[Bipolarchic14]

I have been thinking about this for a while. I was talking to my therapist about how tired I am. I explained that I miss the days when I could work seventy hours a week. Her response was do you think you were manic at that time. I just responded with I don't know I was not tracking myself then. She then informed me that I am going through an anxious depression. They prescribed me an anxiety med but here is the thing...I am pretty sure one of the others Meds is causing the severe anxiety. For the record my knowing I am in a depressive episode has done nothing to make me feel less tired.

I wonder if it really benefits you to label yourself as hypomanic depressed manic etc. to question whether or not you are in psychosis . It is one thing to be in psychosis or not realize what you are doing. If you're able to label yourself as psychotic chances are you're not. I even asked my psychiatrist about that.

I have been thinking about this for a while. I have been thinking about dropping the Meds and the therapy and go about my life. It feels like a hoax, a way to get money. If I kill myself I am dead I won't know any better. I am still suicidal anyway. I still get depressed and hypo when on the Meds. I now know the warning signs so I can take appropriate action in natural ways.

[Wonderfalls]

I think we all come to places where we think if we could just get rid of all this sickness--the labels, the therapy, the drugs, the doctors--then things could go back to normal. There's nothing really stopping you either. Except you probably know that that's not going to work out well.

As far as psychosis goes: it you're having hallucinations then you're psychotic. It doesn't make any difference whether you know they're not real or not; you're still hallucinating. As far as knowing you need treatment then of course it matters a lot. You can still be insane if you suspect you're insane, despite the old saw that says the opposite.

[mindwrench]

I often think about the old days too. I didn't know anything about disorders. It was a roller coaster back then too, but I remember having periods of happiness. As frustrated as I am with the mental health professionals I have met, I know I sought help because I had tried to keep going on my own and ended up in a bad enough position where I didn't feel like they could make it any worse for me. The realization that there are lows beneath the bottom kind of changes that. When you struggle and fall on your own, you always think in the back of your mind, if it gets bad enough for long enough I will ask for help. The thing I did not think about, was how it would feel to be receiving "help" and still feel like your failing. It really is a different level.

I haven't gone down the medication road, against the wishes of every T I've seen. I read too many stories like yours, and lists of side effects a mile long. And the T's think meds are the magic wand, and act like they wont even try to help you through therapy with out meds on board.

[Bigmike727]

Imo no label is really beneficial. To a certain degree it is helpful to know what you're dealing with, but some people get too caught up on this label or that label. Example, my family consistently labels me "schizophrenic", even though some docs have ruled that out entirely. They say just because sometimes I forget to shower a day or brush my teeth that I don't take care of my personal hygiene and I try to tell them honestly that sometimes I get tired or just plain old forget. I hate it to be frank, it really pisses me off, like you are not a psychiatrist so don't diagnose my condition please, you know nothing about how I feel or what I go through I am just so fed up with passive aggressive suggestions and wannabe doctors that I feel the need to vent.

[wares1ge]

I don't like the label other than when my psychiatrist or therapist say it, I suppose when its in a clinical setting. I also don't mind it when i'm able to put a term to what i'm feeling at the moment, I like to think I can better help myself this way. On the other hand I cant stand it when people ,who have no idea about mental illness, throw the term around and label everything as "bipolar" . Or everything I do or say is because I have bipolar disorder. I guess its a double edged sword in my eyes.

[LucyG]

Pdocs make their living prescribing meds and doing therapy so they need to keep coming up with more and more diagnoses for their patients. I was always very leery of my Pdoc and the other therapist for that reason.

It's entirely possible to treat bipolar using natural methods such as the mineral supplement lithium orotate along with amino acids, herbs, fish oil and other nutrients. I've had bipolar since I was a young teen and am now 60, and am doing better than I ever have using supplements. The reason I'm doing so well is because the supplements [amino acids and lithium orotate in particular] give my brain what it needs to produce the neurotransmitters it needs to be able to function properly so I'm not overcome with waves of depression or flipped into hypomania.

Here's a great brain function questionnaire that shows what neurotransmitter corresponds to what emotion.

http://drjolee.com/Brain-Function-Questionnaire.pdf

[Crazy Hitch]

Only for my pdoc in terms of prescribing meds. And I guess for my bf too incase I get an episode.

