Would you like a Type II Bipolar Disorder sub-forum?

No no no no no
*smh (in disgust)

“ Win or lose, sink or swim
One thing is certain we'll never give in
Side by side, hand in hand
We all stand together

I’ve noticed that it is impossible to search the forum for Bipolar 2 as it kicks out the number 2 as being a too common or maybe short term. Perhaps if there was a way to specifically search the forum for type 2, that would be enough.

I personally like it the way it is. Bipolar is a spectrum disease and the only difference between I and II is the severity of the symptoms. Being bpI I experience depression just like someone with bpII would, maybe just not as severe. Just like that, someone with bpII experiences (hypo)mania just like I do but on a different severity level.

I've learned a lot about both mania and depression from this board and I'd like to keep it that way. The difference between personality disorders and bipolar are that they're their own disorder and they don't overlap as much as bpI and bpII do.

Why do we have to segregate each other? Why can't we just unite and support each other when we need it the most?

My old doc never even differentiated BPI from BPII and BPNOS. Bipolar is bipolar. What would the purpose of splitting us up be?

Exactly. We're all in this together. Let's not create unnecessary divisions between us. The experts can barely put us into boxes (and change their minds and disagree -- I've had both dx's as have many others), why do we think we'd do any better and what on earth is to be gained by it except division itself?

We're always told not to worry about the dx, but to treat the symptoms. Let's keep taking that to heart. There is far more that unites us than divides us.

I’ve been thinking about this since it was first suggested, and I think I would rather keep it one forum. I may be a type 2, but I’ve had several people with type 1 in my life over the years, and I like to keep the richness of knowledge that comes with having us all together.

I belong to a site that has hundreds of different forums for various flavors of illnesses. It waters down the participation. The site has been dying for some time.

I would rather stay as is. This is a very active part of the forum with so much thoughtful support

I've been diagnosed both I and II by different pdocs at the same practice. One thinks mania set off by medication counts, the other one doesn't. Otherwise, I only get as much as hypomanic, even during the years I wasn't on an AP or mood stabilizer.

<shrugs>

So, I vote no.

I don't think it's really clear which one we are in some cases.

Apologies in advance if this doesn’t make sense, I’m in the middle of an episode.
After some extra Seroquel, a good nights sleep, coffee and some thought, I’d like to retract my ‘yes’.
We don’t need multiple sub-forums. I have met some very lovely BP2’s and it would be a shame as a BP1 to have less access to their words of wisdom and encouragement.
To paraphrase Wild Coyote loosely, for the very few people who want to be divisive perhaps rather than trying to divide up this community go somewhere else.

I’d rather it stays as it is...

I agree bout watering down the content.

I like that the forum is so active and missed whatever it was that led to this thread. In my view it is a tremendously bad idea to split the forum.

I agree with you, apparently one benefit of my internet being down for awhile is that I wasn’t checking this board regularly enough to see whatever caused this fiasco.

I just don’t see the clear divisions between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 to warrant a sub forum. Are bipolar 2 people not feeling any love that would only be felt through a separate sub forum? I was originally diagnosed with bipolar 2, for several years. Had my first major manic episode about 4 years later, my pdoc never mentioned how my diagnosis “changed” to bipolar 1. I didn’t realize my technical diagnosis was bipolar 1 until I was hospitalized about 3 years later, said I had bipolar 2 to the evaluating psychiatrist, and was then told I had bipolar 1 ever since that episode 3 years ago. And I was in a mixed episode now. Oh...ok. Whatever.

I’ve had both diagnoses, and for me the only difference is that I went from hypomania and significant depression, to severe mania and severe depression. Just because I have bipolar 1 doesn’t mean I don’t experience the exact same type of hypomania and depression I experienced with a technical bipolar 2 diagnosis. When I’m not in a state of pure crisis, I am usually hypomanic. I have plenty of experiences and understanding of bipolar 2 symptoms, would I still not be welcomed into the bipolar 2 forum because my diagnosis got revamped? Making a sub forum just doesn’t make sense. If it weren’t for most of you putting bipolar 1 or 2 in your signatures, I wouldn’t have a clue what your diagnosis was. And I frankly wouldn’t care. Bipolar disorder is already one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses, why even try to divide us? We all need support from one another.