[woundedsoul]

I've been wondering if it's possible that I may be bipolar instead of just having depression and anxiety (gosh, I can't think because my dog keeps whining to go out). Every time I listen to one of you talk and tell one of your stories, it sounds like my life. Let me give an example. Here goes, every time I become close with a friend, we will make plans and they will down the road, start to be late without calling, then they will cancel at the last minute, then, because I no longer trust them to be on time, I'll call to make sure that they are going to be on time, they won't even answer their phone, and just won't show up at all. My husband says that I'm too sensitive and I wear my heart on my sleeve. He doesn't know why I care what people think about me. Like why when friends don't call me I get upset. Or when I had to have emergency surgery and almost died, out of a whole group of friends, only 1 person called me and came to see me. None of the others did. Not even my own sister. And it does really bother me when people don't like me. Even if I don't know them. I don't know why. I can't understand why people don't like me. What have I done to them? What is it about me they don't like. It drives me almost insane. I know that it's illogical, but I can't help it. I also can't help that I hate what I see when I look in the mirror. I would change everything about me. I can find fault in every part of my body. I'm not sure if I'm trying to strip away me and make someone that I like, because I don't like who's inside now, after everything she's been through. Maybe I think I can escape the pain that way, even though I know that isn't true. I wish I could heal the inside.

You sure you mean bipolar and not borderline? (I saw your other thread and noticed your question somewhere else. BPD tends to stand for borderline personality disorder although some use it for bipolar too.)

Bipolar tends to be a cycling of moods. From depressed to manic (full of energy).

I understand that each mood comes with it's own emotions.

And then there are other mixtures that I'm not too sure of.

[Skitz13]

I also read and replied to your other thread. By what you wrote I also thought you meant Borderline Personality disorder.

To me it doesn't sound like Bipolar but you need to see a doc and get a proper diagnosis as well as a therapist to help you with your thoughts and feelings.

[Curiosity77]

I agree with the others, sounds more like borderline PD than bipolar, but the two can co-occur. Maybe check out the borderline forum and see if you can relate?

[Dix888]

You can have a # of conditons, including Borderline with Bipolar. But a qualified psychiatrist (not therapist) has to make the diag. It took a week of tests, along with interviews w/me & my husband (his feedback) with an MD, neurologist & a psychiatrist to get my full diag. I have seizures, OCD & bipolar. It is complicated. Sometimes, when in the depressive end of bipolar, we can think everyone hates us but it's not true. Go get evaluated & then get treatment. Talk therapy can help while you get used to whatever meds you & your doctor find work for you. It takes time for meds to work. 4-6 weeks is average. And not all meds work for all people, so you may have to try 5 or 6 before finding the right ones. Once you are stable, you will find that people tend to want to hang out with you more

[elevatedsoul]

someone told me that it could take years even to get an accurate diagnosis, takes persistence and determination; i've given up on getting a solid Dx - atleast for a while

[woundedsoul]

Sorry about the confusion with the abbreviation, I wasn't sure if that was for bipolar, and I was wrong, it wasn't. Now I know, thanks. Most of my life I've had periods when I would be really happy, but just as fast, I could be really sad. But it really has gotten much worse over the last 15 years during my marriage. I've noticed that I (and I hate to say this because I love my husband) don't want to be around him, I'm always thinking of a life I wish I had different than the one I have. I continue to let my weight drop so low that you can see all of my bones protruding from my body, yet when I look in the mirror ,I still think that I look fat. Then my husband gets angry about how thin I am, so I'll put on a few pounds for a while. Then I will do it again. I want to be happy, I just don't know how to get happy.

Borderline also has mood disturbances like bipolar but with borderline there tends to be triggers- something will happen to change the mood- while bipolar tends to be more 'random'. (Sorry, wasn't sure of a better word.)

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by BeteNoire

Borderline also has mood disturbances like bipolar but with borderline there tends to be triggers- something will happen to change the mood- while bipolar tends to be more 'random'. (Sorry, wasn't sure of a better word.)

Sorry, I have been all over the place as far as ADHD, bipolar and borderline diagnoses concerning myself. I am just trying to figure out if bipolar is out and borderline is in. It is my ADHD brain on overdrive. I so agree that when it comes to bipolar that moods change for no apparent reason. I do have triggers and these seem to change my emotions. Geezzzzz....I know I sound scatterbrained now as I seem to be ousting bipolar for sure as far as me. Yes, I was let go of the bipolar diagnosis but there is a little uncertainty since I had the label for so long.

Honestly, accepting that I have borderline traits has been difficult to swallow but I am getting it. I am learning a lot on these forums!

[doglover1979]

You can have BPD, Bipolar and ADHD all at the same time. I do

I also have PTSD.

People often fit into more than one box when it comes to mental health. Especially for BPD people, its not unusual at all to have more than one diagnosis. It's part of what makes personality disorders so complicated to treat.

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by doglover1979

You can have BPD, Bipolar and ADHD all at the same time. I do

I also have PTSD.

People often fit into more than one box when it comes to mental health. Especially for BPD people, its not unusual at all to have more than one diagnosis. It's part of what makes personality disorders so complicated to treat.

Wow...Poor thing! What a maze of symptoms that is to deal with! I'm sorry you have to manage all of that!

I will not be certain of anything until I give my therapist and pdoc time to figure me out. I do have some things figured out but only time and med trials will help to get me the correct diagnoses. Notice how I say diagnoses (pleural). I have more than one dx but you are so right that so many mental illnesses and disorders all have so much overlap as far as symptoms.

Psychiatry is not like physical medicine. There are not the tests there to scientificly rule in or out a diagnosis. The whole crux of psychiatry is about studying appearances and behavior. The DSM's are made by docs descriptions. I hope Spect Imaging advances so mental disorders can be measured correctly. Right now we are stuck with hoping doctor's guesses are correct. Sad, but true.