TEDxTerryTalks - Laura Bain - Living with Bipolar Type II
1,462,047
Published 2011-12-08
"Laura is a very passionate person and as a 5th year Biology student she is a lover of Science. She is an avid cyclist, a teacher, an artist and a silly dancer. She is a windsurf instructor, the former vice commodore of the UBC sailing club, and a summer landscaper. She is a friend, roommate, a well-loved daughter and baby sister to three big brothers. She is also an auntie to the cutest little niece ever. Oh, there is one more thing, she is living with Bipolar Disorder."
November 5th, 2011. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Filmed by Craig Ross: Video edited by David Ng
About TEDx:
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
All Comments (21)
-
Relationships and bipolar: You attract one type of person when manic and they lose all respect for you when you cycle to a depressed state. Then you attract the complete opposite type of person (if you attract anyone at all) when depressed and they literally cannot stand you when you're manic. You have mostly hurt people and broken relationships.
-
Once I realized my creativity was just mania I've never felt more disappointed
-
The shoe example is exactly how my life is. Beautiful plans start in a hypomanic state of mind yet the depressed mind has to execute them. And that is how you learn to be strong. Don't hide.
-
this made me cry because it is my reality and my greatest shame. glad to know I'm not alone
-
"are you going to call me laura, or are you going to call me bipolar? tell me is this okay, or do i have to hide?" that's the most powerful thing i've ever heard in years. i feel so blessed for sharing this feeling with her. she's amazing.
-
im bipolar, during my manic episodes i have gone more than 72 hours without sleep, my social skills are superior, i can solve complex tasks way faster, everything makes sense, information rearranges itself in your head and its there to serve you in the most precise useful way, creativity is unstoppable, i have ended up with ideas written all over my body from trying to stem that flow of ideas. During manic episode i can hit on any girl in the world, and im so confident that it works, every time, its like being on cocaine, you are sharp, enchanting, curious... its limitless. but depressive lows are so strong, and so hellish that its worth sacrificing the manic episodes in return of getting rid of the depressive lows through medication. its not an easy life to be bipolar, but it sure is a such more intense life. Because of this i sometimes consider my condition a blessing, i get to see a wider spectrum of life through a bipolar perception.
-
My bipolar causes me to hide a lot. I am so embarrassed for people to see me depressed, even for my therapist to see me depressed. During depression I always feel like I have let everyone down. I am going to send this video to my friends. Laura does the best job I have seen so far of explaining what it is like to live with a mood disorder. It sucks to feel this way, and I hope people I care about will maybe understand a bit more about my struggle.
-
My wife is diagnosed with Bipolar type 2. We've had some rough spots, but we've been married for 15 years now and we're very happy together.
-
It's a misconception that the high energy weeks are better than the depressive weeks. While you personally feel much better when you're on highs, you can't sleep and you're so excited that your thoughts make your soul want to scream. I don't know how to explain it other than that. It's... interesting. But it's a learning experience.
-
Don't feel envious of those with bipolar and the highs...cause the crash is ohhhh soo much worse..
-
it seems like her voice is shaky describing the symptoms which gives me feelings for her. it's so hard.
-
I sometimes manage to convince myself that I must be making up my mental illness, usually when I'm feeling hypomanic. When I watch videos like this though I know I'm not "faking it". Laura described a lot of my own experience, and her slipper/heel example made me tear up a bit because of how well it seems to encapsulate the constant flux/imbalance we exist within. I've always thought of myself as a pendulum, but her example seems like a less abrasive descriptor.
-
I think a lot of people don't understand that bipolar manifests itself in physical symptoms as well. Panic attacks, dizziness, motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, rapid weight gain/loss, shortness of breath, impaired memory. These are part of the game as well and taking some medication does help to control the physical side of it, which makes everything about 500% more manageable. Thoughts can harm you if they seem reasonable to you when you're thinking them. This is how suicide occurs.
-
Incredible that she had the presence of mind to track her mental state.
-
i was diagnosed with type 2 a few weeks ago.. It's really ruined every relationship I've ever had in life. Thank you for sharing. Makes me feel like I'm not so alone.
-
I have watched this about 3 times ... It makes me feel like I'm not the only one
-
I am crying because this is how I felt for years since I was 16. Never been to a psychiatrist, just thought that I was depressed and life is just so gray and everything will end someday so it doesn't matter. Tried to hide it. Tried to distant myself from people during my depressive episodes then be present during manic times. It is so hard. Thank you for sharing this.
-
Who is this wonderful woman? She is my hero for opening up the doors for thousands of people to learn about bipolar! I'm so glad that the stigma is slowly going away.
-
I love that she talks about how scary it is cause it's really scary and confusing especially when your moods aren't stable yet
-
The one slipper on and one heel on is pretty well way to describe it.
