People view bipolar in many ways. Some have knowledge of the disorder, others have personal experience with the disorder. And there are the people who believe they know about bipolar. I can understand biased and judgemental comments from someone using the media or gossip as their guide. What I find interesting are the all-inclusive negative statements from someone who has a loved one with bipolar.

Bipolar affects each person in different ways. So assuming we are all 'out of control' or that we all 'function with a small part of the brain' is far from the truth. Certainly the symptoms cause more problems in some people than in others. But we aren't all 'slow' and we don't all need 'constant supervision'.

Ignoring the ignorance is difficult. People speak without thinking about the wording they use. Yet the very words used can hurt others and stay with them forever.

Think. Be sure what you have to say is what others want to hear. Then speak.