Bipolar Disorder

[lennon33x]

So, as a nursing student, we are required to spend almost 100 clinical hours with psychiatric mental health patients. We are set up in a facility with below poverty level psych patients, who have one of four psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and severe depression. Schizoaffective disorder is a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I have seen many unimaginable things and stories in the past week, while spending time with these patients. I was compelled to do a self-portrait, based upon my interpretation of bipolar disorder and what these ill individuals go through. I will never understand, as I do not have bipolar disorder. However, this is my interpretation.

 

[snowbear]

Reminds me of an old Star Trek (original series) episode.

Nicely done, though I'd tried to keep the teeth the same. :thumbsup:

 

[lennon33x]

I tried to blend the mouth to make it as uniform as possible. The black side isn't open, but the left side is. That's the point of bipolar disorder though - two extremely different sides: manic and depression.

 

[manicmike]

Honestly, to me the white side doesn't really convey the manic state. The black works well in conveying depression though.

Something a lot of people don't realize is there are two different types of bipolar. Bipolar I and bipolar II, one of those being more extreme than the other, which I don't care to explain at the moment.

I think maybe opening the left eye and making it more of a smile would have been more effective in showing the manic state.

 

[mmaria]

First off all let me be clear here. I also do not have any of the mentioned but unfortunately I have experience with people with some or all of the above. What I said bellow are my thoughts based on my experience and research.

I like your selfie a lot.

The thing is, I wouldn't call what you showed here bipolar. I would call it severe depression.

Bipolar is about extremes. It's about taking of high and falling down deep. I can do everything/I wont be able to do anything, ever

You showed here two emotions that are "similar" (forgive me, my English sucks right now) Bipolar is "opposites"

 

[lennon33x]

First off all let me be clear here. I also do not have any of the mentioned but unfortunately I have experience with people with some or all of the above. What I said bellow are my thoughts based on my experience and research.

I like your selfie a lot.

The thing is, I wouldn't call what you showed here bipolar. I would call it severe depression.

Bipolar is about extremes. It's about taking of high and falling down deep. I can do everything/I wont be able to do anything, ever

You showed here two emotions that are "similar" (forgive me, my English sucks right now) Bipolar is "opposites"

There is a common misnomer about bipolar disorder and that it is that a patient's mood can be opposite. That isn't necessarily the case. The opposite of depression, in the clinical sense, is mania. Highly pressured speech (intense rapid speech), severe anxiety, racing thoughts, irrational and poor judgement.

That being said, the intent was to draw on an intense mania that the subject would feel an intense angst with.

 

[lennon33x]

Honestly, to me the white side doesn't really convey the manic state. The black works well in conveying depression though.

Something a lot of people don't realize is there are two different types of bipolar. Bipolar I and bipolar II, one of those being more extreme than the other, which I don't care to explain at the moment.

I think maybe opening the left eye and making it more of a smile would have been more effective in showing the manic state.

I get what you're saying. I plan to do one of schizophrenia and one of schizoaffective disorder. Those will be much more complicated. But, I will probably go more along the lines of The Joker with the white face

 

[mmaria]

There is a common misnomer about bipolar disorder and that it is that a patient's mood can be opposite. That isn't necessarily the case. The opposite of depression, in the clinical sense, is mania. Highly pressured speech (intense rapid speech), severe anxiety, racing thoughts, irrational and poor judgement.

That being said, the intent was to draw on an intense mania that the subject would feel an intense angst with.

I'm aware of what you stated.

We can go back and forth with this complicated subject... but... I said my thoughts in the simplest manner I could .

 

[The_Traveler]

Definition aside, what struck me is that the border down the center is irregular and that draws my attention to it.

 

[Designer]

I'm happy for you that you are learning this stuff, but we are simple art critics, and all we do is critique the art placed before us.

 

[unpopular]

as a manic depressive (I say 'manic depressive' because I fit the classic definition of bipolar), this kind of imagery only covers the surface level. The duality is what people certainly see, and what we all talk about. Though, looking deeper there is much more than this black and white interpretation.

In my view, your piece is certainly accurate to what a "normie" sees in bipolar disorder (at least from my own experience), and the fact it is a self portrait might be a bit unintentionally appropriate - in a strange postmodern take of it.

On the other hand, I can't help but feel a little offended. It kind of reminds me of those lessons people do when they take sighted people and give them blindfolds to insufficiently "simulate" what it's like to be blind. I sort of feel you've appropriated "our" experience onto yourself, without having ever experienced them. I kind of wonder what the point is.

 

[The_Traveler]

On the other hand, I can't help but feel a little offended. It kind of reminds me of those lessons people do when they take sighted people and give them blindfolds to insufficiently "simulate" what it's like to be blind. I sort of feel you've appropriated "our" experience onto yourself, without having ever experienced them. I kind of wonder what the point is.

This falls into the realm of what is being called 'micro-aggression.'
There have been several columns about it, most recently and widely in the NY Times.
An interesting response was posted that I found

I think people need to be a little more tolerant and a little less judgmental -- sometimes what you call "microaggression" is simply friendly curiosity. Intention does matter. Sure, it's no one's business (as some commenters said), but isn't an interest in knowing more about an acquaintance the first step towards a possible future friendship? Why not be more open, especially since most of the time there is nothing worthy of hiding?

In this situation, you want people to understand and yet when someone is trying to understand and play that out artistically, you say you may be offended.
What you are saying in effect is that you want to be able to own, not only your own disease, but all mention of it.
I don't think that's fair.
Either you let tiny intrusions by well meaning people go, because their intent is well meaning, or you don't bring it up.
Don't look for a situation to be hurt, taking offense where none is offered.

 

[pjaye]

I kind of get what unpopular is saying. It was my first reaction too. I am bipolar. Although I understand the OP's reason for doing the picture, I just don't think his interpretation is correct.

But then, it is his interpretation. Just not my reality.

 

[Designer]

But wouldn't his interpretation of the disorder be the thing that he is trying to convey? And if his attempt has failed to convey that disorder correctly, then wouldn't his photograph fail?

 

[unpopular]

Either you let tiny intrusions by well meaning people go, because their intent is well meaning, or you don't bring it up.

One thing that I've learned from being manic depressive is that we have to take responsibility for our actions, even if we cannot always be held accountable. What I mean by this is that it doesn't matter if I intend to hurt people while manic or depressed, the fact of the matter is that I did.

You cannot say "you have no right be offended because I didn't want to offend you".

I think that this realization applies elsewhere. The OP is not by any means a "bad person". He did not go out to make a caricature of manic depression that in some ways could be described as the mental health equivalent to blackface. However, regardless of being well-intended I do find it offensive, simplistic and stereotyping. This though has nothing to do with the artist's intent, if he is a "bad person" or anything of the like. It is simply about the art product itself.