Living with bipolar disorder can be a challenging experience. There are many personal and societal hurdles that someone living with bipolar disorder must face. Let's explore some of these difficulties.

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Coping with symptoms

The first appearance of symptoms often catches the person off guard. Whether it's a cycle of high or low mood, it can be extremely difficult to understand what's going on. Given that the average onset of bipolar disorder is around the age of 25, this raises the stakes considerably. In your twenties, you will have to make important decisions about your personal and professional life. This can be incredibly challenging if you're dealing with debilitating depression that just won't go away, or if you're recovering from a full-blown psychosis as a result of your first elevated mood cycle. These mood episodes can have a significant impact on a person's life.

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Getting a diagnosis

The average time it takes to get a proper diagnosis of bipolar disorder is nearly a decade. The most likely misdiagnosis is depression, about 60% of the time. Other likely candidates include anxiety, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, substance abuse, or schizoaffective disorder, in that order. A decade of illness, mistreatment, and changing diagnosis not only erodes quality of life, but often confidence in the health care system too. This only adds to the difficulty of accepting the diagnosis once it is finally properly established. 

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Stigma

Often the realization that someone will have to deal with a serious psychiatric condition for the rest of their life is enough to have a negative impact on their self-esteem. The introspective aspect of stigma is only part of the situation, as society can also add significant weight to the equation. Mental illness is not a subject that is welcomed with open arms in our society. It is a subject tainted by stereotypes, sensationalism, and uneducated opinions that make it difficult for people with bipolar disorder to reconcile their reality with society's perception of it.

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Finding the right treatment

Treatment for bipolar disorder can be drastically different from one person to another. But in all cases, it's going to have to be a combination of medical and behavioral interventions. Finding the right medication for you that doesn't have terrible side effects can be very difficult. There is no genetic test or otherwise that can help reliably in selecting the best medication, making the whole process really arduous. For behavioral changes and creating a healthy routine, it can mean making heartbreaking sacrifices to maximize the chance at a stable life.

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Suicide

The bipolar community is at an alarming risk for suicide. It is estimated that up to 60% of people with bipolar disorder have attempted suicide at least once. If that's not shocking enough, up to 20% of people with bipolar disorder will commit suicide, which means up to 1 in 5 people with this diagnosis will take their own life. Remember, the people we are talking about could be a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or the stranger who holds the door for you at the store. These people walk the same streets as you, often with a smile on their face and no apparent signs of the demons they are battling inside.