Bipolar disorder – a look at the positives
By Liz Lockhart
There are many, well documented, problems for people living with bipolar disorder, but a new study takes a 
look at those who also report having positive experiences from living with the disorder.
Lancaster University’s Spectrum Centre conducted the research. The Spectrum Centre conducts translational research into the understanding and psychological treatment of bipolar disorder and other related conditions.
Researchers interviewed ten people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The participants were aged between 24 and 57 and all reported a number of perceived benefits to their condition. These benefits ranged from increased productivity to sharper senses.
There is growing evidence that some individuals with bipolar actually value their experiences and in some instances would prefer not to live without the condition. This research set out to explore this evidence.
The participants described many different experiences which they believed that they felt to a much greater extent than those without the condition. These perceived differences included increased perceptual sensitivity, creativity, focus and clarity of thought.
Some of the participants held (or had held) high functioning professional jobs. Some had been studying for higher level qualifications. They told the researchers in detail how they experienced times when completing tasks that are generally quite difficult or time consuming, would seem incredibly easy. They also said that the ability to achieve to a high level at these times was immensely rewarding. Some of the participants said that they viewed themselves as ‘lucky’ or ‘blessed’ to have the condition.
One of the interviewees who chose to be known as Alan said ‘It’s almost as if it opens up something in the brain that isn’t otherwise there, and I see colour much more vividly than I used to. So I think that my access to music and art are something for which I’m grateful to bipolar for enhancing. It’s almost as if it’s a magnifying glass that sits between that and myself.’
It was also found that some people with bipolar felt that they could even find positive experiences from the ‘low’ periods of the condition, reporting that as a result of the ‘lows’ they had a greater empathy with the suffering of others.
‘Bipolar Disorder is generally seen as a severe and enduring mental illness with serious negative consequences for the people with this diagnosis and their friends and family. For some people this is very much the case. Research shows that long term unemployment rates are high, relationships are marred by high levels of burden on family and friends and quality of life is often poor,’ said Dr Fiona Lobban, the lead author of the study.
She added ‘However, despite all these factors researchers and clinicians are aware that some aspects of bipolar experiences are also highly valued by some people. We wanted to find out what these positive experiences were. People were keen to take part in this study and express views which some felt had to be hidden from the medical profession. It is really important that we learn more about the positives of bipolar as focusing only on negative aspects paints a very biased picture that perpetuates the view of bipolar as a wholly negative experience. If we fail to explore the positives of bipolar we also fail to understand the ambivalence of some people towards treatment.’
