Words as Weapons and another Bipolar Disorder Myth Dispelled Dispelled

By Richard Pedersen

Welcome back to the bin, my fellow freaks!

Before I return to dispelling misconceptions about bipolar disorder, I'd like to talk a bit about words. As a writer, words are my bread and butter. Words have power. Language doesn't just help us define reality, it shapes it. Just ask Pluto. Poor tiny Pluto isn't a planet any longer. Why? Because some science guy claimed it wasn't.

Whacko. Nutcase. Lunatic. Psycho. Freak.

Those words can have serious power when used with malice. Some of you reading this might be shocked by me referring to those that are suffering from bipolar disorder as whackos. I can really understand. Those words can hurt. They can especially hurt when said by a "friend." Trust me. I know.

Just as words can make meaning, they can be meaningless. It relies on two things: the person who's saying them and his or her intention. Let me give you an example.

As a writer, I spend the majority of my time inside. I'm 1/8th Cherokee, so I would tan tell if I ever saw the light of day. The reminder of my ancestry is Western European. Essentially, my skin is as white as the driven snow. Now I am going to say a word and then dive for cover.

Nigger.

Man... I feel crappy even typing that.

That word was used by white folk to oppress black folk for a very long time, and boy was it a powerful one. It was the neutron bomb of English for a particularly long time. That word was employed to cause shame, which is why I feel positively awful even saying it

However, the N-word (sorry I can't bring myself to type it again) is only a weapon when it's used like a weapon. Watch any movie, go to any club, walk down any street and you may hear black people kidding around and using it like a term of endearment. It's OK for them to speak it, because they ARE it. For me to say it? Probably not OK. I can possibly get away with it this one time because my intention isn`t to harm, but to help. Or at least I'm hoping I can. If not, please accept my earnest apology.

Being bipolar, the character of our sickness makes sure that we are an emotional bunch, but let's try not to be too sensitive about words. They can only harm us if we let them. Let's start with the word I hate the most:

Freak.

Freak freak freak freak FREAK FREAK FREAK!!!

If I say it aloud, over and over, it starts to sound like something I made up, just some nonsensical noise. The more I use it, the less it means. The less it means the less it hurts.

Try it for yourself. Pick the one word that hurts you the most and say it over and over. Make that word just as dead as the not-a-planet Pluto. Just don't forget that your word isn't dead to everybody. If that word bothers some other person, don't say it around them. It is all about kindness, people. It's that simple.

Well, once more, I am over word count. And I haven't even discussed one myth, but I may have just dispelled one.

Bipolar Parable 3: "Being bipolar makes you a bad person."

I am bipolar. If I was a bad person, would I make such an effort as I did to avoid offending the black community? Nope. I'd be screaming the N-word from the roof without shame.

There are many out there who are terrified of those of us with bipolar disorder thanks to the actions of a few.Yes, there are some who genuinely are mean, vicious people who are harmful to others. But there are lots more like that who aren`t bipolar. Most of us are the same as you. Some of us, and I am not naming names here, are kind, loving parents who try hard not to not let their daughters see them cry during Disney films.

OK. It's me. I do that. Pathetic, right? Well this whole article has been about liberating yourself from shame, so I might as well come out of the closet. Disney pictures make me cry sometimes. That fact may actually make me a freak. Having bipolar disorder, however, does not.

Until next time, my fellow freaks keep fighting!

About the Author:

Read the original article " Words as Weapons and another Bipolar Disorder Myth Dispelled " on
Kurt Pedersen's Blog about bipolar disorder, depression & anxiety.