Is It My Fault I Have Bipolar Disorder?

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If you have bipolar disorder, you've probably wondered, "Is it my fault I have bipolar disorder?" Most of us, in my experience, wonder this at some point, usually shortly after diagnosis ? I certainly did. There are a variety of reasons why this seems to come up for people. Continue reading if you're wondering if your bipolar disorder is your fault.

When someone is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, many people want to know why. In other words, why do I have bipolar disorder? It's natural to want to know "why." We do it because we want things to make sense and to place blame for something so tragic. We want to believe that everything has a "why." We want to comprehend life's logic. We want to believe that everything happens for a reason.

However, I believe it is also important to recognize that many people are depressed when they ask, "Is it my fault I have bipolar disorder?" This question may be immediately resolved in the person's mind with repetitions of "Yes, it's my fault."

This demonstrates the presence of guilt, and excessive guilt can be a symptom of depression. In short, if you're feeling guilty about your bipolar disorder, remember that it's just the depression speaking.

Bipolar disorder is a very complex disease, and research indicates that it can be categorized as a bio-psycho-social illness. 1 This means that bipolar disorder is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors (not all three are required). For example, you may have some genes associated with bipolar disorder, as well as a susceptible personality trait, and you may have experienced a traumatic event when you were young. All of these factors may have contributed to your development of bipolar disorder. The important thing to remember is that bipolar disorder is not your fault, regardless of your genes, personality, or experience.

You didn't request your life experiences. Yes, there are things you can do to help with the illness, such as medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, coping skills, and so on, and it is your responsibility to do so. But it's not your fault that you're bipolar.