How do I know for sure...

Please bear with me for I am trying to set this up so that all is understood.

Had 2 major depressive episodes 20 years apart, the last being mid 2011. The last one required a 1 week stay in an inpatient psych unit followed by a 1 week intensive outpatient period. During the inpatient part, the PD didn't feel that I was bipolar but the best he could come up with during this one week period is that I had GAD - generalized anxiety disorder and was not bipolar.

After researching this term, a lot of things that I perceived I was doing did fit. I was prescribed 20mg Lexapro and then returned to work after the intensive outpatient. I feared returning to work and asked for more time in intensive, but I was told 'you have to bite the bullet'.

I did return to work and all was well for the first 4 months. Then my supervisor started confronting me with complaints from other people that I was being too aggressive and cited specific examples. I worked at this place for 6 years, nary a complaint then all of a sudden, I am getting 2 or 3 complaints a week. The complaints were incredibly petty and very subjective. Now while I will concede that I was more assertive, nothing I was doing could be considered aggressive or even hostile. I attribute this 'new' behavior to the Lexapro.

I like the way I am now. I think a lot better, seem much more organized, things that I disliked doing before I like now like cleaning house, cooking, gardening et al., I really enjoy doing now. I am much more talkative and feel comfortable in social situations where I didn't before taking the Lexapro. Before, I would think of going on a 'live' radio program but now I feel comfortable do it. I've started picking up my old hobbies again.

So, the question I have is 'am I manic' or 'am I normal'?

I wound up being 'fired' for 'unprofessional behavior'. Some of the complaints that led to my termination were so contrived and some were even lies. It had become quite apparent the my department's leadership did not want me around anymore and got the HR department to help facilitate an exit. It was the 3 strikes your out that nailed me and one of the 'strikes' was from the subjective opinions of the 6 or so people that wanted me out. There were another 200 people in the department that like me but that didn't matter.

My family did an intervention on me with my therapist which had become adversarial to the point where I was admitted, again, to an inpatient unit. I told the PD here that I didn't feel the need to be here and that I was NOT suicidal. I spent 3 days here and released with a new medication, 200mg Seroquel.

Sorry for being so long winded but that's me now. Without trying to sound conceited or sound like Sally Fields, I really like me now...

So the question again is, I have is 'am I manic' or 'am I normal'?

Two episodes 20 years apart is atypical for bipolar. I mean you can still possibly fit the DSM criteria but that would not be the usual case. Usually people cycle more frequently.

Also, those two episodes were brought on by extremely stressful situations where I eventually succumbed and was removed from those situations causing that stress. It was not in the course of normal day to day living. That's why I don't think I am bipolar but can you be manic and not bipolar? I am very different today than I've been all of my life and I am over 50. I was an introvert most of my life but not since being on the Lexapro, but it did take several months for my current attitude to manifest.

I think that having one full-blown manic episode qualifies one for bp... let me check on Wikipedia...

I was right. Depression is not necessary. Wikipedia:

Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder (historically known as manic-depressive disorder) is a psychiatric diagnosis for a mood disorder in which people experience disruptive mood swings that encompass a frenzied state known as mania (or hypomania) and, usually, symptoms of depression.
Bipolar disorder is defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or more depressive episodes.

Ideally, the person to talk to is the p-doc who saw you before and after Lexapro. Do you have such a person available?

I agree. I didn't have insurance so I was referred to a 'state owned PD'. I haven't gone yet. In order to get the 'state' to pay for Seroquel (I can't spring for the $500/month) I had to secure another prescription from my GP who I visited earlier in the week. I told him that I wanted to get off the Seroquel because I feel fine. He wanted me to stay on the Seroquel or now and I signed a release to secure medical records and talk to the PD who prescribed the Seroquel. He's given me samples to live on in the interim. I, too, will make an appointment with the PD. Gonna cost me but I need to find out why the Seroquel and not the Lexapro. I like where Lexapro has brought me. I hate to change that.

Makes me wonder how they can call it "bipolar" in someone with only manic episodes.....how is it bipolar when there is no other 'pole'?!

That's certainly not MY problem...I'm all over the flippin' map. As for the OP, I don't know if I'd call their problem bipolar, but of course I'm a nurse, not a doctor, and I can't diagnose anything. It does seem unusual, and it would be fascinating to find out what a doctor would think of it.

This is really strange because most peple I know with bipolar are mostly depressed and only elevated sometimes. With me I am all over the place really have not been able to track a real pattern yet. Im thinking I have a bit of seasonal depression but as far as mania or hypo mainia it comes and goes as it pleases. Less often here lately it may be the new med abilify. But still all in all over my experience with bipolar I have been more on the depressed side than I have spent manic or hypo manic. Wondering if maybe I have clinical depression as well as bipolar.

Two things strike me, Feeling Fine, 209.

First, your work in which you were confronted by 6 members out of 200 who found
you not desirable as a workplace member.

Secondly, your family's intervention.

Psychotherapy may reveal to you that all you need is to really be in the presence of healthy people. If a psychiatrist is placing you on medication, however, chances are that you do have some problem with relationships with SOME people. A small dosage of anti-anxiety medication when in the presence of a negative group might help.

