The fun begins

Well I'm back. Back with a topic that I hope keeps me interested for the rest of the semester. It's a big commitment having to choose one thing to write and research about until the end of school. Let's hope I don't get cold feet..

My topic has to do with Bipolar Disorder. More specifically, I'm interested in society's perception of Bipolar Disorder and how it effects diagnosis and those who have already been diagnosed. In my search for an answer, there are several questions I have to ask myself:

What is society's perception of mental health in general?

• How do people view diagnosis and getting diagnosed?
• What do they think about treatment?
• Are their opinions negative or positive?
• Why?

How do people perceive Bipolar Disorder specifically?

• What do they know?
• What do they assume?
• How do they react to finding out someone they know has been diagnosed as Bipolar?
• How do they react when they themselves have been diagnosed Bipolar?
• Why do they react this way? What makes them react this way? Are they scared? Why?

Can one still lead a successful life as a Bipolar individual?

• Why is it important to be diagnosed?
• Should they take medication?
• Why or why not?
• What's life like on/off medication?
• Can you ever get off the medication?
• Who has made a name for themselves on/off medication?
• Why did they decide to get on or stay off medication?

Facts

• How many Americans are Bipolar?
• Are they Bipolar 1 or 2?
• How many take medication?
• What medication? What does it do? 
• Are there alternate forms of therapy?
• What are they? How effective are they?

I feel like my topic is important because, in my opinion, there is still a significantly large portion of the country that still views mental health disorders as taboo. We can take medication or receive therapy for any part of our body without worrying about social stigma but as soon as one mentions that they need medication for their brain, doors close and fear of the unknown comes creeping in. Many diagnosed patients keep their disorders secret. I've never been one to hide and I don't think other people should have to hide either. It's time for us to quit with the assumptions and face the facts. Mental and emotional disorders are treatable and nothing to fear. 

I am researching Bipolar Disorder because I want to find out how society views it and how those views effect diagnosis and those who have already been diagnosed in order to help readers understand that Bipolar Americans aren't "crazy". We're just a little different.