I am trying to ascertain whether I have a "regular" case of bipolar or some GAD added in for more fun. My pdoc sometimes puts 300 (the code for Anxiety disorder NOS) and sometimes does not.

I have frequent situational anxiety. It is more than amply "justified" (meaning that the situation is stress-laden objectively), and I have not been medicating it. Flupentixol and Stelazine are medications I consider using as PRN for anxiety (benzos do nothing for me, so there is no point). For now, though, it is not medicated and I tough it out. In terms of the toll it is taking on me, the toll is at least as great as that of bipolar elevation - except that there is a big positive side to having bipolar elevation, but I cannot think of anything positive to say about anxiety. I would say that 80% of my symptoms are anxiety. The anxiety manifests in nausea and inability to eat and drink; while in this state, I can carry out higher order functions, but the basics fail me. Of course, it creates a downward spiral, since unfed and dehydrated, I get only more and more anxious. Plus, dehydration and skipping meals are my two main migraine triggers, and anxiety mixed in with migraines and not sleeping sent me to inpatient half a year ago. Recently I had a similar bout, but thanks to taking Zyprexa PRN at home, I stayed out of hospital and eventually returned to the baseline. I suspect that anxiety can even trigger (hypo)mania for me. Not sure. At any rate, I will see the pdoc in early April and would like to have her view on whether I should continue not medicating anxiety, but walking etc. I am just not sure - on the one hand, I want to medicate as little as possible, but on the other hand, I am tired of literally feeding myself (when I am in that state, I cannot even call eating eating, because I am NOT eating - I am trying to make myself swallow food). Maybe medicating a bit would be a good idea to make sure that I stay on the regular schedule of eating and drinking, which should help me in all other areas.

My question is - what percentage of the total symptoms that BOTHER you is anxiety. If symptoms do not bother you - say, you like a bit of hypo - then do not count such symptoms.

Thanks!