[HappyTimes]

My husband has been diagnosed with ADD and OCD. While I think that is accurate, I also think he is bipolar and his psychologist has totally missed it. We have been together 10 years, during which time he was on different medications to control the OCD -- klonopin, lexapro, and others, and nothing seemed to quite work right... about 1-1/2 years ago he went off of all medication. About a year ago began a gradual personality change. I am convinced that he had hypomania. He had a benign heart condition and did not drink alcohol, smoke, or drink caffeine for 9 years because he was directed not to by his cardiologist. All of a sudden he starts going out with his friends for drinks every weekend, smokes cigars every day, and drinks coffee every day. The going out part is even a marked change. He was a stay at home kind of guy for nine years, and now he says he does not believe in the institute of marriage and wants to get his own place so he can live his life how he wants to. He has had at least one affair, which for someone with OCD is a big deal because he was able to get past the germ issue. He also has started thinking he can outsmart me, he lies, then tries to tell me this is the way he has always been. When I confront him on it, he says, "if I'm so bad why do you want to be with me." I keep waiting for the crash, but this time it has not come. I thought he was hypomanic a few years ago when he went off medication for awhile, but then he got a new psychologist and went back on something and it went away. His current psychologist has only known him since he was hypomanic, so he thinks this is "normal" for my husband. My gut tells me it's bipolar disorder, as my mother has it, so I know it when I see it.

Is there any way I can get my husband to even address the issue while he's hypomanic? Of course, he thinks there's nothing wrong and denies that there is even a change in his personality.

Also, what is he likely to experience when he crashes? Will it be sudden or gradual. He's on no medication right now, and I am very concerned.

[CompGeek]

For people who have Bipolar disorder the "crash" from a manic or hypomanic state is sudden it can happen over night. The Major depressive episodes have a much more gradual onset and offset. After the hypomanic or manic episode he may have a normal episode or he may fall into a major depressive episode. Have you seen him really depressed for a long time like a month or more? he may not be bipolar but he may have cylcothamia. Cylcothamia can be kind of thought as bipolar lite. Cylcothamia is marked by a person having at least one dysthamic period and at least one hypomanic period.... Also hypomanic and manic episodes really don't last all that long compared to depressive episodes. How long has your husband been in a hypomanic episode?

Hope this helps some,
Jason