[Moose72]

https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/b...-and-hypomania

I found this blog post on the subject and it really helps.

[*Laurie*]

Very interesting. Thanks, M.

[UpDownAround]

I am type 2 and I have a son who is type 1. The severity is day and night. He has filled journals with gibberish. I had to take him to the emergency room one night because he took a handful of pills. Not suicidal, just meaning to take a couple but when a bunch came out into his hand when he was just trying to shake a couple out and he just took them. Fortunately he had enough presence of mind to come wake me up and tell me. When I am hypomanic, I stay up past midnight the toss and turn trying to sleep but do get some rest; he stays up all night. He has been hospitalized and they kept him about 3 weeks. I have never been hospitalized. My pdoc scheduled me twice a week when I was having obvious lingering hypomania, but there was no mention of in patient.

[Miss Laura]

I'm unsure... I'm type 1 but have never been hospitalised. I've been diagnosed 8 years. Some people say and think I have psychosis but never been diagnosed or told by a professional I have this. I have delusions, paranoia and some hallucinations. I'm told I'm a typical bipolar as I come off my meds LOADS in a year. This year alone I've lost count but I'm thinking it's up to 10 plus times. In Scotland they like to give you less diagnoses I only take when I take them 2 meds but on here I hear you guys are on a lot (some of you guys). This is why I ponder over the thought that I don't have Bipolar. I don't think I'm in crisis when I am if you get me?

[Tucson]

There are exceptions. I have type II and I have been hospitalized. Also, I went through $120,000 very very quickly. So even though there can be a night and day difference between the two, both can significantly impede ones ability to function in their life. What about the debilitating depression that type IIs can have more frequently than type Is? Or so I am told. My depression has effectively left me catatonic more than once in my life. IMO both Bipolar type Is and type IIs are serious MIs. There may be pleasant hypomanias for some, but the problem is actually the whole package, like hypomania with depression. Still, I know that type Is and type IIs can be a night and day difference from what I have seen discussed here on PC. I am very fortunate I am not Bipolar I. I just think the blog only identified part of the story.

Still, thanks for the link.

[*Laurie*]

There are vast ranges within the bipolar diagnosis. I read recently that psychiatrists/researchers are beginning to define many variations of BD.

[Blueberrybook]

Interesting the symptoms are virtually the same; it seems they just vary in severity, and I'm sure that severity varies person to person. I know everyone is different, but for me, sometimes it is just a matter of a very fine line, which makes things difficult. I suspect I'm bipolar II, though the pdoc has never told me the type; I really need to ask though there have been a couple times I narrowly avoided hospitalization from the mania (but I still think I am type II). I have been hospitalized for psych reasons but those were things like not sleeping (attributed to obvious anorexia and not bipolar) and paranoia, anxiety, and PTSD after being an accidental shooting victim. I usually sought help because I was depressed, and since then, haven't really left the psych system except to have a baby. I went right back postpartum; not sure if it was actual post-partum depression, BP depression or both combined. A baby is a huge life changer, especially when you get a colicky baby who doesn't sleep, the way my daughter was. She teethed very early (got her first tooth at 3 months), and I suspect that really affected the colic a lot.

Or I'd seek psych help for not sleeping. For some reason, even when hypomanic or manic, I do not like it when I cannot sleep, even if I don't feel I need the sleep, which I'm sure is not typical of most BP people. But then again, who wants to seek help, especially when feeling good with hypomania and not feeling flat or depressed? It just feels so much better.

I've been in the psych system since I was 19, and I'm 40 years old now. I was mis-diagnosed with major depression until around 7 or 8 years ago when I showed up for a pdoc appointment very obviously manic and was lucky to avoid hospitalization. My pdoc made it very clear that she would have preferred me in the hospital but gave me a couple days on some different meds and that combined with more extensive meds that caused me to be very tired and to sleep, brought the mania down.

But I can't work either, despite being an overachiever & getting top grades in school, college, and grad school. Every time I try to work, the BP very nearly lands me in the hospital. I think I probably could do a simpler job, but no one wants to hire someone with no work history except 2.5 years in grad school, and the M.S. makes me overqualified for less stressful basic jobs.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

I am type 2 and I have a son who is type 1. The severity is day and night. He has filled journals with gibberish. I had to take him to the emergency room one night because he took a handful of pills. Not suicidal, just meaning to take a couple but when a bunch came out into his hand when he was just trying to shake a couple out and he just took them. Fortunately he had enough presence of mind to come wake me up and tell me. When I am hypomanic, I stay up past midnight the toss and turn trying to sleep but do get some rest; he stays up all night. He has been hospitalized and they kept him about 3 weeks. I have never been hospitalized. My pdoc scheduled me twice a week when I was having obvious lingering hypomania, but there was no mention of in patient.

I'm not trying to diagnose, I'm just wondering something. I know someone who has very similar symptoms s what you've described your son has. The person I know is diagnosed as having schizoaffective disorder. I'm wondering if your son might have it?