|
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by our peer review team which includes clinicians and medical professionals. Learn more about our peer review process.
When a person is diagnosed with a potentially severe and/or terminal illness, both they and their family may wonder if they can still live a normal life. The same is true with bipolar disorder, which millions of people live with. (At least seven million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the condition, according to NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and many others do not know they have it.) Whether in online forums and chat rooms or in doctors’ offices, people often ask some variation of the question, “Can you live a normal life with bipolar disorder?”
When we put this question to FHE Health Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Beau A. Nelson, DBH, LCSW, in a recent interview, he gave “a resounding ‘yes.’” What follows are his insights into why that is the case and other related areas of concern, as well as helpful information about treatment for the condition.
Living with Bipolar Disorder – “Can a Bipolar Person Live a Normal Life?”
If a bipolar person can indeed live “a normal life,” what might that look like? Dr. Nelson gave an encouraging picture of what living with bipolar disorder can be like:Of course, there is no “normal,” per se, but you can live with the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, if you manage your health, follow a healthy regimen that controls symptoms and take care of yourself. For many, the diagnosis of a mental disorder leads to feelings that they will not be functional, a lot of fear and a lot of unknowns.
In fact, the reality of life with bipolar disorder may turn out to be a good deal better than what a person might fear, according to Dr. Nelson. He said that “many people with bipolar disorder, knowing that they need to take care of themselves, might actually do better than ‘normal,’ because they are conscientious about their health.”
Dr. Nelson used the analogy of living with diabetes. He noted that “many diabetic patients are so committed to their healthy diet that they are the healthiest eater in the family—because they know that eating poorly will affect their health more intensely.”