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?

MrsDeVere - I am so sorry about your daughter.

And this is what I think about people lying about MH issues. It makes sense to lie about having a mental illness on the internet because (a) no one can ever expose you, (b) you might get attention/sympathy and (c) IT CAN HAVE NO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE.

It does NOT make sense to lie about having a mental illness in real life because the stigma is still HUGE - and this is what fucking pisses me off: people claiming in threads like this one that it is somehow advantageous to pretend to have a destabilising mentall illness which the vast majority of people associate with stupidity (yes, they do - I used to get it all the time, until I wised up and stopped being honest about my diagnosis.) I would NEVER tell a potential employer that I was bipolar, precisely because I know how little understanding there is of the condition and because it is typically seen in very negative terms.

I am just... how can ANYONE think that this will enhance CZJ's career? Film actors have to be reliable - bipolar patients have an image of being unreliable. They have to be insured - disclosing this diagnosis has got to send the premiums soaring.

I think the thing that gets my goat the most, though, is who the fuck ARE these people, thinking THEY get to decide who has bipolar and who doesn't? The arrogance fucks me right off.

MrsDeVere, I am saddened to read your post about your DD. I truly put my heart out to you. I hope time helps. Sorry, don't know what to say. I am just feeling for you right now.

Einstein, welcome! Where have you been?

Apache, ignore that slimeball and can I correct you? Not a human being in my eyes but then again, what do I know as so many on here are pointing out??

apache - :) You are amazing.

Ormirian, agreed.

Desire, glad you enjoyed it!

Champers - God, you are an attention whore par exellence. Look at this thread - 400+ posts of you wanking yourself into a coma over the fact that your mother supposedly has bipolar. Yeah, right - AS IF she does!

Not defending anyone but it's ok for Steps to make the assumption that Champers mother does not have bipolar? Nasty!! but poor CZJ must have it cos thats what it says in the papers, maybe you should visit her doctor and get the "Miracle" cure in 4 days yourself or maybe you haven't got a new film deal to promote

Ok, I've read most of the thread now and it seems that there are quite a few posts that I think best just ignored!

However, in response to Champers original OP, yes I was suprised to hear the news about CZJ. I wasn't aware of the fact that a particular series of incidents could trigger BPD and she seems to be back at work and recovered now. All making me a bit
Having said that, I am not an expert either on BPD or CZJ and so don't really think it is my place to judge an individual case.

As for whether BPD is "the in-thing", as someone else said, (unfortunately) announcing you have BPD, tends not to enhance your career so I really don't think anyone would do it without having good reason.

steps I dont think CZJ is making it up. I dont think she needs the publicity.
You are right, of course, about the stigma of serious MH conditions. Those who have them suffer the consquences of prejudice and ignorance.

We cannot know if/how many people pretend to be ill. There are no stats as far as I know. There have been stories of people pretending to have physical disabilities though. People with disabilities are marginalized and discriminated against so why would anyone pretend to be a wheelchair user or to have MS etc? Who knows but they do.

So all I am saying is that it seems [to me] reasonable to expect that some individuals would feign serious mental illness, possibly BPD. The irony there is that in order to want to do that, they would very probably be suffering from a mental health problem anyway.

It is utterly impossible to tell who has BPD from Heat/Now/News of the World. As far as I am concerned the UK media now an utter joke and cannot be taken seriously.

There is an irony in the idea that the management of the famous would pretend they had a MH condition to cover up for something else. For years and years any reason other than MH would have been given to explain away erratic behaviour in a movie star or famous singer.

Steps, it's up to you what you want to believe about my mum. Perhaps you should have been there when she jumped infront of an incoming train. I don't actually give a damn what you think because you are nothing to me. I know the truth. As for an attention whore, AND? Your point is exactly??

I don't think CZJ is making up to GET work, more like she is making it up to get attention for her new films that will soon be out. Saying that, perhaps she really does have it. I can't say she has or hasn't got it but I can say I THINK it is a PR stunt.

Thanks Desire, you make a valid point. I am not allowed to say I don't believe CZJ but the insignificant Steps CAN assume I am lying. Steps is a Fool with a capital F! Hypocrisy! Steps should name change to Hyprocrisy OR Pathetic Fool.

Hey Steps! So what's your beef? Why are u so angry all the time? Wanna tell Auntie Apache??? xxx

come on Mr Steps....

Steps?? you've gone V quiet!?? Luurrrvvve APACHE79 XX