LGBT People and Bipolar: An Environment Issue
Some of us may have first heard the term Bipolar after Kanye West – referred to as Ye in official documents and by fans – was diagnosed with Bipolar in 2017.
But the celebrity does not represent everyone’s experience with BD for multiple reasons.
Reason one is that most people are not A-List celebs. Reason two is that most of us cannot go on a publicized rampage of antisemitism and conspiracy theory rambles, support an anti-BLM group, verbally abuse entire communities of people, and still have a career. Although, his seems to be crumbling by the hour.
Many individuals with BD live functional lives without getting into scandals every hour. While the condition does cause manic periods and depressive episodes, it does not completely alter a person’s beliefs, values, and morals overnight.
So, what does bipolar disorder do to a person? Well, BD has many symptoms and everyone with BD has a unique experience. There are also different types of BD, and each has its own diagnostic criteria.
Bipolar Disorders
For Bipolar 1, you must exhibit three of the following symptoms to be diagnosed:
Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
Decreased need for sleep
More talkative than usual or under pressure to keep talking
Flight of ideas or racing thoughts
Distractibility
Increased goal-directed activity (e.g., work, school, social, sexual) or psychomotor agitation
(Bipolar Disorder In DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria And Treatment (mantracare.org))
In Bipolar I, manic episodes must last for at least a week and be severe enough to impair normal functions or to require hospitalization.
Additionally, the described behaviors and symptoms must represent a shift from a person's usual functioning.
Meaning, if someone exhibits these symptoms 24/7, 365 days a year, for 20 years, you are looking at something else entirely.
Bipolar II is quite different. A person with Bipolar II experiences depressive and at least one hypomanic episode (less severe manic episodes).
Hypomanic episodes can cause someone to:
Feel unusually happy or optimistic
Be more talkative than usual
Not need or desire as much sleep as normal
Feel like they’re “on top of the world”
Get distracted easily
Have an increased limbo
Engage in risky behaviors
(Bipolar Disorder In DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria And Treatment (mantracare.org))
However, their episodes should not be bad enough to cause psychosis (a disconnect from the real world). The last category is Cyclothymic disorder. The symptoms are not as severe as bipolar disorder, but a person will still experience hypomania and depression for at least two years for adults and one year for minors.
For all cases of BD, a person’s symptoms:
Cannot be caused by substances, alcohol, or a different medical issue.
Cannot be better explained by a different mental illness
Must cause significant distress or impair key functions
Cannot be the result of normal emotional reactions to life changes.
(Bipolar Disorder In DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria And Treatment (mantracare.org))
Now that we know what BD really is, let’s move on to how and why LGBTQ become at a higher risk for the illness.
An Environment Issue
Genetics and early development play a role in a person’s risk of having bipolar. But those factors are not the only ones on the table.
Receivers of psychological or emotional abuse, bullying, discrimination, or family rejection can also have an increased risk of being diagnosed with BD. These are what we call environmental factors.
They have nothing to do with a personal genetic makeup or family history. They have everything to do with how society, family, or government treats a person. Having a mental illness is never the individual's fault.
But we cannot say that it is never the fault of someone or something else. For example, we could blame an abusive parent when their child develops depression after being abused. When an extroverted and optimistic young woman becomes reclusive and paranoid after surviving a sexual assault, we can blame the perpetrator.
Our environment and experiences within it can dictate our wellness. That is why it is so important to create a safe and affirming environment for as many people as possible. It is also why LGBTQIA+ people are at a higher risk for bipolar disorder. The community is faced with discrimination, exclusion, and violence more so than non-LGBTQ people. If you are both LGBTQ and a person of color, mistreatment can be even more profound.
If environmental factors such as the ones described can increase one’s chance of having BD, then LGBTQ – who experience these factors way more than non-LGBTQ people – they would have a greater risk. This is not just an opinion or hot take.
A case report published in the American Journal of Psychiatry stated that “a recent study reported higher odds of any lifetime mood disorder in sexual minority women who experienced discrimination compared with those who did not.”
Note that BD falls under the umbrella of mood disorders. Not only did the study show that lesbians were at a higher risk, but that experiences of discrimination played a role in the risk level differences between lesbians. Basically, it showed that even within the community, the amount of discrimination one faces matters for BD risk.
Let’s remind ourselves: discrimination is a product of our environment (society, family, government). It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the systems around us. We do not need to change ourselves. We need to change the systems that have failed us.
You can get involved right now by joining The Community Advocated for LGBTQ Mental Health. We have volunteer opportunities for LGBTQ people and allies 13 and up! Click here to learn more.
If you are looking for treatment or support for bipolar disorder, visit our resource page to find LGBTQ-friendly support.
