---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's more common than not that bipolar…"
description: "\"It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on college campuses is exactly that re..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg"
---

#  It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start…

![“It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on college campuses is exactly that reason. It's terribly important to talk to students about knowing these things in advance.” quote by Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg)

> “It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on college campuses is exactly that reason. It's terribly important to talk to students about knowing these things in advance.”

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Early onset bipolar disorder often begins in adolescence; proactive education on campuses can help students recognize symptoms early and seek help.

**In simple terms:** Early detection via campus education

Key Takeaway

Awareness can lead to timely intervention

Themes

mental health adolescence education prevention stigma early intervention

Mood

concerned empathetic hopeful

Type

informational advocacy educational

When to use this quote

- college orientation sessions
- health class curricula
- student counseling centers
- peer support groups
- mental health awareness campaigns

Key Concepts

bipolar disorder college environment early warning signs support services

Practical Applications

- developing mental health workshops for students
- training resident advisors to recognize signs

Questions to Reflect On

- How can campuses create safe spaces for mental health discussions?
- What barriers prevent students from seeking help early?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bipolar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bipolar/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Teens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teens/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [There are scientists all around the world looking for the genes responsible for bipolar illness and major depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/there-are-scientists-all-around-the-world-looking-for-the-genes/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [Perception plays a vital role in the diagnosis of bipolar illness. Symptoms are perceived through the categories of psychiatric medicine at a given moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/perception-plays-a-vital-role-in-the-diagnosis-of-bipolar-illness/)

[Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/)

> [“Bipolar illness, manic depression, manic-depressive illness, manic-depressive psychosis. That’s a nice way of saying you will feel so high that no street drug can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-f-anderson/bipolar-illness-manic-depression-manic-depressive-illness-manic/)

Christine F. Anderson

> [“Bipolar is an illness not a hopeless destination it can be maintained with proper medication”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/bipolar-is-an-illness-not-a-hopeless-destination-it-can-be-maintained/)

[Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/)

> [My old school in Liverpool is now a performing-arts school, and I kind of teach there - I use the word lightly - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/my-old-school-in-liverpool-is-now-a-performing-arts-school-and-i-kind/)

[Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/)

> [I always talk to my students about the need to write for the joy of writing. I try to sort of disaggregate the acclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/i-always-talk-to-my-students-about-the-need-to-write-for-the-joy-of/)

[Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/)

> [When I talk to students - and I still think of myself more than anything as a kind of professor on leave - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/when-i-talk-to-students-and-i-still-think-of-myself-more-than/)

[Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/)

> [I was in sixth grade the first time I was required to speak in front of an audience. I had terrible stage fright and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-allen/i-was-in-sixth-grade-the-first-time-i-was-required-to-speak-in-front/)

[Steve Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-allen/)

> [Whenever we can, we try to talk to students. If I can, I'll invite kids from a school to a sound check and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trombone-shorty/whenever-we-can-we-try-to-talk-to-students-if-i-can-i-ll-invite-kids/)

[Trombone Shorty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trombone-shorty/)

> [“In Maya’s group, the “executive branch,” everyone is talking at once. Maya hangs back. Samantha, tall and plump in a purple T-shirt, takes charge.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/in-maya-s-group-the-executive-branch-everyone-is-talking-at-once-maya/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [How do you manage your online identity? It's something I talk about with my students all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-m-elahi/how-do-you-manage-your-online-identity-it-s-something-i-talk-about/)

[Hasan M. Elahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-m-elahi/)

> [My first real acting job was 'Skins' at eighteen years old, and I just kind of grew into myself in those two years; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-pasqualino/my-first-real-acting-job-was-skins-at-eighteen-years-old-and-i-just/)

[Luke Pasqualino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-pasqualino/)

> [You know, I'm not terribly fast at my times tables, because that's not what I think mathematics is about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/you-know-i-m-not-terribly-fast-at-my-times-tables-because-that-s-not/)

[Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/)

> [I had been an abject fan of Martin and Lewis when I was a kid. I just thought they were terribly funny. None of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bogdanovich/i-had-been-an-abject-fan-of-martin-and-lewis-when-i-was-a-kid-i-just/)

[Peter Bogdanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bogdanovich/)

> [“Some of us are so terribly broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannary-rang/some-of-us-are-so-terribly-broken/)

Vannary Rang

## More by Kay Redfield Jamison

> [ “...even though \[my psychiatrist\] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/even-though-my-psychiatrist-understood-mor-than-anyone-how-much-i/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [When people are suicidal, their thinking is paralyzed, their options appear spare or nonexistent, their mood is despairing, and hopelessness permeates their entire mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-people-are-suicidal-their-thinking-is-paralyzed-their-options/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [I think that for thousands of years people have made the observation that there are certain kinds of extreme depressive states that seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/i-think-that-for-thousands-of-years-people-have-made-the-observation/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someone-commits-suicide-mostly-i/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [Mother, who has an absolute belief that it is not the cards that one is dealt in life, it is how one plays them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/mother-who-has-an-absolute-belief-that-it-is-not-the-cards-that-one/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [“I decided early in graduate school that I needed to do something about my moods. It quickly came down to a choice between seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/i-decided-early-in-graduate-school-that-i-needed-to-do-something/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [When I'm talking about depression, I'm talking about the more severe forms of depression, and I think that conceptualising as a form of grief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-i-m-talking-about-depression-i-m-talking-about-the-more-severe/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [An ardent temperament makes one very vulnerable to dreamkillers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/an-ardent-temperament-makes-one-very-vulnerable-to-dreamkillers/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [the intensity, glory, and absolute assuredness if my mind's flight made it very difficult for me to believe once i was better, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/the-intensity-glory-and-absolute-assuredness-if-my-mind-s-flight-made/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [I wish I could explain it so someone could understand it. I'm afraid it's something I can't put into words. There's just this heavy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/i-wish-i-could-explain-it-so-someone-could-understand-it-i-m-afraid/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [Moods are such an essential part of the substance of life, of one's notion of oneself, that even psychotic extremes in mood and behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/moods-are-such-an-essential-part-of-the-substance-of-life-of-one-s/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [We expect well-informed treatment for cancer or heart disease; it matters no less for depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/we-expect-well-informed-treatment-for-cancer-or-heart-disease-it/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [Manic depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/manic-depression-distorts-moods-and-thoughts-incites-dreadful/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [People talk about grief as if it's kind of an unremittingly awful thing, and it is. It is painful, but it's a very, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/people-talk-about-grief-as-if-it-s-kind-of-an-unremittingly-awful/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [One of things so bad about depression and bipolar disorder is that if you don't have prior awareness, you don't have any idea what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/one-of-things-so-bad-about-depression-and-bipolar-disorder-is-that-if/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

[Explore all 205 Kay Redfield Jamison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on college campuses is exactly that reason. It's terribly important to talk to students about knowing these things in advance.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kay Redfield Jamison"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_about_it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-i_21119.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of…” — Kay Redfield Jamison",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kay Redfield Jamison",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's more common than not that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
