I took a long break from social media and returned to dozens of videos saying Bipolar 2 is harder than Bipolar 1 and I am beyond intrigued as to why people are saying this.
I absolutely believe people with Bipolar II suffer. I know depression can be horrible, and I would never tell someone that their illness isn’t difficult.
But what bothers me is the confidence with which people make statements like “Bipolar II is actually worse than Bipolar I.”
How would you know?
If you’ve never experienced full-blown mania, you don’t know what it’s like.
And I say that as someone who has lived with Bipolar I for a very long time.
I have experienced multiple psychiatric hospitalizations because of mania. I’ve gone completely off the rails and done things I would never do when I’m well. Full-blown mania isn’t simply having lots of energy, being productive, or feeling really good. It can completely take over your judgment and your life.
And then comes the other side.
I spend most of my time depressed. And I’m not talking about being a little sad. I’m talking about debilitating depression that can last for months, where I don’t even want to leave my house and can barely function.
So when I see someone say that Bipolar II is harder because they experience depression and occasionally become hypomanic, I honestly have a hard time understanding the comparison.
Hypomania and full-blown mania are not the same thing.
And no, I’m not saying hypomania is always wonderful or that people with Bipolar II don’t suffer. That’s not my point at all.
My point is that there are consequences to severe mania that people who haven’t experienced it may simply not understand.
You don’t necessarily end up on a psychiatric ward because you got a little extra energy.
You don’t necessarily completely lose control of your judgment.
You don’t necessarily make decisions that can change your life.
And you don’t necessarily experience the kind of devastating crash that can follow severe mania.
That’s my reality.
So yes, I get that everybody has their own struggles. We all have different thresholds, and we all experience mental illness differently.
But I don’t think it’s helpful—or fair—to turn Bipolar I and Bipolar II into a competition and declare one “harder.”
And honestly, I wish people would stop acting as though Bipolar I is somehow the easier version.
Because if you’ve never experienced severe Bipolar I, you really don’t know what you’re talking about when you tell someone who has lived through it that they have it easier.
I’m not saying Bipolar II is easy.
I’m saying you don’t know my illness just because you know your own.
And after everything I’ve been through, I’m tired of seeing people who have never experienced what I’ve experienced confidently tell me that their version is worse.
You don’t get to tell me what my illness feels like. I lived it. 🦋