BIPOC
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and it is a modern term that serves as a more descriptive version of “people of color”. The philosophy of the term is to highlight the history of slavery and oppression experienced by Black and Indigenous people in such a way that isn’t minimized by their inclusion in POC. This history of systemic violence and oppression against Black and Indigenous people remains relevant in modern-day legislation and organizations of communities, which further justifies the need for the distinction. In spite of that, the term BIPOC is meant to bring systemically disadvantaged groups together even if they don’t have the exact same experiences.
While BIPOC is a useful term to refer to large communities of non-white people, it can be harmful to use it as a blanket term to describe smaller groups. For example, there is a tendency to use the phrase “BIPOC children” instead of “Black children” when describing people growing up in certain predominantly Black neighborhoods. Using BIPOC like this could make statements seem to refer to non-white people as a whole instead of a specific cultural identity or ethnicity.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a chronic mood disorder characterized by mood swings between states known as euthymia, mania (or hypomania, a less severe version of mania) and depression. There are two main types of bipolar disorders: bipolar I and bipolar II. The difference between the two lies in the presence of mania; people with bipolar II disorder have never experienced a manic episode, but may have experienced hypomania and depression.
Euthymia is a neutral state that lies between mania and depression, where no extreme mood swings are present. Mania involves feelings of extreme happiness or excitement, increased irritability, and high levels of energy. Mania may lead to impulsive decision-making, like suddenly ending relationships or spending large amounts of money. Depression, on the other hand, involves feelings of sadness or hopelessness, anhedonia (loss of pleasure), and low levels of energy. Depression may lead to a loss of enjoyment in pleasurable activities and the inability to perform simple tasks.
Bisexual
Someone who is bisexual is attracted, romantically or sexually to more than one gender. Bisexuality can be, but is not necessarily, distinct from biromanticism, or the romantic attraction to more than one gender. Many bisexual people are both bisexual and biromantic, and use the term “bisexual” as an umbrella term for both.
Contrary to popular belief, bisexuality is not just the attraction to both men and women. Many bisexuals conceptualize the identity to mean being attracted to two or more genders. This means that bisexuals can also be attracted to anyone of any gender identity depending on their personal preference. In practice, some bisexuals also identify as pansexual (having the capacity to be attracted to people regardless of gender) as the identities naturally allow for overlap.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental illness that impacts how people view themselves and others, which can cause issues with regulating emotions. It involves intense emotional mood swings, impulsive decision-making, and unhealthy self-conception. People with BPD may have self-esteem issues and a fear of abandonment, which may cause them to struggle with maintaining healthy relationships. This may lead to a pattern of frequent, unhealthy relationships caused by the aversion to abandonment.
Symptoms of BPD will most likely manifest in early adulthood, beginning with high intensity mood swings that diminish with age. There are various genetic and environmental risk factors for BPD, such as having a family member with the disorder or experiencing traumatic events as a child. However, there are no definitive causes for BPD, and the presence of these risk factors do not guarantee the development of the disorder.