[BleedingDestruction]

Whelp, I went to see my pdoc today. I was previously diagnosed as bipolar I, but my doc say I may have Asperger's. I'm wondering if it's possible to have both at once, because I fit the criteria for both, but have never heard of bipolar and Asperger's together. Can anyone give me a little bit of insight?

Thanks!

[Miss Laura]

Hey BleedingDestruction,

Yip it sure is. I use to work with a man who had Asperger's and Bipolar 1. It is difficult having both of them isn't it.

Definitely.

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a mental illness. It is a "cognitive style."

Note: AS can resemble bipolar disorder, since many with it have problems with mood regulation, anger, impulsivity, irritability, rigid thinking, etc... (Without bipolar 1, the mood swings would be a lot shorter than the minimum 1 week required for that diagnosis.)

The difference between the two conditions is repetitive behaviours, obsessions, routines, poor social skills and hypo or hyper senses, that have been present since childhood.

[BleedingDestruction]

Thanks for clearing things up! I knew Asperger's could resemble bipolar, which was why I was confused. But it makes more sense now!

Yay for learning!

[Melancolic]

I have both bipoar 1 and aspergers.

[belzababe]

I too have been diagnosed with Bipolar and Aspergers. About 5 years ago i realized i had a problem with Anxiety and depression. Was put on antidepressants and began seeing a psychologist. Kept going up in dose because they seemed to burn out. Was diagnosed with Aspergers about 12 months ago, then was diagnosed with Bipolar 6 months ago. I've been trying to understand these conditions and how to work with them, but i've been struggling.
Aspergers is the way your brain is wired, Bipolar has to do with the chemicals.

Still working on it.......