I didn't see the show but did read the transcript posted on her website. What I read confirmed to me what you said about the sensationalism not education. I also noted that Dr. Jamison's segment was only about a screen page while Mr. Bernard's and Ms. Lewis's were 2 pages there about.
What did alarm me was the continued insinuation that all Bipolar sufferers are a danger to their families and can flip on a dime and do unimaginable things without conscience or remorse. "Andrea" killed her son without her own conscience (voices) and is now in prison under a doctor's care taking right meds and noted what a relief it was to know that it was the illness that killed her son and not her.
By opening her episode with this sensational segment would lead most to believe the sterotypes. While it made for good TV and Oprah's ratings it did nothing to inform her millions upon millions of viewers anything different from what they already thought.
To all,
I did not see the show, but it sounds like typical fare for a daytime talk show. In Oprah's case, it has been my experience that she tries to stay away from sensationalistic journalism, so I am surprised that she would approach bipolar disorder from such an esoteric vantage point.
And while I agree that what Oprah did was not right, I don't agree that jumping on the bandwagon and bashing her is the right answer either. It behooves those of us who know better, to get on the bandwagon of telling it like it really is. We need to unite and get ourselves on her show so we can show the public what bipolar is really all about.
That one show is not the say-all, end-all for people with bipolar. It is a starting point, not a good one from what I understand, but it can be taken to a different level if we do not sit around and bemoan what happened. We must stand up and demand equal air time. And yes, the boring stories of deep depression need to be told. If we make our voices loud enough, they will be heard.
I don't think Oprah had bad intentions with her show. She was doing what the producers scripted for her to do. I think she is a better person than that and would listen to reason if we all joined together to inform her.
So, John, what do we all need to do to ensure that this happens? How do we work it out so we can get OUR voices heard on the Oprah show? Surely, the very fact of our boring depression could make for juicy headlines. "This is John: he stayed in his home for two years - only coming out long enough to buy food - his plight was seemingly endless." Something like that could be made very dramatic and compelling. We just have to make it happen. I had never heard of the woman who you claim, John, was the supposed all-time expert on people with bipolar disorder. Surely, she is no more or no less qualified than any of the rest of us to speak about bipolar disorder?
So group - let's unite and make our voices known. We should not sit back and resort to Oprah bashing. We should take positive action to ensure that the next time Oprah talks about bipolar disorder, it will be with the correct and overwhelming truth of the disorder and not one, tiny, segmented piece of it.
What say you?
Kay
If we want to have our voices heard, then this conversation also needs to be happening on Oprah's forum page.
And did anyone else notice that whenever the show talks about any kind of mental illness, Oprah keeps saying something along the lines of "Medication helps but you still have to do the work." Does she still not get that medication isn't just a handy tool to take away part of the work?
Hi John,
Here in Costa Rica many of us really don't get into TV time much, but the other day I was about to flip off the tv that I keep running to make our home seem occupied and there was Kaye! I quickly turned up the volume, saw a brief segment of that Oprah show, and was very upset that an issue I would relate to was missed! So I ran to the old laptop and checked out the Oprah site for more info. Yikes! Bipolar mom kills child?
I have just begun to tell friends and acquaintences of my bipolar disorder and now one show that many ex-pats watch blows me right out of the water.
If this concerns me in my sleeply little
Costa Rican village, I can't even wrap my brain around what impact this show must have had in the states. And now just this evening there was a segment on some network about over-diagnosis of bipolar in children...
I'm so glad that there was a discussion going on here about this, as I was very distraught over the Oprah episode, the webpage overview of the program, and the program on this evening.
Thanks for being here, John!
Janet
Hello John,
Just as I take issue with people calling those of us folks with bipolar disorder, "bipolars", I take issue with the use of the term "normies" to describe people who don't have bipolar. I would liken the term "normies" to something degrading. Any time you place an entire group of people into one colorful word or category, you have already set those people up to be judged and thought of in a certain way.
