[jnt1989]

That's all I want to know. T thinks I'm bipolar, and I'm starting to think she's right. I just want to know if it gets worse over time. Cuz I hit an extreme low yesterday, was ok-ish this morning, but I'm so freakin' depressed right now its not even funny. I just can't take it right now.

Hello jnt1989,

I will be honest with you: yes, it can get worse. Especially if you're not on the right medications to combat the disorder, which requires medication almost 100% of the time. I'd suggest talking to your psychiatrist about possible med changes, and maybe asking what they think of the possibility of Bipolar Disorder.

[RapidFlyer]

I too say yes, it can get worse. I will also say that with the right meds, therapy, and willingness to stay the course until stability is found it actually can and does get better.

Then it gets worse and better and as the title says: Bi polar. Up and down. But I know for me once I get stable I tend to stay that way for a while. The challenge is hanging in there while the docs help me find the right meds.

Best wishes and lots of hopeful hugs.

Ahhh, sadly yes it can get worse. Like Rapid Flyer said, then better then worse again. Some people get luckily with meds, and things can actually remain quite better a lot of the time. My Bipolar seems to have worsened over the years. The one well sort of nice thing about Bipolar, is that things always change, eventually.

[Trippin2.0]

Mine was worse when I was going thru some major trauma. I'm fine now. I think that if you don't look after yourself, it could get worse. For some that means meds, for me it means hypervigilance and micro-managing my symptoms as they arise. Good luck, and please don't think that life's hopeless, bp isn't the end of the world. Not if you take good care of yourself.

[jnt1989]

Well, see, I've always had mood swings. But they got better for a while... And I don't know if the meds I'm on for other things are making them this bad or what, but they haven't been this bad for a long time. I was really up for about a week and a half, then yesterday, all of a sudden, I was so depressed I didn't want to move from the couch and was...well, I'd rather not go there... I was fine this morning, then super depressed again, and kept having to try to keep myself from crying. I almost cried when I got to work because I felt that horrible. Then, out of nowhere in the middle of my shift, I got really giddy and hyper and excited. Now I'm just kind of "ok".

I don't se a psych regularly. Haven't for at least a year or so. I saw one just because the movement disorder specialist wanted to make sure things were ok, but I wasn't quite honest with him about my moods. Now that they are getting worse (which I did start an antidepressant a couple weeks ago), I'm really wishing I had been. I'm also scared of being hospitalized. I don't know why. I'm scared that they will want to.
I can't drive up to where the psych I really like is at cuz I can't drive in the city. I'm scared to tell my mom and dad about it cuz I feel like it's just one more thing to add to all the trouble they've had with me.
I did express how bad I felt with her today though.

I'm no stranger to the ups and downs. I'm just torn between whether it's bad enough to open up to my parents about it and get help, or if I think I'll be okay and if I should try to just deal with it...

[BuggsBunny]

It's best to open up and get help. It doesn't necessarily mean you will land in the hospital. Most hospital admissions are for people who are a threat to themselves or others, drastic medications changes, and severe depression or mania. You don't sound like you are having severe mood changes, just your average bipolar mood swings, which can be stabilized with the proper medication.

[Trippin2.0]

If you're just on antidepressants, BAD move for a bp'er. Please speak to a Dr about tapering off OR see a pdoc bout adding a mood stabilizer coz it could throw you into the arms of mania. And for some people, that unfortunately does mean hospital.
It's important to be open with all types of health care workers, so that they know what they're dealing with when they treat you, especially if you want to go the med route.

[beauflow]

As many already said- untreated it could get worse... I remember my Therapist told me one of the first times that I saw her, when I mentioned the fact that I noticed my mood swings were getting worse; but I kept telling myself it could not be--- My therapist told me that she had noted with many of her other patients, as getting old Bipolar seems to get worse-- I am not sure if she was meaning untreated or just in general--- which when i remember this, it does get me a little down due to I don't want to be up and down and be worse as time goes on- started therapy to try to get better and grip with things-- i was not planning on being in therapy my whole life though-- which some days I wonder if it would end up that way; I am hoping that with some more knowledge, some little helping hands with therapy, I can be ok and cope as best as I can from here on out... who knows though

Sorry for rambling

Thanks for posting this question for it is something that I have wondered many times as well-- the only people i have are a few family members to observe with this; 1 is doing good, 1 needs to go get help; and the other i just don't know and only hear the stories from others for I can't deal to be around her any more (to which I keep hearing she is getting worse; though she is medicated) But she I see as a person also unwilling to change- which I think has a big part in treatment -- One self willing to try, look out side the box; and accept the help.

Be well all-

[Rosie23]

My T explained it like a grove and she said if you don't treat it you just keep making the grove deeper and the longer it goes on the harder it is to fill that grove back up.

[jnt1989]

Well, I see T Wednesday, so I'll deffinitely be talking to her about it cuz the last few days have been draining...utterly exhausting. I'm really torn about talking to my mom about it, though. She doesn't even know I'm in therapy right now. And I'm afraid of any conflict in the home over it again. There was a lot of drama that made things worse for me because my dad didn't understand (at least I didn't feel like he did). He would go on about it being pointless going to the psych n such when they weren't doing anything for me that he could tell. Which now makes sense cuz they really didn't help when I was going regularly before. I now see that the people was seeing before are idiots and I wil never go back there again.
I'm just scared about what happens if it does get worse, hence the reason for me asking if it gets worse.
Thanks for the responses guys. I guess I just have to decide how desperate I am to fix things and get up the nerve to come clean with my family about what's really going on.
I hate when T's right. The lies have really got me in a pickle now. My options are ridiculous I know, but I guess I can either come clean and get their support and help or keep lying and try to get help myself (which never turns out well).