[elevatedsoul]

i find it hard to believe that i have this disorder... but they claim i do and that i experience ups and downs in my mood..?

how do you know if you do have it?

[Nessa213]

Why do you say that you doubt you have it? Think of specific instances that they (they = doctors) are pointing to and saying that this is your definite diagnosis. If you doubt it in any way I encourage you to get a second (or third) opinion.

There were a LOT of things, looking back on it, that pointed to a definite bipolar diagnosis in my case. I could be depressed and suicidal for months. Alternatively I could be crashing the bank account and maxxing out credit cards and sleeping with men that weren't my husband.

It's just my opinion, but I think if you're diagnosed bipolar you probably realize that something is the matter in the first place. You might FEAR the diagnosis or WORRY about what's next, but I don't know if you'd outright DOUBT it. I knew I was. When I was diagnosed I was relieved, not doubtful.

Try keeping a mood chart or a journal. That's the most helpful I've found. You might not realize you're in a depressed or manic state until it's already over.

[elevatedsoul]

the reason i have doubts is because i dont really have mania... it can't be bipolar without mania can it? or is it just that my "highs" are still lows?

thanks for the reply

[TheatreKid]

I second the mood chart idea. Track your moods and see if there's any pattern.

Bipolar II can be diagnosed with only hypomania instead of mania.

[elevatedsoul]

i've been using a calendar, putting a check mark for good day and x for bad day... is this an effective mood chart?

[Nessa213]

I think how some people define "mania" can be a little... squishy. lol A definite indicator of mania (for me) is the lack of sleep. I could hypothetically be getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night for weeks and still feel amazing if I'm in a manic state.

And I don't believe you need a full manic episode to have a bipolar diagnosis. Hypomania is a softer version of mania where you'd just be very rushy, thoughts racing, can't keep things straight, start things you never finish, call people at all hours and be VERY EXCITED ABOUT YOUR NEW AND WONDERFUL IDEAS.

You get the idea.

[TheatreKid]

different people have different ways of charting their mood that works for them. It's useful to track *how* high or *how* low your mood is getting, rather than just good or bad. I use 0 for baseline/normal, and 1 to 3 for different levels of hypo/mania, and -1 to -3 for levels of depression. I track twice a day so I can track when I'm high and when I'm low to bring to my doctor.

[elevatedsoul]

it feels so confusing! i guess ill get one of those mood trackers

[elevatedsoul]

i've been paying attention but its really difficult for me to monitor this

if i do have bipolar i have 0 euphoric moments and 0 mania....

can you tell when mania - hypomania starts? what about ends?
~confused

[lil_better_everyday]

I often don't even recognize hypomania till after its over, and I have a dozen or more half finished projects and (seemingly always) an overdrawn bank acct.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[PoorPrincess]

Same in my experience, Soul, with 0 euphoric moments 0 manic .
There is no cycling in my experience.

If and when I ever get free of this being hung on a meathook in the netherworld, and am free to feel like me, think like me, to again be my self, that state of being is called normal in my life experience. It's not high, it's not speedy, it's not risky, dangerous or in any way hypomanic nor manic.

So for me mood trackers are useless, to watch from 0 - 2 day after day,
e.g. if 0 were lowest mood. Not useful in my case.