UPDATE: Kevin and Thom read my email on-air. Thank you and I accept your apology.
The Sports Fix
Today, I am listening to the radio. I am listening to a ESPN 980′s The Sports Fix to be exact. The topic at the time is Gilbert Arenas and his stupidity for carrying a handgun into the locker room. So far, I am following along with the show and agreeing with most of the views and comments.
Then, all of a sudden, there is was…”Gilbert Arenas must be bipolar or something.” WHAT THE FUCK!!!
Yes, I was pissed. Yes, I am pissed. I marched downstairs to ask my husband what radio station he was listening to and told him why I was so pissed. I told him that I am sick and tired of people saying, “they must be bipolar” every time some idiot celebrity does something stupid. How does being an asshole with a gun equal bipolar disorder?
Here is what I wrote to The Sports Fix:
I enjoy listening to your show, I am not a sports fan but, my husband is. However, I was appalled this afternoon when one of you referred to Gilbert Arenas as being Bipolar because of his recent behavior. As a person that suffers from this disease, I am disgusted by the overuse of the term whenever anyone displays some sort of schism in their personality. Bipolar disorder is not a personality disorder, it is a mood disorder that can cause great damage to a person’s life if not end it all entirely.
I would appreciate it if, in the future, you would refrain from using that term unless you actually know that the person has been diagnosed as such.
I am so sick and tired of the use of bipolar being the code word for crazy. Bipolar disorder is a very real mental illness that affects moods, not personalities. If you don’t know, ask about it.
October 25, 2009 – 11:56 pm
About five years ago, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. It was the best day of my life because I could finally put a name to the thing that had been haunting me for so long. I could finally put a name to the thing that had almost ruined me–mentally, physically, and financially.
There is not a day when I don’t wake up wondering how I will feel today. Will I be zooming around like a bat out of hell? Will I be brimming over with new ideas and ways to re-invent myself? Will I get to bed at 11 pm or 3 am? Or, will I sleep all day or drag myself through the day?
I just never know. What I do know is that it’s not my fault.
Sometimes it sucks because, back in the day, I would spend money like crazy and not care about the consequences. I bought a car, a 2002 Volvo S40, purely because I wanted it and I felt that I deserved it. I didn’t care that I paid way too much for it and I could not afford it. I needed it and wanted it that day and the fact that I had several months left on a lease contract did not matter. They took the old car and I took the new car. Crazy right? Don’t mention the Volvo to my husband, it’s still a sore subject.
When I told my friends about my diagnosis, they all said, “Really, you don’t look crazy.” Well, that’s because I am not. I am just the life of the party. I am just the person who is not afraid to do anything. I am just the person who always says “I can do that.” I am also the person who does not want to go out. I am also the person who is anti-social. I am also the person who misses deadlines and is always late. I am just the person who turns down your invitations to hang out. That’s just who I am.
They forget and I do not remind them. Sometimes I forget but I remind myself. I just have to remember that it’s all a part of being me.