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Bipolar Anybody else dislike Bipolar medication commercials that make us look like crazy f*cks?

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Sweetleaf

MyPTSD Pro
Just got reminded of this by seeing another commercial for one of those meds to treat bipolar 1 mania.

While it is true that some people do the stuff that's portrayed, I still think it kind of adds to stigma against bipolar people, because the way it portrays the sufferers makes them look nuttier than squirrel shit, or stupid, irresponsible - when in reality that isn't necessarily the case.

People with bipolar watching it, like myself, might identify with a lot that's portrayed, and those are indeed things people do while bipolar like buying a bunch of shit online, doing nutty shit... yeah it does happen... but why does it need to be shoved in the public's face in such a manner? Plus, some people are better able to keep things under control during their manic episodes, or use safety nets, etc. so that they don't make any major f*ckups, no matter how nutty they get or act.

I feel like people without bipolar who watch that would think "wow, people with bipolar are f*ckin' nuts!" meanwhile people with bipolar 1 probably don't need to be reminded of the shit that can happen when you're manic as f*ck.

Anyone else feel similar things from watching commercials for medications? Like they're giving more negative of a portrayal than is necessary? I get that they're trying to grab your attention but, ugh.

Why can't they just like, show someone up all night, who is like hyper energetic, and all over the place? There's a lot of ways to do that that -don't- make someone look like a total nutcase.

I dunno. Maybe I am not liking the reminder that I've got something that can potentially make me act like that, but, right now I just feel like that shit probably makes people view those with bipolar in a more negative light.

I'd rather admit to someone that I have CPTSD than reveal to them that I have Bipolar 1. I've told literally one friend because her girlfriend has Bipolar 2. That's it. I'm so afraid of disclosing it to people and having them think I'm a nutcase.
 
I just thought of this:
It's almost like making a commercial about depression and showing someone jumping off a bridge or slicing their wrists or blowing their head off, or self harming in some way, or whatever. That's the "extreme" of depression.

But maybe I'm being a bit hyperbolic, I dunno.
 
I find it strange they even have commercials. I mean, how many people have bipolar 1 that they would need targeted ads.
About 3-4% of the population, according to the National Institute of mental Health. NIMH » Bipolar Disorder

In the US that’s about 13 million.

Mayo Clinic says about 3 million people per year are diagnosed. And? It’s a lifelong disorder, that usually requires meds. Bipolar disorder - Symptoms and causes

All of whom could be buying the other guy’s brand!!! :eek: Great Jumping Capilitaist Fat Cats! Say it ain’t so! That there is just a crime! A crime, I tell ya! And a crying shame! We need to let people KNOW. Our brand. Clearly, the best. Buy from us.
 
Lol @Stephani8o I know right?

2.6% of the adult US population from about as quick of a google as one can do.

That said - if it is a drug they are running commercials on, then it is a drug that is still on-patent. Which means the company that owns the patent to the drug gets to decide how much it costs. Therefore, a company with the patent can make a drug very expensive, in the United States - and also as @Friday said, even a few percent of the US population is a lot of people, all together.

Another fun fact: a company or individual (lol) can renew the patent on the drug if a new purpose is found, continuing the monopoly on that drug in the US.

Sometimes, a drug has such a low need among the general population, that nobody even bothers making a generic version...

One of the drugs I take is like that, and it costs $140 every 5 weeks. It's not for a psych thing but an endocrine issue.

I also have to inject it.

When I ordered the injections online from other countries - it cost me $1.40 per week, or so.

But now the production has halted on that stuff, overseas, at least from pharmacies I'm able to obtain meds from. I'm stuck with the stuff available in the USA, so, $140 every 5 weeks it is.

We need to let people KNOW. Our brand. Clearly, the best. Buy from us.
Thing is, I'm not seeing commercials for other bipolar meds right now. Which makes it even worse.

Just that one.

I don't really wanna name it, maybe it's the channels I browse or something, who knows.

You do make a good point of course - and I did touch on it: they're doing it to grab your attention.... but it's kinda shitty to make Bipolar people look f*cking wacko, for shock value, to sell a drug.

I personally will never use that f*cking drug, just because of those commercials. At least not while they're the only ones making it. Lmao.
 
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Thing is, I'm not seeing commercials for other bipolar meds right now. Which makes it even worse.
If it effects the other companies market shares, you’ll start seeing commercials for them, too. Give it a quarter to screw with their profits, and another quarter to shop around, shoot, & test panel the thing, so in about 6 months. IF it has much of any effect. Sooner if they already advertise, just in limited markets.

That’s why for about 3 years every time you changed stations it was people playing basketball & doing yoga talking about herpes :rolleyes: They used to only be on during “young adult” viewing hours, but one company started buying daytime slots, and bang! Every other company followed suit. Apparently, as a nation, we were just awash with herpes for a few years. Snort.
 
Here in lil ol’ Aus, we don’t have prescription medication ads. Regulated. Not allowed. You actually have to ask your doc what they think is the best medication for you. You can pick your jaw up off the ground now - it’s totally crazy!!!

But, just as an observation...showing ‘mild’ symptoms like staying up all night...isn’t that kind of going to encourage every night owl to decide “ooh, geez, I do a lot of all-nighters, I must have bipolar...quick! Medicate me!”

Personally I find the whole concept of advertising medication really odd. But then, it could be because I live down under and the world is upside down here.

Try and take a breath when you see these ads. For some people (a lot of people), bipolar does indeed make them go pretty nah-nah (saying that as a bipolar II sufferer myself). If I decided what mental illness was like based on what I saw on the idiot-box, bipolar would be the last of my issues. Having DID, I clearly have a serial-killer alter hidden away in my psyche!!
 
No ads here either, also regulated.
They do sell homeopathic shit that is always the best around, grandpas and grandmas all over the country have whole rooms designated to just those products alone.

(Shitting you about the whole room, but my grandparents actually bought 5 CASES of manganese juice because the add said it improved memory and they were afraid of Alzheimmer's)
 
Try and take a breath when you see these ads.
Maybe I came across differently than I meant.

It's not -that- big of a deal to me hahaha.

I do go pretty 'nah-nah' myself lol, like, I -need- the safeguards I have, the safety nets, the meds, the reminders, I need f*ckin' help big time when manic. If left unchecked, and if I did nothing at all about it, it would roll into psychosis - so 100% batshit insane mode. I've gone psychotic before and even though torture started it off, it got worse after I got free because I have bipolar 1. So I know how f*cked up my brain is capable of getting, haha. I just don't like seeing the ads, and roll my eyes when they come on.

But, just as an observation...showing ‘mild’ symptoms like staying up all night...isn’t that kind of going to encourage every night owl to decide “ooh, geez, I do a lot of all-nighters, I must have bipolar...quick! Medicate me!”

One thing about that would be, doctors still have to diagnose someone, and a good doc should be able to identify Bipolar 1 even if it takes some time for full blown mania to rear its ugly head.
 
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I went absolutely off the rails before I was diagnosed although I was showing signs for years. Stuff my family doc should have picked up on but didn't and then I didn't want to admit it was bipolar although I wondered for years. All my meds are generic and don't cost very much.
 
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