all, the disability that affects your relationships with other people. For me and many others this disability amplifies all forms of emotions. We are, after all, social creatures and we need love, affection, and friendship with everyone. Bipolar disorder can make this very hard. The disorder can easily alienate you from being socially proper.

However, all of these precepts of bipolar disorder can be fixed and these disabilities do not have to disable you in any way. You can still have bipolar disorder and NOT have a disability.

What helped me more than anything was the way in which I approached the thought of having a disability. When I started thinking positive about being bipolar all of my problems started to change. I completely got rid of the word “can’t” in my dictionary. I CAN do anything I put my ambition to. I began to realize that my medication did help me, and that it contributed to my well-being. Lastly, I focused on my relationships with others more. I worked harder to build those relationships and every time I noticed something negative I approached them in the best manner I could, or I asked that person to work with me because I let them know that being bipolar made me socially inept at times. Surprisingly, most people are compassionate about you being bipolar, and they wwill not look at you as if you do have a disability. So, is bipolar disorder a disability? If you let it be, yes. In reality, though, NO, it is NOT.