A question....

My Dr. told me I have bi-polar, but I don't have the classic ups and downs associated tith bi-polar. I had terrible anxiety which is now under control with the help of tranquilizers, and I have a consistently low mood. I have thought of killing myself many times in the past.

Is it bi-polar or something people call "uni-polar"?

Uni-polar is when people only experience one of the extremes, and then alternate with being stable.
i.e. depression and then stable and back to depression. or Mania, then stable, then mania.

If you are Bipolar, you go through Depression, stable and Mania.

Bipolar I is characterised by extreme mania and some stability (Depression doesn't feature too much) and the cycles tend to be longer.
Bipolar II tends to be shorter cycles, (Some rapid cyclers can change multiple times in a day), it appears to be a lot of depression, with stable times, and a much milder form of Mania, referred to as hypomania.

Everyone experiences this illness differently - there is no textbook answer.

If you have never had a hypomanic or manic episode, it is technically not possible to diagnose you as bipolar. You would then be uni-polar - of which Depression is one type.

It is also worth investigating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) which has very similar symptoms to Bipolar. There is a whole forum dedicated to this too.
On the top of many of the forums there are some sticky threads, with great information on the various conditions.
At the top of the whole forum is a link called Conditions & Disorders - there's a wealth of info there and it's definitely worth reading.

Thanks for all the info. I truly can't ever remember ever having a true manic episode... I have a temper sometimes, but doesn't just about everyone at some point in their life?

It definately sounds like uni-polar.
Is uni-polar rare?

In all honesty, I think uni-polar (In the form of Major Depression) would be more common than bipolar.

I'm not sure if you went to a GP or a psychiatrist for the evaluation, but you need to be careful with regards to the meds you are prescribed. The two conditions need to be treated very differently. e.g. only anti-depressants for bipolar's are a BAD idea - they can push the patient into mania.

Have a look at the links on the top of this page for more involved informations.

Glad to help

Hi Capricorn, Most people who I have met suffer mostly depression or mostly mania. I have mostly suffered from higher moods. Just lately, I have suffered mostly from anxiety. My mood is pretty stable but it hard to be sure with the anxiety.

I am not sure if uni-polar depression is an official term. It is not the same as regular depression. It is still bipolar. Bipolar covers a whole spectrum of conditions. I understand that bipolar depression and straight depression are quite different.

My anxiety was terrible too. It still would be without the meds.

I never thought of severe anxiety as a "manic" phase of bi-polar. Since it is I definately have bi-polar. Probably 2.

Stelazine is an old anti-psychotic and it has worked wonders for my anxiety. I have been taking it for 4 1/2 years and tolerated it well.

there are ideas like "soft bipolar" and "bipolar spectrum" that reflect that there may be more to BP than what the DSM IV can define (imagine that!!!)
Jim Phelps is a recognised expert in this field. His website is www.psycheducation.org Hope this helps

Hi Capricorn - everyone here has made some excellent points. It's also possible that you can have depression and mania at the same time. I'm BP II and was misdiagnosed with depression/anxiety for years. My manic episodes are easily mistaken for creative energy and it was only when the anti-D I was taking triggered a more severe manic phase that I got the correct diagnosis.

The link BlackPup recommended is excellent..and here's the "it's a small world" comment of the day: An excellent recommendation from halfway around the world, and Jim Phelps is the psychiatrist my doctor consults regarding my diagnosis and medication. He's just in the next town from where I live!

Hope you get the treatment and medication that fits your particular situation, and hope you keep checking in here.

Thank you for all your posts everyone!
I have gained a lot of info by posting this.

Thank you again, and yes I'm here to stay!

everyone is different of course...i suffer from hypomania and never true mania. when i'm hypomanic i become severely agitated, short fuse, etc. it sounded like that might be what u were experiencing too. i wish i'd get the mania sometimes, lol. the majority of my bipolar is depressive. i never feel completely ok..there's a name for this too..sorry, forgot it...but i am able to function ok just don't feel completely a-ok. but i'm on a good mix of meds that cover all my symptoms. best they can do. so i'll live with it.

I get dysphoric manias or mixed episodes much more often than i get pure manias or hypomanias, and they are mostly very anxious, restless, violent depressions. Not fun and feels like I am being ripped apart. Antipsychotics or antidepressants with very strong antianxiety compnonents ålus mood stabilizers have been life savers.

Hi Capricorn! This is so interesting. I had NO idea that anxiety can be a symptom of bi-polar. I'm really glad your anxiety is so well managed by the Stelazine. Anxiety is a huge issue for me but no one has ever suggested bi-polar to me. The link that Blackpup provides is fascinating. Thanks for that! And thanks for starting this topic and for all the feedback. Definitely food for thought!!

Welcome capricorn1975. Unipolar refers to depression.

I have had mixed states (mania and depression at the same time), but never full blown mania. What I have experienced is hypomania which is considered a "milder" form of mania. I have had hypomania where I'm irritable, but I have also have experienced hypomania where I'm very driven, happy etc. and prior to being diagnosed I never even noticed it. Anxiety can be a part of my major depression, mixed episode and hypomanic episodes.

For a Bipolar II diagnosis a person must experience major depression and at least one episode of hypomania.

For a Bipolar I diagnosis a person must experience at least one episode of full blown mania. A manic episode induced by drugs (prescription or otherwise) will not be taken into consideration for a BP I diagnosis, but may be taken into consideration for a BP II diagnosis. A person with BP I may or may not experience major depression.

There is a great information on bipolar located on the Mood Disorder Society of Canada website. Here is the link: http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/quick-facts