Infinitely Polar Bear : How realistic is Bipolar Disorder in this film?

I had a very brief marriage with someone I have been friends with and have had on and off relationships with them for years. Being with someone with Bipolar Disorder can be extremely taxing. Did Ruffalo pull off the disorder quite well? Or was it exaggerated in the film?

Bipolar is a mood disorder defined by cycling between two "poles", manic and depressive. But the reason this movie was so great is that it showed there is a lot of ground to cover between those poles, and most of that ground is full of landmines. I think the director and Ruffalo did a brilliant job of depicting the trouble bipolar people have with regulating their moods and behavior, not just the stereotypical "manic-depressive". The fact that you find it incredible means that you now understand this disorder better than you did before.

Like most mood disorders, bipolar affects each person differently it's more a cluster of symptoms than a certain "disease" that can be pinned down as always one way or another. If you suppose that Cam is in a manic or hypo-manic state for most of the movie, it's very accurate. There's one scene ("Summer") where he's standing with the refrigerator door open while his girls come in wearing swimsuits, make lunch, and go back out without his moving an inch this is a depressive phase.

Bipolar type I is the disorder pictured here, and it may cycle over hours, days, weeks, or years. The writer's father (the "Cam" character) probably cycled over months, with a short depressive phase. I'm Type II which is milder overall my manic phases aren't quite as severe and self-destructive but my depressive phases last months or years, which looks very different than this movie's depiction of a long manic phase.

IMHO, the most accurate part of the movie is the mood disruptions and the pain and difficulty it causes for the close family for that, I would recommend this movie to anyone struggling to love and understand a person with any kind of mood disorder.

Retry, maybe you should retry watching the movie with those explanations in mind, instead of whatever the hell you THINK you know about bipolar. This wasn't today, it was late 70's, they were using lithium, which I don't think they use today.

Actually, lithium is still the first drug of choice for BPD. They have time release versions now that work for most people. There can be side effects like weight gain and tremors and the person's lithium levels have to be checked periodically. If lithium doesn't work, anti-convulsants like Depakote are also used.

I will say, as the daughter of a bipolar dad, I thought the film portrayed things pretty well, to the point that it was uncomfortable to watch. I realize it's based on the director's family, but the fact that the mother left her daughters with their troubled dad really freaked me out. I'm things worked out for them.

He did a great job. I have Bipolar II, my mania's not as severe, but boy, my depressive episodes are real doozies. With that being said, I didn't see exaggeration, though Bipolar hits those living with it differently.

No two Bipolar patients are the same. I differ from another. You know?

I must warn you. I'm very susceptible to flattery.