What I do not understand is why there is so much hostility for people who do not have bipolar disorder? Has your experience with all "normal" people been so awful, that you are now lumping all people without bipolar into one category and calling it "normies"? I find it appalling that you and others would seem to take so much pleasure in labeling others who do not have bipolar. This is the very thing that so-called "normal" people have done to us people with bipolar. Is it necessary to get back at them for all the supposed wrongs they have done to us? Is that akin to blaming them for everything bad that has happened to us? That goes back to the mentality of, "I am not responsible for my own actions. Everything bad that I have done or everything bad that has been done to me is the "normies" fault."
I just don't buy it. Furthermore, by lumping all of the people who do not have bipolar into one category called "normies", we are dong the very thing that we got so ****** off about that was done to us. What is this? An eye for an eye? Tit for tat? That takes me back to my earlier days of junior high school, in which everyone had to have the last word and one group of people was superior to the other. It truly sickens me to see us develop this attitude.
Oprah was doing what she does with anyone who comes onto her show. She did not randomly select people with bipolar to pick on or gang up on. As I said before, we, the vast majority of the people with bipolar, have to step up to the plate and make our voices known. That one show that depicted people with bipolar as child killers was not the end of the discussion. It has opened up the stage for further, more in-depth conversations, and it behooves us to be the ones making these future conversations.
I absolutely agree that this show (of which I have only heard and not seen) depicts people with bipolar in a negative light. But, what are we going to do about it? Sit around and talk about how awful it was and not accomplish a **** thing by doing so (well, other than getting it off our chests in a "safe" environment)? I would hope not. Our next step should be to ensure that we get ourselves on the Oprah show and on other talk shows, to tell our side of the story. The discussion is far from over. Whatever damage has been done, it is up to us to undo that damage.
I just really have a hard time with people-bashing, in general. First it was Oprah. Now it is the "normies". Who is next? Why must we put ourselves in a position in which we are further alienating ourselves from the greater population? Granted, Oprah did not do us people with bipolar any favors by showing an isolated example of a mother who killed her child. But what are we going to do about it? It is time to take action and get on her show and tell it like it really is for the vast majority of us. I believe Oprah is a big enough person to hear our voices. We just have to make sure we are heard. I, for one, would be willing to tell my story, in an effort to clear up any misconceptions Oprah's show might have created.
So let's lay down the hatred and hostility and do something positive with our righteous indignation. Let's ensure that this type of story does not get the majority of the attention on Oprah or on any other talk show, for that matter. We can moan and complain amongst ourselves until the cows come home. That only serves to isolate us even more and does not solve the problem here - which is sensationalistic journalism. Of course, the vast majority of the public wants to see the sensationalism. Look at the way we parade Britney and Lindsey in the tabloids.
Oprah did not discriminate against those of us with bipolar and intentionally use us as a target for her own purposes. She did what any journalist would do to sell a story, based on what her producers told her. For better or worse, Oprah and other talk show hosts, employ this method AGAINST OR WITH every group of people they depict - not just people with bipolar.
Now, it is time for the world to hear OUR story. Let's get off this forum and do something about it.
Kay
If only people would take notice of the greatly creative talent that people with BP have. Just read the list...
Yes, the power of mind does get out of control, occasionally...but, overall, BP can really be a blessing to society.
Your doctor, paperboy, waiter, nurse, attorney...all may have BP and you not realize. Former presidents and statesmen have had BP and Depression.
Oprah has not demonstrated nearly as much creativity as many BP's I know, she has just harnassed the energy of their lives (in a negative connotation) for the sensational gain of her program.
Hi. My name is Deeanna, and I too suffer from bipolar. I am a mother of three children under 9 years old, and all I seem to do is SLEEP!!!
I saw the Oprah episode too, and was appauled by the "do the work" dialog. I don't have the energy to get out of bed in the morning let alone do any "work"! I have no insurance for counseling, and my scripts don't seem to help much. I think Oprah needs to do a little more research and maybe even have a group meeting of women suffering from this illness to get a real perspective about how damaging this illness can be to a person and their family! I would write alot more, but my four year old is demanding attention from me again. Time to take another nap yet?
John
I really enjoyed your post about the Oprah show.
Your comment of " learning about the illness from celebrities " is so true.
