Bipolar disorder?

[sueh]

I was diaganosed with Bi-polar disorder. I also suffer from social anxiety.
I was also told that it was Hereditary. My Grandmother suffered from it as well as my mother. My sister has severe depression.
Like someone else said when I was up I could do anything and it could go on for days but when I crashed I couldn't even get off the couch. It's was hard because I am a single mom of 2 small girls and I couldn't even function. I couldn't even take them out to play on the weekends because I was so down. It really hit me one day when my dd1 said to me that I never take them outside to play. I knew I had to seek help. I did and it was been such a relief. The winter time seems to be more difficult for me. I was on a bunch of medications but they made me feel spacey and very tired. I didn't like the way made me feel.
I now have a handle on it and I now tell when I am starting to spiral out of control.
If you think that you may suffer from this disorder please talk to your doctor.

[Nada.Leona]

My ex was BP. I must tell you, if you're thinking of admitting you have BP, that's a very very good sign. When a BP person has an "up" period, they can be exceptionally "up", thinking there is absolutely nothing in the world they can't do and wouldn't admit to having a problem if their lives depended on it (and sometimes their lives DO depend on it). I've heard of some people thinking that they can fly while in "up" periods. My ex was classic -- he seemed to be in an up period for a good number of years at one point, and during that time, he went to university full time, worked in a lab, tutored several other students, made top marks, and still managed to spend 12+ hours on the computer playing online games.

BP can easily get addicted to something as well. Several have found drugs and alcohol or gambling. My ex found video games, and that was the end of him. He couldn't control his addiction and it ended up being the reason our marriage fell apart -- he chose them over me. Even after he was medicated for a year, nothing had changed.

When a "down" period hits you though, it is HARD. You can hit so far down you feel like you're buried. When my ex hit a down two years before we seperated, he became extremely difficult. I would come home from work after 10 p.m. and find him putting on his shoes to go out and kill himself. Or he would wake up in the middle of the night crying like a child who had a bad dream, and he couldn't tell me why.

Several times, he would get focused on one particular thought and roll that thought around in his brain for so long that it would become huge and horrible. He once was angry at me for three days straight -- would only speak to me in curt, cruel ways and when I asked him what was wrong, he would say, "Oh, I think you know" or something so vauge. By the time I got it out of him, he confessed that he was horribly angry at me, because he was convinced I'd done something wrong, but he had absolutely no clue as to what it was I'd done (which of course was nothing).

The problem with being BP is that it's extremely difficult to diagnose and is often clouded over as being depression. Most often it's not til someone is in the very bowels of a "down" period that they can properly diagnose it. My ex's mother, her brother, his grandmother, his sister and he all had it, but he wasn't diagnosed properly until he was 24.

So, if you are seriously thinking that you could possibly be BP, take advantage of this moment and go speak to someone about it now. Because if you are BP and you take the wrong swing, you can completely ignore the symptoms and refuse to believe that anything is possibly wrong with you. An "up" can be just as dangerous as a "down". So please think about it seriously and go check with someone right away.

[Michelle]

Very well said Nada. Thank you for sharing your story.

Two things you said really rang true for me:

1. my mil is addicted to shopping. She spends money that she doesn't have. She got in trouble for writing bad checks. It's like shopping is her medicine, and she HAS to do it.

2. "When a BP person has an "up" period, they can be exceptionally "up", thinking there is absolutely nothing in the world they can't do and wouldn't admit to having a problem if their lives depended on it "

Absolutely true as well.

[rachelj]

Before having kids I worked full time as a Mental Health Therapist. Yes, depression can be hereditary - but it doesn't have to be. Bipolar is treatable but the main thing is keeping on meds. Many take themselves off of the meds b/c they feel they are doing well and don't need it...

Also to be diagnosed with Bipolar (as well as any other mental illness) you must fit a majority of descriptives.

Feel free to ask me any questions.

[Hoosier Momma]

Thanks Rachel!

I checked out a book from the library called Surviving Manic Depression. At least I think that's the name of it.

