Breaking the Stigma

By Kat Pettibone

Breaking the Stigma is a book written for those who live with bipolar disorder. It is written to show that it is something to be proud of and not something to be afraid of. There are aspects of this disorder that may be challenging and scary. There are also many aspects in which to embrace. Those living with bipolar disorder have superpowers inside that need to be wielded the right way for them to give their full effect. When used in the wrong way, they can leave detrimental scars on the individual.

This book is to be a reminder that there are so many stories of people who struggle with this disorder. We are all united in the way that we can feel so much of all that life has to offer. We feel the extreme highs as well as the extreme lows. We are powerful but need to understand how to use our powers for our own benefit and not our downfall.

Kat Pettibone shares some personal experiences of living with bipolar disorder, in hopes to validate others who feel the same way or similar. This book will help you control and understand the emotions inside you and show that we are really not alone at all in this. We are united.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887314617

Book preview

Breaking

the

Stigma

Kat Pettibone

Copyright © 2022 Kat Pettibone

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2022

ISBN 979-8-88731-460-0 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88731-461-7 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Abstract

The Stigma

Bipolar Disorder

Mania

The Switch Flip

Depression

Nothingness

Fixations

Psychosis

Normalcy

Cigarettes

Substance Abuse

Reach Out When You Need Us

There Is Nothing Wrong with You

Judgment in Society

Superpowers

New Perspective

What Are Your Next Steps?

References

Abstract

Hi, my name is Kat, and I am twenty-two years old. I am making myself very vulnerable in this book but am willing to find the people who could feel comforted by knowing that they are not alone. I have been battling with bipolar disorder my whole life, but I only got diagnosed at the age of sixteen years old. I am sharing my story and thoughts about this disorder to show that it is a very common misconception that people have about those who have this. There is a stigma. I am here to help break the stigma and help people better understand what this mindset is like.

I have done an internship with a suicide hotline; I am currently studying psychology in college as well. I am so fascinated by the human mind and this disorder and want others to know that they are not alone.

It is not an easy thing to live with, but more people live with it than you think. It should not be stigmatized as much as it is and should be more accepted in our society. We are just like everyone else. The only thing different is a little chemical superpower that we carry. It can be our biggest power or our biggest downfall. The important difference is how to use our powers to benefit us in the long run and not spin out of control.

I am here to share my story and how I came to have a better outlook on my life with this disease.

The Stigma

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word stigma as

a mark of shame or discredit and

a diagnostic sign of a disease.¹

Other synonyms for stigma in the dictionary include

Blot, brand, slur, smudge, spot, stain, taint.²

That is harsh to describe someone who has an illness that they cannot control. Those are common stereotypes that people who have bipolar disorder are often thought of. They are considered tainted and stained. People with bipolar disorder are often thought of as having something wrong with them or thought of only as imbalanced, instead of thinking about a lot of good qualities that the person may have. People with bipolar disorder are in fact people. They are unique just like any balanced human being.

To be honest, a person who has been stigmatized on account of mental illness, real or even only perceived, often suffers from discrimination at work, in school, or in other social situations.³ It is very terrifying to admit to someone or have others find out if you have bipolar disorder. There is a lot of backlash and ideas that people conceive in their minds about people such as us.

I was in class the other day, speaking to my professor openly about how I wanted to be