Some may view my opinion as a pouting session ...and that's ... OK !
The thing is it seems in alot of cases when a celeb with a history of some sort of mental illness appears on a talk show they generally have had an episode or two , get on meds , and now they have their life back !
Which is great and good. I don't wish this on anyone.
I know this isn't true of every case involving celebs. We all know of tragedies that have occurred as result of mental illness.
It just seems that alot of shows come across with some kind of quick fix message.
Also ... I didn't realize that you had done a two year stay at the hotel isolation.
I knew you had your lows but I guess I didn't realize the severity.
Maybe MY perception of a successful writer was a little skewed.
How could a successful person ever go through the same things I have ?
And then I realize something that has not only been a " revelation " of sorts ... but also a thought brought up in a recent group meeting. And that is that our illness is what causes these distortions of our view on life. One can have everything going " smoothly " and still be in an emotional pit.
It is not what is going on around us as much as INSIDE us , i.e. our heads.
Returning to the Oprah topic... I think the show should have been researched on a more real to life , mainstream America , down in the trenches level .
She CAN do that sort of thing , but, of course it all comes down to what makes ( in a producers mind ) ..." Good TV " .
Oprah is not really the place to do the kind of show I think we BP's would like to see and have represent us.
I think Discovery would be more of a place for that.
Actually they did do a series several years
ago called Fires of the Mind. There were four episodes involving Anxiety , Schizophrenia, Bipolar , and not sure of the other one.
With a documentary vehicle one could spend more time with indivivdual stories
and new treatments etc. A series could be done on the other overlapping illnesses as well.
The documentary could also explore effective new treatments etc.
Then ...Oprah could have the Discovery producers come on and show there footage!
Thanks again for an entertaining and informative post !
** side note .. I could only view 11 of the 23 replies to your post **
I also found the show to be lacking of real information.
I have been diagnosed with bipolar with in the last yr.
I am scared, I am alone, I am worried my meds. will stop working and I will have to start all over.
It also happens every time I fly. I need and want to get home to IL. to see my granddaughter dance in the Nutcracker Sweet for Christmas. Instead, I have tons of Dr. and Hospital bills to pay. So I am unable to be there for her.
I feel so guilty about that. I have let down alot of people but it is killing me to know I let my granddaughter down too.
Oh, since I was diagnosed, I have NO Friends because it happen in the neighbor hood. Now noone wants me around. I would never hurt anybody That is not how I am. When I have a episode it is all about people coming to hurt me.
Doesn't matter. No one really cares about anyone else in this world anyway. I mean it is't like someone is going to send me a ticket to fly to IL. Or better yet send me a ticket and tell the Drs. and Hospitals to except the insurance money and write off the rest. That is ilegal they say.
Bad day for me, bad week, bad month, bad year!!!!
Hope everyone else is fine.
It was basically a lesson in how to fragment bipolar recovery into different parts instead of looking at it holistically. Then to top it all off the host and celebrity decides not to take meds as he enjoys his highs too much - oh the shopping you can do if you are rich and don't have to bother about money...give me a break. This documentary was a classic call to all who are not really sure about meds, or who don't really enjoy being compliant, to stop the lithium (the only med mentioned by name) and go back to flying high. I was appalled.
Being a fellow Mississippian, I was very excited at the possibilities presented by Oprah, a very educated, respectable black woman, to educate the world on the varieties of bipolarism. After the first 15 min., I was e-mailing a response to Oprah's effort. You see, that kid-killer thing urkes me to no end! 
I was totally relieved by the last segment. However, Oprah had a choice on how much time any spectrum of bipolarism could get.....Sensationalism won out. 
You see, this is only what most people "know" about this disorder....it breeds fear and ignorance. I lost custody of my kids to this bogus PR.....Andrea Yaeger had just drowned her kids the week before I went to court...crappy timing.
We must hold the press and celebrities accountable for such slanted coverage. If those people took the time to read a list of people with Bipolar Disorder, they would probably beg their doctor to include them in our elite group. Everyone has some ability or disability, it's up to them which one it is.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Your a great person John. Keep on educating the public.
God Bless you.