[tealBumblebee]

Hi there For those who are dx with Bipolar ii and believe they have it, etc. What are your symptoms like? How do they present? I understand the Bipolar I stance, i'm specifically asking about BP2. How do you (if you) treat it?

[MusicLover82]

I see my psychiatrist once a month, unless I'm having upsetting symptoms that I think need attention sooner. I don't usually get therapy or feel the need for it, although I did go through therapy for 5 or 6 years after first being diagnosed. That taught me good coping strategies with my Bipolar 2 and OCD. I also recently got some therapy for a few sessions due to stress in my life.

My symptoms usually cycle from week to week and episodes last from about 2-5 days (I'm a rapid-cycler). I often have stable moods, too, I'd say about 1/3 to 1/2 of the time. My depression is very mild, but my anxiety can get quite severe. My obsessive thoughts really suck and I thankfully don't have them all the time. My psychiatrist seems to think my anxiety and obsessive thoughts are mixed episodes. I'm currently working with my psychiatrist on finding stability after several months of my anxiety being severe on and off, due to real-life stress (husband out of work for several months, then husband's new job seeming unstable and stressful). A few weeks ago, I was put on a new medication (Abilify) and it has helped decrease my anxiety considerably, although I'm feeling slightly hypomanic from time to time. I see my psychiatrist again next week and I'll tell him my symptoms then.

I work about 30 hours a week as a private music teacher. I am successful in my business and rarely have to take days of work due to mental illness. I have a lot of friends and close relationships with family. I try not to wear everyone out with my complaining about my anxiety, so I rotate the people I call to talk to about my issues. I'm a very expressive person and it helps me to talk to my friends and family. They don't seem to mind.

Hopefully that gives you a good picture of what it's like. You can see all my medications below.

[Rjaye]

I have BP II as well, though my depressions are the worst. I can't function and I'm suicidal. It's like I haven't ever felt anything else. I also have GAD, and I see my current pdoc every 6 to 8 weeks as the current meds have stabilized me. It took a year from being diagnosed to being stable. The fact I was diagnosed with depression for decades and took so many antidepressants that didn't work actually narrowed down the drug pool.

My hypomanias are mixed, and I'm unbearable. I'm impatient, irritable, angry to damn near furious, have racing thoughts, and I can't focus. I'm a rapid cycler, and my hypomanias usually precede a crash. The ratio of hypomanias to severe depression is about one to six or seven. I would have some better times, though still depressed, but I would just have the bottom drop out and be suicidal in minutes and then suffer for weeks. Then the depression would ease off and I would be semi-functional again. My hypomanias would usually occur in the fall, spring and summer.

I have been in the hospital for the depressive episodes, the last time being last fall for two weeks.

But now I am doing well, knock on wood. I'm on Lamictal, sertraline, Ritalin, and Risperdal. I would like to get off the Risperdal, even though I'm on a light dose. Actually I am on a low dose of everything, so if something needs adjusted, we have lots of wiggle room. I'm also on gabapentin for fibromyalgia, which has also helped my mood. I use hydroxine pamoate for anxiety when I need it. I use the pamoate rarely.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Daonnachd]

For me it's been depression most of the past 16 years, I think. Lack of energy, confidence, interest.

Hypomania is rare and can so easily be interpreted as a normal level of activity except that I had a sense of grandiosity, loved everyone, generally felt on top of the world and capable of anything. Sadly, these periods only last about a week for me.

The worst part of this seems to be my driving. When depressed, fast driving feels good for the rush it gives. When hypomanic, I'm simply invincible and out of control. A genuine danger to be around.

Now I'm getting regular ECT and leveling off, or so it seems.

[pirilin]

Dunno if I'm qualified to offer my input here. Nobody knows.
At least the two shrinks I've seen don't know. I definitly don't know.
I may or may not be. Not that I'm off the hook. It is bipolar the sickness that
ails me. That's fer sure. It's the number. A I or a II. Added up will make a III.
That's probably what I have. A bipolar III condition. Sorry. No help. If by any chance
you contract my "gift" , hunt me down. I get paid to help here. In Grace from the Good Lord.

[fishin fool]

Originally Posted by vertigo

For me it's been depression most of the past 16 years, I think. Lack of energy, confidence, interest.

Hypomania is rare and can so easily be interpreted as a normal level of activity except that I had a sense of grandiosity, loved everyone, generally felt on top of the world and capable of anything. Sadly, these periods only last about a week for me.

The worst part of this seems to be my driving. When depressed, fast driving feels good for the rush it gives. When hypomanic, I'm simply invincible and out of control. A genuine danger to be around.

Now I'm getting regular ECT and leveling off, or so it seems.

This also very similar to my situation only I think my hypomania lasts a
bit longer than a week but your explanation is right on the money.
Fast, crazy driving is a big one for me when hypo.

[Daonnachd]

Originally Posted by fishin fool

Fast, crazy driving is a big one for me when hypo.

Yeah, just yesterday I found myself between 95 and 100mph (160kph) on a regular two lane road.

[Queen of Hearts]

I saw a pdoc monthly for the first 3 years but haven't seen one in the last 3 years. My cycles are several weeks long and my depression...if I cycle depressive, mild. I usually cycle most between euphoric hypomania and stable. That said, I just cycled out of mild depression. I do have irritability but can't pin it to BP II as I have OCD, GAD, and PTSD to contribute to the irritability as well.

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[YMIHere]

Originally Posted by MusicLover82

I have a lot of friends and close relationships with family. I try not to wear everyone out with my complaining about my anxiety, so I rotate the people I call to talk to about my issues. I'm a very expressive person and it helps me to talk to my friends and family. They don't seem to mind.

This is so me. My husband gets mad at me because I don't come to him with everything but I explained to him that I have different people for different things. I go to each one for different things but, of course, some of them overlap.

When I feel bad I go one of two ways - either I want to talk to everyone or I don't want to talk to anyone. And when I feel like I need to talk to all of them I start to feel so needy that the self loathing kicks in and I feel like I'm a burden to people so that I don't want to reach out.

I was just wondering today what it's like to feel "normal." Must be nice.

[Wanderlust90]

I'm more "bipolar spectrum" than the official BP2 I think, but I've found low dose SSRI & low dose typical antipsychotics to have aided me along with therapy & time.