[dreamrunner]

Although Ive read quite a bit about the bipolar spectrum....I still cant grasp the soft bipolar concept.
Is soft bipolar the same as BP2?
If not ,whats the difference?
Thanks

[Cheri]

There's also a bipolar III, or used to be, where people only become hypomanic in response to medication, and other states that fall on the bipolar spectrum, like cyclothymia, where the person's mood only becomes slightly elevated or slightly depressed, but is still cyclical. I think "soft bipolar" is just a catchall phrase used to encompass bipolar-type mood fluctuations that don't fit the criteria for bipolar I or II, and are less serious, or less debilitating, than those dx's. That's what I got from reading, anyway.

[dreamrunner]

I think that clears it up.....thanks Cheri

[ashty]

That'll be me then, lol.

Stephen Fry talked about it in his documentary 'the secret life of the manic depressive' .. he rekons he's cyclothymic.... fun times.

I suppose that begs the quetstion - should one seek medication if they are experiencing bp3 and their symptoms aren't massively affecting their life.

ho hum.

[dreamrunner]

Good question ashty.....I think that would be up to the individual I guess.

[January]

Unless something horribly extreme happens to me, I usually have the "soft" type. When I was able to take Lamictal, it did help. I developed the allergic rash from it and everything else had side effects that I can't tolerate.

I've had to learn to think about what I'm doing and try to make sure I self monitor for things like forced speech, irritation, and spending too much money. I am really blessed because I have no peoblem taking things back for a refund.

Jan

[HALLIEBETH87]

lately ive been feeling i NEED to talk...like when i stop talking i just have to start again. like i cant shut up at all. money? looooooord......im so in debt and wow just cant stop buying. as for irritation....not as bad about it right now, but last week, wow! i was on edge. i went to the doc to tell him about all this b/c i thought i was 'too happy' but while i was there i couldnt get it out because my mind just bounced to different subjects and he was bringing up stuff and then, I left. Its like, I had to concentrate the whole way there and in the waiting room as to why I was there, but it ended up I still couldnt keep focus to discuss it with him. What should I do? He ended prescribing a med for ADHD that day and I took it once and was WIDE awake for nearly 2 days...I will not take it again.