How do I deal with stigma?
I wasn’t really sure which tag to use so I’m really sorry if this was the wrong one
My psychiatrist has jotted me down for “unspecified mood disorder” but has told me that it’s probably bipolar 2, and considering I have 2 family members on my moms side with bipolar, it’s very likely. The only reason it was at all unexpected was because I’ve been living with my dad who is not a fan of psychiatry
If I do end up having bipolar I think the biggest issue I’ll have is my paternal side of the family, I’ve been called sensitive and told I overreact since forever, and when I’m depressed I either barely talk, in which case there’s no reason for them to pay attention to my feelings, or I’m constantly on the verge of tears, which just falls back into the sensitive comments
I’m afraid that when they find out I have a mood disorder, because they will, they’ll use it as ammo and nothing I ever feel around them will be taken remotely seriously again and I’m not sure how to deal with that, and would appreciate some direction
I’m also worried about medical settings, I’ve heard it’s a lot harder for bipolar people to get organ transplants and that there were other ways bipolar people might be treated differently, so if anyone has examples on how I might be treated or suggestions on how to deal with that I’d appreciate it
Posted Apr 6, 2026, 1:01 AM UTC