Do you enjoy being bipolar?

Not intended to be disrespectful, so I apologize for that.

I was thinking more along the lines of BasetsMuse, or the situation where your symptoms of mania outweigh your symptoms of depression. For some people, this is true. Maybe I'm just poor at wording things.

But if you want to play the disrespectful game, then maybe you should stop being disrespectful by accusing me of using this forum to write a book or doctoral thesis.

I'm with you. When I first read the title of the thread it kinda made me mad. Then I read the responses to understand if this was actually a thing. I can't even imagine enjoying this illness. For me personally, it's inconceivable.

No. I hate it, I wish noone had to go through this. The only good side of MI is being support for others who suffer, it's only positive I can find this. It annoyed me a lot when my T pushed me to see positives from this. I know the world is no black and white, but, hey, MI sucks.

No I don't enjoy it, I don't see how anyone could and I don't see anything positive about it either. How could anyone enjoy crippling depression or psychotic mania? I wouldn't wish this **** on anyone.

I like this. This is nice.

lol

I rarely get upswings. it's been about two years since my last manic. theres nothing special about depression.

Your wording sounds perfectly fine to me, blue. While we're talking about this topic and silly little problems, outside of the bipolar circle, people will be talking about and chasing after the awesome creativities, euphoric high or any super human abilities that might be associated to certain mental illnesses by taking supplements or illicit drugs, and folks in Nofap circles are also going after hypomanic stage in their lives.

"The part of me that's being bipolar", this doesn't sound too weird to me, less weirder, and I can make it lesser, and the question will disappear into thin air, or not. As long as I don't forget about the part of me that's human, and think to myself, I MUST enjoy being...

Y'all being acting like too bipolar, stop it, that's just silly to me, I'm outtie.

I'm sorry to hear that you had to give up your career

Were you an attorney? Just curious because my mom is an attorney.

Not at all and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy! Maybe if my hypos were pleasant and my depressions weren't severe I wouldn't mind it. But as it is, I hate it!

Now I learned to be comfortable in my skin, yes, I actually do enjoy it. I enjoy being me. Artist friend claims it's artist thing, not illness and you just have to find a way to live with it.

But I do have quite productive manias. I just wish I could be that productive all the time.

Hmmm. Enjoy wouldn't be the word. I accept it (no choice, almost 35 years of strong evidence, so would be silly not to) and I have no idea who I would be without it. It's integral to my life experience and wasn't dx'd till in the neighborhood of 25 years into having it (I can never remember what year it was! Even looking it up, I keep forgetting, lol.), so that's the more familiar.

I have had some GREAT times hypomanic (my hypomanias tend to be VERY obvious), can't deny that. BUT. A lot of dysphoria too. And the depressions soul-crushing and long. (There has been improvement with meds). The price of the good is VERY steep. The bad sides are the way more common manifestations, so I'd have to say no, I don't enjoy it. Though will admit to loving GOOD hypomania. But who could NOT?!

*****

(Re: artist thing... I am STRONGLY creative and artistic. I do think that the wiring may somehow influence that, as the percentages indicate some sort of correlation. Though not direct causation. Plenty of people with BP don't have the creativity thing. And lots of people are creative that don't have BP. So it's just not that simple. Some of us just got a lucky "side effect" along with it.

That said, it's really hard for me not to list it among positive "BP attributes" for myself since it's my favorite part of myself(!) And I enjoy it VERY much. But there are other things to be credited for that too, so I try not to. Just because it's not so simple as all that. Sigh. Wish it was(!)

Wish I could share it with those who didn't draw that card. I DO think a simplistic view of a creativity link and romanicization are a BIG part of why people do this whole "wannabee" thing (which is SO f'd up). Which is another reason I try to be careful talking about it.)

Same here.

Accept for the bizi part

It depends on whatever mood swing I'm in. I love hypomania and wish I could live in that state all the time, in no small measure because I feel like I've been set apart to do great things. But in mania I'm angry and hostile, and in depression I feel dead inside...not enjoyable at all.

I don't enjoy the depressions and fluctuations of energy and mood. I don't enjoy the intense, obsessive anxiety. I don't like the self-hatred I experience during depressions.

