Honestly, I feel it's worse than cancer in some ways. Not that cancer is better, I've had many people in my family die or have various forms of cancer. But, it's more acceptable and there are so many support groups and resources for cancer patients.
My grandmother recently had breast cancer (she's been cancer free a year now) and she had so many people reaching out to help her or give her advice and guidance. So many groups and things available. I feel like people with cancer get treated with more kindness than I've ever experienced.
Not to seem bitter but people don't seem to jump to help me, or others with mental illness. It's the opposite, they jump away. It seems like no matter which country you live in, the health care system for mental illness is poor. It's a terrible stigma to be mentally ill. I feel like some people get a badge of honor for surviving cancer, but what about those of us who are bipolar (or any other mental illness for that matter) we deal with this daily. It's forever. We can manage and treat symptoms but it doesn't go away.
Cancer can be in remission, it can be beat, you can win. It is preventable in many cases. I can't prevent my brain chemistry. I can manage it and maybe change it a bit, but it's a part of me for better or worse. Yet nobody tells me how brave I am for living day to day, they expect me to do certain things like it's a cakewalk. If you can't get out of bed, or brush you hair or teeth you're some kind of lazy slob.
Cancer sucks. It's a horrible disease and I wish we could cure all forms of it forever. But I wish we could cure mental illness too, or at least make it more socially acceptable. Like have some more programs for raising awareness. It's so much more acceptable to die of cancer, suicide is a taboo way to die. It's shameful and swept under the rug.
Our struggle is no less meaningful and painful. So yes in some ways it's worse than having cancer. Fuck that doctor for not taking you seriously. It's not as if you wished cancer on people or demean those that have it.
This is honestly one of the only places I've found acceptance and others like myself that struggle with bipolar, I don't really talk to people IRL because it drives them away more often than not.