I recently watched Oliver Sacks give a TED talk entitled, “What Hallucination Reveals about our Minds”. The writer and scientist talked about an amazing older woman who had experienced hallucinations while in her 90’s due to blindness, but was otherwise healthy.

The woman received comfort from the fact that her condition had a particular name. Having an actual diagnosis for strange things that you can experience can actually come as a relief, but I also think for some  cases, the diagnosis can be too limiting for the patients as they start to consider all of the things that they can’t do.

In the same way, people with Bipolar Disorder can understand themselves much better once they are correctly diagnosed. In addition, they can receive treatment and behavioral strategies for coping with their disorder.

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Another TED talk was given by Aime Mullins, who was born without shin bones. Her talk focused on how reality is shaped by language. Specifically, she spoke about how the use of certain words can either encourage us to find new boundaries or limit us by reminding us of what we “can’t” do. Her parents never taught her that she was disabled, and as a result, she went on to run marathons, even though she was born without shin bones.

Believing in yourself and refusing to accept limiting labels can make a difference, as can understanding that there is a reason for what you are experiencing. As people with Bipolar Disorder, it is important that we understand ourselves. However, it is important that we understand just how much we can accomplish after being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

pic thru flickr