Forget the label, we all know brands fit differently

I hope everyone is enjoying the last days of Thanksgiving celebrations.  Not everyone celebrates the holiday, and not everyone gets off from work, but I do hope you were each able to find something to be thankful for this week, regardless of the date on the calendar. 

I spent part of my holiday visiting "family" in New Jersey.  I say "family" because the person I stay with isn't a blood relative, but she is like a mother to me.  She is my father's girlfriend and she became an integral part of how our family changed over the last 15 years.  My father passed away four years ago, but I still visit his girlfriend.  My father left his home to her, my childhood home, so that is where I stay when I go home.  It will always be home.  I digress.

Before I travel I always save movies to my ipad so I have something to watch at night when things are winding down.  This week I watched Welcome to Me with Kristen Wiig (2014).  The movie is about a woman, played by Wiig, who wins the lottery and uses her winnings to fund a television show hosted by herself.  The show is about her- her friends, experiences, things she enjoys, things she ponders.  The movie was interesting and entertaining and earned a respectable 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.  Here's the trailer:

It's important to mention that Wiig's character has Borderline Personality Disorder.  She sees a psychiatrist and receives medication.  When she wins the lottery she goes off of her medication but continues to see her psychiatrist until he terminates treatment.  At one point in the move, Wiig's character tells people that she was first diagnosed with Manic Depression, which then became Bipolar Disorder, which became Borderline Personality Disorder.  That's not exactly how it works, which bothered me a little because it misrepresented those diagnoses.  

Bipolar disorder was called Manic Depression, officially, in the 1980, Third Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM III).  Side note: currently, the DSM is the Fifth Edition.  So, yes, Manic Depression "became" Bipolar Disorder, as stated in the movie.  However, Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder are different diagnoses, although they have some similar symptoms.  

See WebMd's description here: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/borderline-personality-disorder-bipolar-disorder#1

And, NAMI's description here:https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/June-2017/Borderline-Personality-Disorder-and-Bipolar-Disord 

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms such as mood swings, self-harm, depression, manic episodes, sleeping changes, or other marked changes in behavior, please speak to a professional.  Getting a proper diagnoses is important.  It isn't so much about getting a label for the symptoms as it is getting help for the symptoms.  Mental health disorders present in different ways for different people, that is why it's important to seek a professional's support.  And, treatment may look different for different people.  The bottom line is, don't be afraid to talk to someone.  There is help available.