[jesusplay]

I've seen many doctors medical and non-medical and they say I'm bipolar. It's been 2 years since I've had mania. Since medication I'm constantly depressed. Some days I feel better most or worse. Then randomly after months I'll get a "hypomanic" day, then a few days of feel normal afterwards.

People who know me don't think I'm bipolar because I'm just depressed. I literally sit in a dark room all day in my bed browsing the internet.

People tell me I can't be bipolar because I'm depressed all the time.

[A Red Panda]

If you've had a manic or hypomanic episode then you've got bipolar. I spend the majority of my episode-time in depressions and only rarely get a hypomania. A lot of people with bipolar spend most of their time with depressions.

[Hbomb0903]

Which really sucks?!! I have had several episodes since my break from depression for nearly 10 years, just in the last 5 years and this past year I seem to be cycling rapidly. I don't know what baseline is.

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[r010159]

Yes, if what you say is accurate, you are bipolar. I am BP II and spent the majority of my time in depression until my current cocktail of medicines. How many professionals do you need before recognizing your illness? I had three separate doctors in two different states diagnose me as BP. I am convinced. How about you?

[BipolaRNurse]

You can have 150 different doctors, and they will all say the same thing: If you've had even ONE hypomanic or manic episode in your whole life, you have bipolar disorder. Pure and simple, that's all there is to it.

I know how tempting it is to deny this diagnosis. None of us asked for it, none of us would have chosen it, but we have it. The trick is to not let IT have US. And the longer it takes to accept it, the longer it will take to get on top of it and show it who's boss.

Your doctors are right about your diagnosis. Listen to them. It's OK, you have plenty of company including many, many accomplished artists, politicians, and humanitarians.

[pawn78]

A clear, unmistakable mania with psychotic features finally convinced me it was bipolar 1, and not just a neurotic disorder.

I always thought therapy or religion would "fix" me. Now I know that is not the case. I'm just bipolar brain.

[Polibeth]

After 4 pdocs in 2 states said I was bipolar I decided to go with it - and I have become much better since embracing treatment. Best wishes to you.

[nummy]

Originally Posted by jesusplay

I've seen many doctors medical and non-medical and they say I'm bipolar. It's been 2 years since I've had mania. Since medication I'm constantly depressed. Some days I feel better most or worse. Then randomly after months I'll get a "hypomanic" day, then a few days of feel normal afterwards.

People who know me don't think I'm bipolar because I'm just depressed. I literally sit in a dark room all day in my bed browsing the internet.

People tell me I can't be bipolar because I'm depressed all the time.

Bipolar is either bipolar manic, or bipolar depressed. Yours may be the former. I have it too, because I kept swinging into depression. Last one I got paranoid, it was so bad. I thought it was a manic or mixed, but my t tells me it was depression in the bipolar scale. But my depression is linked to bipolar, not chronic depression.

People can be misdiagnosed for decades because they only went to get help when the depression hit. But the cycling in n out is classic bipolar. I'm on a mood stabilizer n it works in ways an antidepressant never could. My second day on it, I actually cried in relief n happiness.

I'm ok now. The relief overwhelms the stigma, IMO. It's a pretty common thing, IMO. So don't let shame rule you, it's such a stupid thing to be ashamed over, when there are do many good treatments out there that will let you live a life again...a real life.