questions

I would like to know what the average bi-polar sufferer would encounter in the process of an episode.
I was told by my doc that i was probaly bi-polar or eiether severely depressed. please tell me what would be going on in each ones daily life while going through a so called episode.
thank you,
agent 2465

most of my episodes are very, very, very low. i isolate and stay away from people or if i have to be around people, i do not communicate at all. unless forced to. my head aches and my muscles spasm. i hate it. my mania doesn't last very long and mostly i talk too much....then i come down from it and go back to being "normal".

bipolar is complex and differant for everone. There is no normal episode. you have ups, downs, mixed, cicling and the list goes on. For some people it changes from day to day, for others it takes weeks and months to manifest or take hold. Wather or not that hold will feel good or bad , who knows.

You asked a big question hun which is not answered in one form or another. Everyone is differant

Jacqui

In bipolar, one switches between 3 states: Normal, just like evryone else; depressed, or manic. The course of the disease is different for everyone. Some go from normal to manic episodes of varying degree (they can swing all the way up to severe psychosis in some), but very rarely, if ever have depressive episodes. This is know as Bipolar I disorder. Others, like Pat and myself are just the opposite, suffering mainly depressive episodes with very mild manic episodes in between called hypomania, and that is called Bipolar II disorder. In between these are the various other combinations of the two extremes in mood which go by an assortment of names. To make things even harder, these mood swings can take as longs as months or years, or as little as days or hours to go through. Everyone is different.

The most important thing to remember is this...if you are bipolar, you need to live a very healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and sleep as well as good nutrition, get therapy and make sure you are getting the right kind of treatment. By that I mean make sure you are being treated for bipolar disease, not depression...many docs just don't get the difference. Do lots of research...If you go to the top of this page and click "Disorders" and find Bipolar, that will be an excellent start.

As always, you can come here for support or help...there are lots of us here who can help you through, and are really happy to do so!

Take Care,
DJ