I love, however, the positive side of having a brain that works differently. I like my unique thought process. I like my vision and the fact that I have big dreams-a perspective I probably wouldn't have had had I never been hypo/manic.

I like the fact that I've suffered (didn't like it at the time, of course) because it has made me a better, more mature, deeper person. It also helps me appreciate my health now more.

I even like my hallucinations. They make me feel special, because I am the only one that can see/hear them. Also, they are pretty much the only symptom I have now, so they are a reminder of how strong I am for getting through everything I've dealt with, now sitting on the other side.

Manic depressive illness is fascinating. I never tire of studying it. I appreciate the fact that I have first-person insights into it.

I know how you feel. Id wish this on no one. I got to say I was a little shocked that your T pushed you to see the positives of this **** existence. Personally I would have fired him/her on the spot because either A. they weren't listening to me and understanding how awful this really is or B. they are more delusional than I get when manic.

If I were going to believe a delusion like there is something positive about MI I many as well go back to believing there's a sound demon in my kitchen or that I am on a mission from God. One delusion is as good as another I suppose. Its crap like that why I don't do therapy and wont.

I have not had a really depressed episode for 1 1/2 yrs. I am relatively stable now with hypomania break thru and maybe a little bit of mania that is controlled with meds, when needed.

I haven't been diagnosed for that long. At first it was horrible. I had a bad manic attack. Now I am learning to control the manias and self-care.

Lately, it hasn't been bad. I needed time to get used to the meds and rules. I don't like either of those, but c'est la vie.

I joke that when I am older, and the kids move out, I will move to Europe, get off meds and become a crazy artist/hobo! It is a dream.

I hate it

My mania exhibits as rage. I get all the depression and mixed episodes and NEVER get any iota of good feelings or extra energy. When I'm manic I rage uncontrollably can't sleep and my own breathing pisses me off but no extra energy just anger. SO I decidely do not enjoy being bipolar.

Kind of, mostly when I'm in hypomania/mania I enjoy it, (before I lose insight and become delusional And paranoid.
In my depressive episodes I really hate being Bipolar, no motivation to do anything and besides appointments I rarely get out of bed, only other time I get out of bed is to take my meds, go to the bathroom, shower (it's a compulsion thing, I have to shower or else I feel dirty and over heat), and to force myself to eat...

Hell NO!! I don't get euphoria. I may have fleeting moments of being "up" and being able to be productive, but mostly I get really angry or really depressed. And there is the stigma to deal with. It's very isolating when the people refuse to understand and when they see it as some sort of character defect instead of the illness that it is.

I remember a point in my life where I was stable and things were more of an even keel. That is what I want more than anything. Stability.

I hate it....

Here's the thing though: a lot of my hypomanic experiences start off as bliss, but it's all an illusion that comes crashing down on me. Really though, during those times, I am oblivious, so the saying "ignorance is bliss" really applies when I think of hypomania. I still look back on some of the experiences and wish I can re-experience them, only because they felt so good at the time, and I felt like I was on cloud nine.

Really, when my insight returns though, I realize those very things I was doing while hypo/manic were not the healthiest choices. I find myself yearning for those feelings of euphoria, but it's just a reminder of how much I hate being BP and wish I can find ways to be happy AND healthy.

Not really, even though I like my hypomanias, they can turn dysphoric in an instant, as can my full blown mania (which I've only had a few of), and don't get me started on mixed episodes or agitated depression. The mixed episodes are Hell that is when I'm most likely to hurt myself, and depression (and agitated depression) are Hell too, as I get out of bed most days except for dinner, shower, and appointments. Right now I think I'm in an agitated depression, and it sucks, I'm irritable, find no joy in anything, anxious, and agitated, plus I'm getting psychotic was well...

No, I hate it. I usually experience depression and mixed symptoms.

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please be kind to youself and have you called your pdoc about the psychosis?
((((HUGS))))
bizi

Someone once asked if there was a cure for bipolar if you would take it. Yes, I would take the cure. I don't enjoy being bipolar. I like feeling stable.

I am very good, however, at finding the silver lining in everything, so I can see the good things that come out of my mental illness. I feel like I can connect on a deeper level with friends and family because of it (see my poem quote below).