[Warrioress]

I'm a rapid cycler. I go from hypomanic to depressed and again to hypomanic at least once a day! It feels like **** when I become depressed after a hypomanic episode (like now). It's like I've been switched off. It's like I'm falling through a dark and cold vertical tunnel. I want to shout and cry and scream and throw things, but I can always control myself and sometimes I wish I couldn't. Sometimes I wonder if I should stop acting so rationally. Sometimes I just want to let myself go; I want to embrace the insanity that keeps threatening me and surrender myself to it...

[Warrioress]

And here comes the hypomania! Again! I just can't sit still!

[Fresia]

I wish I had some wisdom right now but I am struggling right now too with my rapid cycles. I wanted to let you know you're not alone.... (((((((Warrioress)))))).

Have you had a chance to contact your doc about it so that they might be able to help.

I hope you will find some balance soon though and for me, there is some comfort in knowing that it will pass. Hang in there!

[Warrioress]

It's great to know there are others out there who understand what I'm going through. Sure it will pass. Everything does. I'm going to see my doc today.

[OneRiffTooMany]

Join the club or should I say army
thank you for sharing some of your experiences.
I battle with very similar enemies.
Am hoping my gp will raise my lithium dose as its very low.
have you been prescibed a mood stabiliser ?

[Warrioress]

I've been taking Depakine since 2008. I've tried Lithium and Olanzapine and a few anti depressants too

[OneRiffTooMany]

true, im unfamiliar with that one..
I dont have an appoint with my pdoc for a month...
I know the feeling with changing of meds im on my 7th, 5 of the seven were tranquilizer type ones anti psycotics I think, didnt have any motivation just layed in bet for a few years 5 or so years lol, nah but looking back didnt achieve much.
I have alot more faith in antidepressants...
Oh i was supposed to take epilim as a mood stabiliser a few years back but politely declined, I thought epilim was an epilepsy preventer. hhmm

thus I am feeling better than I was a few years back I challenge my insanity, attempt to prove it wrong hehhe
best of luck
catcha round

[Tsunamisurfer]

Warrioress, I know how you feel. Lately I have spent most of my time in an elevated agitated irritable state. The world moves too slowly. We have no tolerance for anything going wrong. Why wait to get to the dojo? Maybe set up a punch / kick bag in your home to work out on whenever your energy and frustration screams to be expressed.

Watch out for antidepressants. They have a well deserved reputation of causing instability in bipolar people, by increasing or inducing rapid cycling.
When I started on Prozac 8 months ago, I changed from a largely depressive state to cycling several times a day, and I developed an extreme sensitivity to sound that I never had before. The sounds distress me most during manic cycles. I was only on Prozac for 3 weeks, and I have not yet stopped weekly rapid cycling even though being on various stabilisers and antipsychotics since then.

Originally Posted by Warrioress

I'm a rapid cycler. ..

[kitty004567]

I'm so sorry you're feeling out of control right now. I hope your doctor's appointment went well and you're feeling better. You're stronger than I am. I got to that point and decided I couldn't deal and committed myself - course perhaps that was dealing and helping myself. It got me diagnosed. Sorry for the tangent. I hope you feel better very soon: I know how unsettling the rapid cycling can be.

[Warrioress]

Thank you everyone for the replies. I'm a lot better now, but I know it won't last and I'm not complaining. That's just how the world is; specially for us bipolars.