New to Bipolar.

its been sugested that i may have bipolar, how does one recocnise it, i have no one in life to diagnose me, i dont know what the signs are, can anybody tell me what some of the most obvious signs are, i know what to have bipolar may mean-up-down with no control, but there must be some more subtle signs to see, so i know just for sure. I would not be scared of the truth, nothing in life can scare me anymore(i think/hope), maybe that is not the truth, maybe i am scared, does'nt matter i need to know. Profesional help is out off the question at the moment, i'll be locked away in hospital and forgotten about. I'm not scared of hospital, i'm scared of being forgotten about. sanada.x (wow- i say i'm not scared, then say that about hospital)!!

only a professional can diagnose you and they won't automatically lock you away in a hospital.

seriously, ask for some help! start by talkng to your gp

Welcome Sanada. Yes there can be some subtle and some not so subtle symptoms. I would suggest reading some literature on BP There's an easy to read booklet on this website; it can be downloaded for free (it's located on the left hand side of the site): http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/

Lotus is correct the first step is to speak to your GP. During this appointment request a full physical including blood work. There are medical issues that can mimic BP symptoms. If the physical doesn't show anything I would suggest asking for a referral to a Psychiatrist. As far as being locked up in the hospital and forgotten about that isn't going to happen. If it's bipolar it's can be treated and if a hospital stay is necessary it's highly unlikely that it would be long term.

While waiting for an appointment with a Psychiatrist I would suggest starting to track your moods. I use this one online:

http://www.medhelp.org/land/mood-tracker

Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. It's all going to be okay!

As previous posters have said, you will not be locked in a psych hospital long term. That almost never happens nowadays. I encourage you to seek help, as you'll likely feel a bit better with treatment. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, btw. If you have bipolar, or any other mental disorder, you have a legitimate medical condition. Would you avoid treatment if you were diabetic? No! It would be extraordinarily dangerous, perhaps even deadly. Bipolar disorder deserves the same medical attention.

If you are wondering whether or not you have the disorder, you can take the screening quiz here on psych central: http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/bipolarquiz.htm You can also take the Mood Disorder Questionnaire: http://www.dbsalliance.org/pdfs/MDQ.pdf
A score of 7 or above, a "yes" answer to the 2nd question, and an answer of at least "moderate problem" suggest a possible bipolar disorder.

There are many other psychiatric and medical conditions that can cause mood swings; among them are borderline personality disorder, ADHD, temporal lobe epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. None of these potential alternate explanations are much friendlier than bipolar disorder, but like BP, most can be successfully treated.

I hope that you discover what ails you soon, so that you can find the appropriate treatment and start to feel better.