But as BipolaRNurse says, "I'm not a doctor" and can't diagnose.

Your parents' intervention is more troubling to me. They must have noticed something that prompted them to seek help for you. Since that happened, I would be thnking seriously about staying with a psychiatrist to talk about the things that bothered you earlier in the job you had.

Talk about the expense of the medication prescribed, for one thing.

When you learn what the underlying problem is then you have something to work on to try to alleviate if not correct.

One has to be careful about self-deception in this illness. A weak ego can cause us
to think that we're okay; it's the rest of the world that needs help! Watch out
for negative-thinking people. For example, out of the 200 people in your office, there were six who were negative. The odds are in your favor that those six people had agendas of their own that they were trying to deal with.

Take care.

Genetic

I'm wondering if the lexapro caused your mania, there is a type of bipolar that is medication induced, and it is sometimes managable with out the use of meds. I would bet that this is what has happened to you.

The Lexapro is the only thing that I can attribute to being 'different'. I don't know if it's mania or not but I do like the way I am. Right now, I've been off all meds for about 1 month. I feel the same which is very good. I would really like to stay off the meds because Seroquel knocks me out for up to 18 hours after taking. I am making an appointment with the PD that prescribed this for a better understanding.

genetic:

The thing at work is that once 'someone' decided that I wasn't wanted anymore, there appeared to be an orchestrated campaign to get rid of me. My supervisor, leading the charge, was one of a few people that knew that I required a week long inpatient on a psych unit followed up an intensive outpatient treatment in June, 2011. I returned to work around the first week in July, 2011. I was prescribed Lexapro at this time.

It took me about 2 months to re-acclimate to a work place environment. I didn't know what people were thinking about why I was out or what was being said so I did my best not to get paranoid about it.

During this time, I found myself becoming more assertive, more comfortable in social settings and a little more outspoken. Most people welcomed me back and some commented that I was much more upbeat and liked it. A very small minority didn't, including my supervisor and her supervisor which was the department head.

For five and a half years not one complaint. My supervisor then started confronting me with 2 or 3 complaints a week, very trivial stuff (I was reported for answering my cel phone in the bathroom), some outright lies and somethings very subjective. I refuted all that was being alleged and I thought all of this was going away. When it wasn't going away, because the complaints were becoming more ludicrous AND from the same people, who I was trying to avoid contact with, I tried to schedule a meeting with all concerned including the supervisors. This meeting was initially set up and a day later was canceled. I was then informed that another meeting with the departments HR rep was set up.

None of the people that were making the allegations, except for my immediate supervisor, were in this meeting. When we were all in the room together the first thing out of the HR reps mouth was 'anyone else would be fired for all of this'. I could tell that this was going to be adversarial and it was. My comment to the HR rep was 'it's quite apparent that you are not objective' and asked her to recuse herself and that I wanted to discuss all of this with the VP of HR.

After addressing the individual complaints and stating why they were so implausible, I thought all of this was going away.

One month later, my supervisor brought me in and gave me a 60 day probation period. I was to be monitored for 'inappropriate behavior'. I realized then that this was the first nail in the coffin. The inappropriate behavior thing is very subjective and opened things wide open for anyone who didn't like me or wanted me out of there to claim anything.

That's exactly what happened. 65 days later I was issued a 3 day off period without pay and when I returned from that, I was 'fired'. This was the day after Easter, 2012.

Sorry for being long winded, but Psych Central will not be my only audience for this. I've got two attorneys willing to represent me in a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Now here is where the psych thing comes in. When my supervisor first confronted me with these issues, she was alleging that I was argumentative and aggressive bordering on hostility and that perhaps my 'medications were not adequately adjusted'. It was only her and up to 6 other people who were alleging this, most of the department's leadership. I checked around with at least 50 other people, which included professionals like physicians and surgeons who I worked closely with, who said that I was anything but aggressive. If a surgeon thought like what was being alleged, I doubt they would let me in on their cases. So, this was political in my opinion. The department's leadership all had one thing in common - they were OR nurses.

I'm debating about the legal issue but I have an appointment with a new counselor in October to go over these issues.

Thanks for listening...

Wow. That supervisor's remark about the meds was waaaaay out of line and should be brought up in any legal action you take against this employer. It was none of her business, it was inappropriate and discriminatory, and it'll get her barbecued in a hearing.

I think you are probably right about this being political. You are bipolar and have manifested symptoms, therefore you are unreliable (in their minds). This has got the ADA written all over it, not to mention wrongful termination. Go for their throats, FF, you've got nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain.

That comment about the meds being off is my argument for a wrongful termination. I had to take family medical leave when I had the inpatient stay. The whole purpose of family medical leave is that you are guaranteed by federal law that you when you return to work. It this case here, they wait 5 months and processed me out. There are legal ramifications all over this one.

Another attorney contacted me a few minutes ago and wanted me to come in to discuss.

Best wishes in your wrongful termination case.

Best wishes.