How serious is BP disorder?

Bipolar can be really serious. There is always the risk of suicide. Not to mention it can tear your life apart. I've lost years and years of my life to depression and mania. I've failed university classes. Spent 10,000 dollars in a month on junk, ruined relationships, done things when manic i really regretted later, got a 900 $ speeding ticket during a manic time (which i later had to go to court about) ... not to mention the endless arguments i've had with my parents while manic, my life plans totally been altered, weight fluctuations in either direction of fifty pounds, concentration problems, suicidal thoughts.

hmmmm who was it on here that said bipolar isn't a "big problem"? it is a big problem and to top it all off the meds never worked for me and i struggled for nearly a decade to find a treatment that works and finally i did (www.truehope.com).

keep in mind i've been diagnosed with bipolar type II, the more mild version! sure, nothing compares to schizophrenia. we all know that's a destructive illness but please, don't downplay the damage bipolar can do.

I would like to add that I think that BP is serious enough to take it seriously. I would not say it is any more or less serious then any of the other illnesses such as schizophrenia (which is what I have)- as in previous posts I would really think that it depends completely on the individual.

For example, I have schizophrenia and am managing to hold a full time job (well at least I have for two months), whilst I have friends who have BP who just can't work.

It does just really depend on the severity of the BP and how much it affects your life. It isn't something to be taken lightly and it is important to not forget you have it and be harsh on yourself when you have mood swings, the bad periods of depression or even the mania.

Take it seriously, and treat it sensibly and there is no reason why it should ever really become serious.

I have read that 25% of people diagnosed after onset of adulthood kill themselves in the first 5 years. That's pretty serious if you ask me.