Does Having Bipolar Disorder Mean That I Am Crazy?

Robert Findling, M.D., Director, Child and Adolescent Psychology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center

Question: Does having bipolar disorder mean that I am crazy?

Dr. Findling answers the question: 'Does Bipolar Disorder Make Me 'Crazy'?'

Answer: People with bipolar disorder can certainly think differently than other people, perhaps have a different emotional responses to things than other people, but crazy is a pejorative term. Bipolar disorder is a medical illness that is due to dysfunction in the central nervous system or the brain.

ABC News OnCall+ Bipolar Disorder Center Home Page

More ABC News Stories/Videos On Bipolar Disorder

OnCall+ Wellness Center

And to demean it, such a serious condition, such a poignant and heartbreaking condition, with a term like crazy is just not justice.

Next: What Might Bring On A Manic Or Depressive Episode After I've Been Stable, Are There Things I Can Do To Prevent Relapse?

Previous: How Can Exercise Or Lifestyle Help Bipolar Disorder?

Comment & Contribute

Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.

Welcome to ABCNews.com.

Javascript is not enabled on your browser. Please enable javascript to use the community features on this page. If your browser does not support javascript, please visit our browser upgrade page for a list of supported web browsers.