Is It Okay to Joke About Bipolar? A Short Guide

Yes, with one rule. Laugh at the situation, not the person.

Plenty of people use humor to deal with hard things. A joke can make a rough week easier to say out loud. It can also be the thing somebody hears right before they stop telling you how they are. The difference is usually who the joke is aimed at, and who is telling it.

The test we use

• Would the person living it laugh first? A boat at 3 a.m. passes.
• Does it punch at the experience or at the person? Receipts are fair game. Calling somebody names isn’t.
• Does it make getting help harder? We don’t print anything that makes fun of treatment or tells people to stop it.
• Is it about self-harm? Then it isn’t a joke, and it isn’t on a shirt.

If it’s your joke to tell

People who live with it get to make the darkest jokes. If you’re the friend, follow their lead and take your cue from what they laugh at.

This is a humor site, not medical advice. If you are struggling, talk to your doctor. In the US you can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any hour.