Next Step: Keep Working on Blue and Red Paper

I wanted to optimise my second intervention and present it in an exhibition.

In the second intervention, I invited two bipolar patients from the forum to represent two types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder. I selected examples from the forum posts that describe everyday challenges common among people with bipolar disorder.

But in this step, I plan to show the daily table of a day for these two bipolar disorder patients.

My Goal：

Intuitiveness: Offers a straightforward way to depict the inner struggles and daily challenges of patients.

Empathy: Audiences can more easily understand and empathize with the pain and difficulties of patients, reducing misunderstandings and stigma surrounding bipolar disorder.

Educational Value: This simple and clear presentation helps the public quickly grasp the characteristics of bipolar disorder, such as the uncontrollability of emotions and the highs and lows.

Potential Drawbacks:

Limitations: Since each patient’s symptoms and severity vary, a generalized representation might not fully capture the diversity of bipolar disorder.

Xi Fan （30）tattooist

“Sometimes I feel like a genius, other times like a piece of shit.”

Duration of illness: 10 years

Bipolar I Disorder: Manic symptoms are more severe and can lead to significant impairments in social and occupational functioning. Patients with Bipolar I experience full manic episodes. Due to the severity of these episodes, Bipolar I patients may require more frequent emergency interventions and hospitalization.

Oli （22）working part-time two days a week

“Sometimes I wonder if Sleeping Beauty’s secret to sleeping was quetiapine.”

Duration of illness: 6 years

Bipolar II Disorder: Manic symptoms are generally milder, referred to as hypomanic episodes. While hypomanic symptoms in Bipolar II are less intense, depressive symptoms are more persistent and pronounced. In Bipolar II, depressive episodes are often the central focus of the illness. Patients with Bipolar II typically require long-term management of depressive symptoms.