[gayleggg]

I find it helpful. It gives me an idea of what I have to work on and what I need to watch out for. It gives me why I act the way I do. It explains a lot.

[Unrigged64072835]

It explained some things in my past that I wasn't aware of. It also helps as far as treatment is concerned. Other than that I don't banter it about. Even my pdoc doesn't say it as much.

[jacky8807]

I think the problem happens when you "become" just a walking label. Being obsessed isn't positive but being informed is

[Gabyunbound]

I agree with Jacky.

And as I alluded to in another thread, there's the danger of feeling that every 'blip' of change of mood is due to BP when those with BP can experience the whole range of emotions that others do.

And I think it can separate us too much from our fellow humans without MI's. So if every mood is due to BP, then we can't have solidarity with those without MI's who effectively often go through the same things we do (when not in the throws of a true episode).

I also think -and I don't mean to offend anyone- that too much focus on the label can lead us to think, well, "my BP made me do it." While this is sometimes the case, sometimes we also act out not due to MI (including other dx other than BP), just like those who do not have MI's, when triggered. We need to parse out what we are, truly, responsible for and what we're not. It's not an easy task, but I think it's important.

[Cocosurviving]

I do not let the label bother me. It's normally used regarding me only when I'm checking in with my doc. He just simpiy ask "how is everything going?".....I give him feedback. Then he'll ask more indeept questions about moods. He never actually mentions the label "bipolar". My fam do not mention anything abt it. My mom and her mother just know that I should take meds and everything will magically go away. Lol. My oldest daughter let's the label bother her. She's bipolar too but was first dx with depression. Once she turned 18 yrs old we had her go for a evaluation from an actual therapist (Feb 2016) before it was just primary doc. We went together and therapist asked a lot of questions. She requested family history. Then she told us bipolar. My daughter was very pissed off. She told her she was wrong that she had depression. I did not see the big deal better find out at 18 yrs old than at 36 yrs old like me. The therapist changed the topic and they still see each other tho. I do not know if having the label plus the symptoms and hospitalizations helped win my disability. I was really having it rough!! When I think back now and just recall the memories of my episodes....

Nobody has ever called me bipolar to my face. They know that something bipolar might happen.

Originally Posted by Bipolarchic14

She then informed me that I am going through an anxious depression. They prescribed me an anxiety med but here is the thing...I am pretty sure one of the others Meds is causing the severe anxiety. For the record my knowing I am in a depressive episode has done nothing to make me feel less tired.

Post-mania anxiety is a thing. Learning this made me a lot less confused about what I am going through.

Having been diagnosed with a bipolar disease and yet consistently suffering through three distinct phases, I can't shake the feeling that I've been ganked.

I've already contacted key figures in the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industries regarding the possibility of including Tripolar Disorder in the next version of the DSM to address the three (mania, anxiety, and depression) manifestations of what's supposed to be a two-state illness, and no doubt make a lot of people a lot of money.

[Bipolarchic14]

Originally Posted by Lefty the Salesman

Nobody has ever called me bipolar to my face. They know that something bipolar might happen.


Post-mania anxiety is a thing. Learning this made me a lot less confused about what I am going through.

Having been diagnosed with a bipolar disease and yet consistently suffering through three distinct phases, I can't shake the feeling that I've been ganked.

I've already contacted key figures in the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industries regarding the possibility of including Tripolar Disorder in the next version of the DSM to address the three (mania, anxiety, and depression) manifestations of what's supposed to be a two-state illness, and no doubt make a lot of people a lot of money.

Most bipolar patients have anxiety disorder with it.

Originally Posted by Bipolarchic14

Most bipolar patients have anxiety disorder with it.

You've dashed my hopes for a Tripolar Disorder.

I don't find labels beneficial. I do think finally having a clear diagnosis was helpful in finally getting the right treatment. I think too closely identifying myself with all things bipolar would have been damaging for me and I worked purposefully to treat and manage the symptoms without owning the label as my identification.

[Bipolarchic14]

Originally Posted by Lefty the Salesman

You've dashed my hopes for a Tripolar Disorder.

Lol sorry about that. You never know. I think they're working on a bipolar three .

I almost feel like bipolar is become the go to illness when you don't know what's going on with the person. Obviously I'm exaggerating a little bit but still I think it's really over diagnosed.