Anyway, I think most of my moods tend to be mixed, does that make sense? I go from a range of highly exuberant to very low in a short span of time--usually over a matter of a few days. I notice there are times when I talk nonstop or very fast and times when I clam up. I am easily distracted a lot of times and although I try to accomplish a lot, sometimes very little gets done. There are times when I want to try to do this and that and I get all psyched about doing stuff and I feel unstoppable and then the feeling disappears. I notice there are times when I will drink more than others (although I don't get intoxicated and these times are few and far between just because we don't keep alcohol in the house very often for cost reasons). Or I get obsessed with a particular activity for days at a time and then I drop it. I have gone on spending sprees (mainly on books or sometimes clothes), but I have been able to curb that recently because I have had no choice (not any 'play' $ in the house right now). Dh is thankful for that one, LOL

I don't know if these are M-D symptoms or something else entirely.

[EmilyD]

Yes, those are symptoms plus many others. Everyone presents differently.

I am Bi-polar 2, which has less severe highs but devastating lows. I was on anti-depressants for years and they weren't real helpful. I am on Lithium now and even though I hated going on it, it has helped.

[nwmissourigal]

I have a daughter that is bi-polar and 2 sisters that are bi-polar. I have been told that it is your genes, but no everyone in the family would show signs or symptoms. My daughter is very controlled on her meds and she goes to therapy. She leads a very normal life as long as she takes her meds. I have research this disease alot and there are lots of informative sites on the net. But if you suspect that you are bi-polar please seek medical treatment as soon as possible...Blessings..Kathy

[Dicod]

Yes, those are symptoms plus many others. Everyone presents differently.

I am Bi-polar 2, which has less severe highs but devastating lows. I was on anti-depressants for years and they weren't real helpful. I am on Lithium now and even though I hated going on it, it has helped.

Emily.....that's what my husband was diagnosed with Bi-polar 2 disorder.......and yes there are definitely MORE severe lows than highs.......but I must say his doctor has FINALLY regulated his meds and he is doing wonderfully. I'm so glad your doing better on the Lithium.

[i.m.cheap]

My ex-husband was bipolar with psychotic episodes during the manic phases. He would totally lose touch with reality, thinking God was talking to him, etc. It was very hard to deal with, and after six years of marriage we divorced. When he was down, he would cry for hours about his first wife leaving him, even after we had been married five years (they were together for three). He would drive by her house, and go visit her at work. This got to be a little too much for me, as you might imagine. She was remarried, and did nothing to encourage his stalking.

When he was up, he would come up with wild plans. He was on a variety of medications during this time. We have been divorced for more than twelve years. I wish him well.

[MirandaK]

Hello Ladies!!! I haven't been around in months, so this is my welcome back post.


I was diagnosed as bipolar 2 and did the whole meds/therapy thing. I felt worse on it and my husband felt that my behavior was relatively unchanged. (he never thought I was bipolar to begin with). I sought out a second and 3rd opinion and I was misdiagnosed. I suffer from moderate depression, but I am not bipolar. Be careful accepting that diagnosis without a second opinion. I went off all meds several months ago and I am feeling much better. I am still seeing a therapist and so far so good.

[frugal.lass]

I've been diagnosed as bipolar although none of the psychiatrists I've seen have been able to conclusively decide if I'm bipolar 1 or 2. I'm on a mood stabilizer now (Seroquel) although I have been on all sorts of meds in the past (Celexa, Epival, Lithium, Prozac, Zyprexa to name a few). Epival was working well for me (as is the Seroquel aka "new miracle drug") but because of some associated rare side effects my doc took me off before there were complications.

I might be the first one to admit this but I've been through enough therapy to feel secure saying it. I MISS the illness sometimes. Sure I had suicidal lows but my highs were fantastic. I felt really bad about myself when I admitted that I missed the highs to my doctor but she said that many people do. So, just to throw it out there, if you have BD and feel that way sometimes, you're not alone.

If you or anyone here has questions, feel free to pm me. I am very open about these things but I'm not sure what people would ever want to know.