Abstract:
Bipolar disorder (BPD), sometimes referred to as manic-depressive disorder, is characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels that affect a person’s ability to carry out day-to-day tasks (Nimh.nih.gov). These shifts are much more severe than the normal emotional highs and lows experienced by ordinary individuals from time to time. Approximately 2.9% of adolescents have bipolar disorder, and 2.6% have severe impairment, and the prevalence of bipolar disorder among adolescents was higher for females. Extensive research has been done on BPD treatment; however, much less is known about BPD teenagers’ personal struggles in everyday life because the challenges they face are easily stigmatized, suppressed, and misdiagnosed. As such, this graphic novel is intended to shed light on what BPD adolescents deal with on a daily basis. The reason for the name of the novel “Underwater” is because the image of water reflects the two-sided struggle of bipolar teenagers’ lives: water can either be dangerous or life-giving. When young individuals enter a depressive or manic stage, life will be suffocating, just like the equally suffocating feeling of drowning. On the other hand, when these same individuals enter a smoother, transitional stage, life feels free and relaxed—much like the experience of floating on a peaceful lake, despite the constant presence of lurking danger. The novel is not intended to represent every BPD adolescent- it is largely accurate and authentic based on extensive personal experience as well as interviews with BPD teenagers and professional therapists. Most of the personal information of the main character is unknown—such as her age, name, and ethnicity—because it will limit the scope of this project nor the imaginative capacity of its readers. This graphic novel will not only expand our understanding of BPD teenagers, but also inspire new directions of thought towards finding better solutions to care for adolescents with BPD.
Front page. “Underwater”
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
References can be found in the pdf below: