to think it suddenly seems 'the in-thing' to suffer with bi-polar?

[Champersonice]

This is really getting to me. Perhaps these 'celebs' really are suffering with bi-polar but I remember the days when it was the biggest taboo. My mother suffers with this illness and it is just awful.

There have been so many and whilst I really believe some I really do not believe Kerry Katona and now Catherine Zeta-Jones. Apparantely, CZJ booked herself into a psychiatric hospital for becoming manic-depressive following her husband's cancer, and now, according to her publicist is "feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on two upcoming films". Perhaps Ms Zeta-Jones should visit a real psychiatric hopsital (not a detox clinic) and see real life patients suffering with this terrible, terrible illness.

AIBU?

yabu. Who are you to say that people aren't really ill?

You dont know if she has always had it and only now spoken about it. yABU.

YABU

diagnosis by tabloid

I'm not sure if YABU or YANBU, as I really don't know whether it is the celeb 'in thing', or whether the taboos around admitting to mental illness have just broken down sufficiently for people to be more comfortable admitting these things - which actually would be a huge positive for sufferers of mental illness.

Having said that, I also was very reading those quotes, thinking 'bipolar is not something that comes on briefly and goes away after a few days in a private hospital and leaves you feeling fine and fab..'

I'm really quite gutted that i'm not Bi Polar.

WTF? It's a good thing that people in the public eye feel able to talk about these things. Raising awareness can only be good for everyone. And perhaps they are lucky in that they are able to manage it well, or hide the more obvious symptoms?

I think there is still enough stigma out there towards mental illness for this to be a case of CZJ to admit she suffers from it, but has to still hide the extent of her illness to protect her career sadly.

I think kerry katona does suffer from it, but doesnt really help herself, iykwim?

The stigma out there is still huge and will probably take generations to break it down fully!

Maybe its just because people have become more aware of bi polar? before it may have just been put down to depression. I have a friend who has just been dx'd with bi polar and multi personality dissorder but looking back she's always had it (was very different as a child) its taken years to diagnose as Bi polar hasn't been well known (until it was featured on a tv soap).

YABU

There must be massive pressure though for them to appear "fine" - which you might well do for short periods. I imagine they play those up and then quietly hide away at other times.

Admittedly I don't follow celebrity 'news' at all so I have no idea of the people you are talking about, but I don't see that it follows that it's impossible.

Yes I'm a bit dubious. The label Bi-Polar (Manic Depression} seems to get branded about for anyone you has a problem with mood swings.

Oh yes, mental health issues are sooo the new black.

xposted with sparkles

Agree with Beaker. You don't 'believe' Kerry Katona and Catherine Zeta-Jones based on what? Medical evidence or DM sleb page?

I think being bipolar seems to be more trendy than just having depression at the moment. Some psychiatrist are more inclined to diagnose bipolar disorder than others. The point at which "mood swings" turn into "bipolar disorder" is quite contentious.
Some people push for a bipolar disorder diagnosis because then that is seen as an illness and therefore needing medication and not their fault, where as having mood swings implies they need to grow up a bit, chill out and stop being so stroppy.

When people like Stephen Fry and Bill Oddie (to name but a few) talk about it, it can be taken quite seriously and spoken about in a way as to publicise it for the right reasons.

When the other ones who go all glitzy in the press, as though it is a fashion accessory, talk about 'having bi-polar for a week' and then attend the red carpet events, I am sorry, but I just don't buy it.

This is a serious illness that effects not only the sufferer but also close (and not so close) friends and family. I don't believe that the likes of Kerry Katona and Catherine Z-J's are bringing the illness to the fore in a good way. Quite the reverse.

I don't follow celeb mags/stories either but when it is the first topic on the radio news in the morning, I nearly choked on my wheetabix!

yabu
it is not always visible to the outside world.
I didn't have a clue that ds's best friends mum had it untill she killed her self

I know more than most how sufferers can put on a front. Like I said in my OP, perhaps they really are suffering with it BUT it just seems to be a fad -like Katie just said, "the new black".

I guess I have a grudge to bear because it is too close to home and I have first hand experience of the devastation it causes.

Kerry Katona's MH has been widely reported, I don't get why you wouldn't believe her. I'm not a fan of hers but if she's lying she's done it very well for a very long time.

Actually, it isn't that I don't believe her. I am weary of her. She was a coke user and drinker and I also know how that can effect people. The ups of using and then the come downs can be pretty much on par with bi-polar. I think she is confused and has severe problems that need addressing.

There's good evidence that mental illnesses are to some extent culturally determined: for example anorexia was almost unheard-of in Chinese society until it started becoming more westernised. Equally, thousands of women in early twentieth century Europe were diagnosed with 'hysteria', which had clear symptoms (for example fainting, numb limbs, periods of being unable to speak and other strange happenings. And 'hysteria' just doesn't happen any more.

But that's not to say that mental illnesses have 'fashions' as such. It seems more likely to me that as society changes, different pressures drive people to suffer in different ways.

some illnesses are trendy to have

i would imagine CZJ just didnt like the attention not being all about her for the first time in her life, instead of just supporting her sick husband

YABU and a bit of a twat. So they are famous/beautiful/rich - illness is no respecter of that. Do you disbelieve Michael Douglas's cancer too? Why shouldn't CZJ be suffering with BPD? Why on earth would her publicist have said she was if she wasn't? Sad to say it's hardly career enhancing, or something she would want the whole world to know! These people's publicists do their best to keep MH issues quiet and only release statements when they really have to (Stephen Fry going awol for eg, Kerry Katona seeming pissed on Good Morning) so why would they state this for shits and giggles?

How offensive to people with genuine MH issues that you think they are too rich and celebrated to be ill.

"Some people push for a bipolar disorder diagnosis because then that is seen as an illness and therefore needing medication and not their fault"

I think there's some truth in that.

The most obvious causes of mood swings are alcohol consumption, drug use and not sleeping enough - all of which can be rectified if you want to do something about it.

...or you could do nothing and call it Bi-Polar Disorder - which infact is a serious mental health issue.

I am amazed that KK says she is now cured? My mum worked as a social worker in MH for all her life retired at xmas and never in all her years did anyone 'recover' Medication improved and it can be well managed but it is a life long condition unless you are a celebrity. An insult to genuine sufferers imho