The Human Behind the Bipolar Diagnosis: Stigma and Identity in Lisa Genova’s More or Less Maddy

Abstract

This research paper attempts to explore the interconnection between the stigmatisation of mental illness and its impact on an individual’s identity. With reference to Lisa Genova’s insightful text More or Less Maddy (2025), the paper aims to analyse the lived experience of the protagonist who is struggling with bipolar disorder. Based on Erving Goffman’s stigma theory, the paper examines how stigma manifests in Maddy’s relationships, illness experiences and self-perception. Genova’s intuitive knowledge in neuroscience eventually resulted in portraying a bipolar brain. Maddy’s internal and external stigma, which collapses her social identity and erodes her self-esteem. The paper addresses that fighting stigma is as important as treating symptoms and highlights how it influences and spoils one’s identity. Further, this study claims that More or Less Maddy not only humanises mental illness, but also provides deeper insights to understand the emotional complexities and the invisible barriers faced by individuals with bipolar disorder.