Bipolar 101 -- Answers to basic questions

I'm having trouble figuring out what I'm experiencing. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and ADHD and bipolar disorder and I've been experiencing frequent delusions. My question is, is it psychosis?

I get panicky and hold beliefs like I have mind reading abilities and I'm possessed by someone else and I feel like I'm getting lost in my own head, like I'm losing touch with reality and I get scared I won't come back. It's not only the beliefs because I act on them I even tried some make believe version of witchcraft. I also get very confused and disoriented to the point where I start to panic and scream. My mom told my doctor it was an axis th attack and I've had multiple anxiety attacks and they never feel so out of touch like these do.

I've also been experiencing depersonalization for almost 3 weeks and it's like I can't get control over my mind and I'm stuck outside of it, the best way to explain it is like when u smoke pot but its not uplifting I just can't think and I can't get a hold of myself.

I have bipolar, not sure if it is 1 or 2. it has always confused me. the extreme highs are horrible, I feel like I can fly a jet fighter plane when im high , then I sink to the pits of hell. MY life has been a tragey. I don't know how Im still alive.

Ask me anything about this illness, I have done extensive studying of it and I have it and my family has mental health problems badly. write me a pm , if I can help in anyway, Im here.

G

Could someone please answer this for me (if possible)?

Has anyone ever thought you had taken drugs because of your hypomania or mania?
I haven't been diagnosed with anything but think I should go and see someone, as if people think that about me then surely there must be a chemical imbalance somewhere as I suffer with depression also.

Thanks. Peace.

Yes many times. My friends have asked if I have taken something. The last time was a couple days ago when my friend was visiting me and she said I seem like I'm on drugs.

Also my nurse asked me several times if I have a history of drug use, like amphetamine.

But no, I have never done drugs.

Here is a handy little scale that may help some people who struggle to pinpoint exactly what they might be feeling.



One thing that gets to me though, how can you differentiate between number 4 and number 3? Because I know that some people call number 4 depression...

The same with number 6...how does that sound much different to number 7?

In my opinion being sad and being happy are a part of normal life. For me number 5 is not being very happy, but not sad either. 6 is "normal" happy, not in a hypomanic way. Just happy, like after getting some good news or when having a good day.

For me number 4 is just sad, like we all are sad sometimes. It isn't too bad or affective to be called depression. It's something like a bad day or when ugly weather makes you feel a bit down.

I have been accused of being on drugs as well with my mania and hyper-mania. Some people have also thought i may have had another mental illness making me act like that

How can you tell the difference between bipolar and DID? I had a manic episode and someone in the hospital said they can be hard to tell the difference sometimes. I would be confident in my bipolar diagnosis, but I blacked out during mania (I was sober) for idk how long and idk what I did. Makes me think I might have DID as well.

Hey I'm bipolar II and If you're diagnosed, it'll take a moment to take it in, and it might be rough at first. You might also be put on meds depending on the severity of mania and depression. With the help of therapy and medication, you should be okay!
Just for reference, Im taking: morning: lithium(150mg)+abilify(2mg)
dinner: lithium(300mg) night: seroquel(25mg)
I take lithium for impulse and mood, abilify for depression and mania, and then seroquel to help me sleep.
Good luck to both !!

Hi, The best way to find out is to see a doctor who will ask many questions and there are tests (questionnaires) to get a broader picture : Type of bipolar.
After that, some treatment will be given in relation with the current situation.
Other professional help could always be added, such as Psychotherapy, group therapy, social worker and so on.
Good luck and take care.

Unfortunately Lots of medicine for the rest of your life..

Just saw your post now. Personaly, you could start by reading about it and take one of the quizzes here on psychcentral. But be aware that it can give you a false positive depending on your interpretation of the questions and how you see things that day. Then a psychiatrist will have a long interview with you to discuss your life from childhood to today. He will also test you with one or two questionnaires (one is for all mental illnesses and the other, a personality test). The first time I was there, this whole process took almost 3 hours. But be aware, everybody has ups and downs, and we all respond differently to stuff that happens in life. Some will be more affected than others but it does not necessarely mean that someone is bipolar. Almost everyone in this society is affected by seasonal changes. One thing for sure that should be checked first, is your thyroid gland. An imbalance or Hashimoto's can mimic bipolar and/or depression, mood changes and increased or decreased energy. This gland can sometimes be working too much or not enough and can also alternate in the process. I hope you and your friend are doing fine and that you found answers to your questions. Take care.

From what you are describing, there are many possibilities. Only a qualified psychiatrist could help you manage all this and come up with the exact diagnosis.

I am suffering a severe bought of Bipolar 1 depression that seems to slowly be letting up. This one was particularly bad. I have not been this depressed since I was a teenager (before dx). I've had some serious circumstantial tragedies and now I am just unable to escape this dark dark depression. Does anyone know of any good meds to try in order to ease these symptoms/has anyone tried any meds that seem to avoid depressive episodes?

where can i find the meaning of the abbrevations used here to understand posts better

Wellbutrin + Trazodone worked well for me. I'm bipolar and tend to only get manic episodes, although I did have one doozy of a depressive episode and those meds brought me out of it within a month.

Hi,

This does not mention other symptoms of bipolar depression such as:
trouble thinking
trouble processing information
trouble with recall and memory loss

along with psychosis and catatonia

these symptoms can be extremely debilitating. It's not just about mood.

What is the current theraputic range for lithium. Mine is 0.9 mml.

This guide and related articles have been incredibly helpful for me. Thank you so much for the resource!

I’ve wondered for years if I have BPD, I’ve even asked my doctor about it before and his response when asking me the questions, was that I didn’t have manic episodes. What are some different ways mania presents?

Unless you present yourself at the doctor's office with clear mania, it is extremely hard to diagnose Bipolar disorder. I take it by BPD you mean bipolar and not Borderline Personality disorder which is also abbreviated BPD.

So, mania means that you have a distinct and abnormally elevated, expansive or irritable mood which last for at least at week or any period of time if you need hospitalization.

During this period, mania is characterized by the following and you need three of the symptoms:

• Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
• Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
• More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
• Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
• Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
• Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
• Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments).

But, there is more. The mood disturbance should be so severe, that it causes impairment of functioning or could even warrant hospitalization, or there are psychotic features. And, lastly, the episode is not attributable to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or another medical condition.

So, you see, it are pretty severe symptoms before they speak of mania and bipolar disorder really cannot be self-diagnosed.

My wife has Bipolar 2. Just how severe are suddensex impulses when hypo-manic?

is this chat still available/ ? I was in this chat many many years ago... I have seen mpholmes in years or talk to him or her

hope

extreme!!!!!!! Be careful and safe