Untreated bipolar

So I'm 35 I got 4 kids and have thought for last ten years that I might be bipolar but to scared to get checked... I love it when I'm going thru a mania I feel sexy energetic on top of the world.. I'm the best at my job I can b awesome mom have entire place clean and am over the top happy with life... Then I go through normal stages where house is disorganized I need help catching up with laundry groceries but livable I go to work get kids ready I do what needs to b done. Then I go through low phases and then the house is totally upside down I don't get out of bed I'm not sucidal but keep getting sucidal thoughts but id never do it. Now I quit my job and feel like I'm failing my family and not sure what I'm going to do. I wish another bout of mania would set in:/

My mother was sucidal all the time and seen a phycitrst but I'm not sure what she was diagnosed with I was 16 when she OD

Please get some help. I know it's a long painful process. No one can do it alone

Yes, you should get some help. The mania is fun, but you're playing with fire.
And sometimes... not always....but sometimes, it gets worse as we age.

I don't know if you're bipolar or not. It could be something else. But bipolar is a beast that you will not be able to tame by yourself.

I can relate and since bipolar disorder is a chemical illness you'd benefit greatly from an anti-convulsant like Lamictal and an atypical anti-psychotic like Latuda. They work miracles and help us bipolar individuals function properly! Best of luck!

Totally agree from personal experience; trying to fight the mania right now and yes the fun is seductive.

If you have been concerned for a while now about having Bipolar you might be.. or could be something else .. mental illness is funny like that.

Have you had a recent physical with blood work done? Its always best to rule out any medical problems , thyroid and hormones can come into play during "episodes "

If your daily functions, care for your children and running a house hold is becoming a difficult thing to manage its best to reach out and get some help.

Welcome to PC you will find lots of support here

Bipolar is a roller coaster. When Im up I try to get as much done as I can because I know I will switch the other way. (and that is with drugs) I baked a lot of chicken breast and then shredded and chopped them up and put two cups each into baggies and Tupperware containers. That way all I can do is all stuff to it and its done. You can do the same with hamburger. Cook it up and divide it. Just these extra steps help so much. (Great for working moms)

I would look into seeing a doctor for medication. It helps, it really does. You will have the medication merry-go-round. Once you find the right one, you will be set. That is what is so awesome about this board, medication opinions. Wish I was on it long ago.

I agree with Disorder7, however, Yoga, and relaxation could be a help to acquire the ability to control. We can't reshape our brain, yet we could add more shapes. have fun.

Christina is right. The first thing you should do is get a medical checkup. Thyroid problems and hormonal imbalances can mimic bipolar symptoms. If all of that comes back normal then you'll know what to do next.

Even if you insist on being med free, at least get therapy or join a support group or something. If it turns out you are bipolar don't think for one minute that you can handle it alone. Get help.

A basic physical from a general practitioner can only treat and tell basic things. Even a detailed blood test can only show levels like thyroid, vitamin d and b and even test testosterone levels. Even if they're low doesn't mean the individual may even have dysthymia or not. Obviously, to get a proper diagnosis of bipolar, only a psychiatrist can diagnose if someone is bipolar or not. And only a psychiatrist can properly treat someone with bipolar spectrum disorders.

Only a psychiatrist is capable to give a correct and proper bipolar diagnosis. Most medical testing and a blood test from a physician can be ordered done by a psychiatrist.

Obviously. But prior to going to a psychiatrist, I went to my primary care physician and told him about my mood swings. He ran blood tests, checked my thyroid function, tested hormone levels, and everything was fine.
I then went to a psychiatrist and was diagnosed.

I didn't mean to imply that a family doctor should be the one to handle mental illness.

You may think " I'm the best at my job I can b awesome mom have entire place clean and am over the top happy with life... " but often your often scattered, possibly "scary happy ", "intense" or quick to anger when manic.

Honestly I would get complete blood work and a therapist before exploring other options unless it becomes an emergency. Usually it takes about 2-3 months to get into a psychiatrist. So making an appointment and pushing it out is an option. Psychologists can make diognosed mental illness also so unless you want to go the medication route I would not go to a psychiatrist.

Would you let your children be watched,drove by someone that's high? Well mania is an high it impaires your judgment and can cause safety issues for you and your children just like drugs. As the ones dealing with the mania we don't tend to notice. Depression is just as horribly impairing but the thing we tend to notice. Both need to be treated just as agresively but a lot of us are in treatment using nutrition, coping skills, exercise, sleep, and vitamins which is also treatment. Most of us are on a combination of anti psychotics, anti depressants, and mood stabilizers. However I wouldn't start medicine without seeing a trusted psychiatrist.

Thanks for the replies