Quote:
Originally Posted by Innerzone
With or without BP II, a grinding situation can make for a lot of irritability too. For me it's a source probably as common as that stemming from the BP, so the situation's contribution is something to keep in mind. You're not alone 
That your Pdoc said the other symptoms are hit and miss, that's kind of weird. When irritability is the main symptom, a greater number of the symptoms must be present for dx. But the point is they still need to be met. DSM itself is very direct on that. Anyway, I just think that's weird of him.
I don't know if having irritability all the time is typical or not. It isn't for me outside episodes. When you mention the clothes, 2 things come to mind. One, being more sensitive in the senses is one of the signs I might be headed upwards. The feel, the sounds...some clothes are too noisy for instance. Two, it may be that you're an HSP (highly sensitive person). It was something my psych and I explored at one point. It's something you may want to check out.
Personal experience is having irritability in both depression and hypo/mania, but they seem to have a bit different quality to them. In depression it's more a frustrated overwhelm -- more personal, more like a (hate to say this) tantrum feeling -- tired, cranky, overwhelmed. In hypo/mania, it's more external. It's more likely to be lashing out at Other People. They piss me off with their slowness and stupidity. Just something I've noticed, typical or not I don't know.
Wishing you the best in sorting through all this. It takes time and your mood charting is a very good start in the journey, so keep up the good work.  |
That's what I thought too.. about needing more symptoms if irritability is the prime symptom. Whatever, I suppose.
Yeah... sensitivity overall is I guess, heightened at some points. When the irritability is very high, and I start feeling the clothes sensitivity, I also get sensitive to sounds as well... sounds bother me, or make me more anxious / irritable. I do feel more overwhelemed / anxious too.
But then again, my family has had a lot of stress lately. So, I guess, perhaps, all the irritability may just be stemming from that. I really HATE that all of this is not so cut and dry... for example, an OBVIOUS "yes" you have bipolar... or "No" you just need to chill out you're fine.
My hypomania expericnes (if that's what they truly are...) do seem to be consistent with hypomania symptoms. Overly giddy, higher energy, usually speeding on the highway, more talkative to people, willing to engage in conversations or do more tasks.... once I even felt a little 'detached' from my surroundings... I felt like I was almost 'floating' through the grocery store as I walked.
Other times I remember just feeling GREAT but just pacing back and forth ... or feeling like I needed to run but just never stop.
Unfortunately, those episodes only come a few times a year, and last for a few hours to a day and a half tops. They're becoming more frequent though. Ever since I took three days of an SSRI and had VERY fast and intense switching of episodes for two days.... the swings seem to be slightly more frequent.