Bipolar 101 -- Answers to basic questions

Hi everyone, to be honest I'm not really sure what is up with me,, a bit all over lol. But waiting for a screening date to get tests done, possible severe manic depression with episodes and a change of mood that changes at a blink of an eye..

I too am Bipolar. I am unable to work anymore. I haven't worked in 5 years now. It sure has been a hard adjustment for me because I've worked for 30 years. I am now at this time contemplating doing some volunteer work. I know it helped me in the past. Good luck to you. Take care.

I'm not really sure whats going on with my husband but I'm fairly certain he's bipolar. his dad is and he fits the DSM, every test ect. that i have gotten my hands on. We watched like 5 documentaries and his reaction was "this is exactly how i feel" unfortunately he is now not wanting to seek treatment and thinks he's coping well. He did well for 6 months but now he disappeared and I'm sure when he shows up he will be horribly depressed and either have taken drugs, got trashed or gambled away a bunch of money.

Youre not crazy, but you approach it when the mania gets severe. This should not stigmatize you but it is a lifelong condition that will require medication and therapy to improve. Choose you clinicians wisely. The wrong combination of medications can have disastrous effects. I am bipolar type 2, but was in a relationship with a bipolar type 1; suffice it to say that all did not end well. I'm getting help, and she is not.

I've been diagnosed with bipolar 2 than to 1 in the last 6-8 yrs. This wasn't found until my later 40s into my 50s. I've been very compliant with treatment plan of medications, keeping appts, psychotherapy, and independent self-help for the past 2 1/2 years. I've been doing a lot more research and reading on my disorder. What I have found is that my symptoms fall under a Borderline Personality Disorder more so than Bipolar. I understand the significant differences between the two illnesses but, I am not disturbed by the misdiagnosis. The medication treatment I've received is the same as for Borderline Personality and it has been extremely effective. I have been taking my intensive cognitive behavioral therapy serious and compliant.
So, is there any inperative treatment plan differences that I need to inquire about?

I am not here for myself either. My daughter who is 21 was recently diagnosed, and just like you it runs in the family. My daughter doesn't seem 100 percent to be accepting my help, however I decidedthat sice this disease can lead to suicide that I would rather try to do something about it rather than nothing at all. The question I asked myself was if my daughter did kill herself would I be able to live with myself knowing that I held back pushing my daughter to get help when she wasn't receptive to accepting help. The answer for me was no. I would start with counseling. First with yourself and then with your father. A good psychologist can help lead you in the right direction, and also help you to keep sane during the process. Our counselor told me that for the people who don't understand the disease, ignorance is not an excuse, that should allow someone to give up or not be supportive. Good luck!

I was just curious what people think about during rapid thinking.

I know some people dont see this as a serious question but I cant find anything on what the content or experience of rapid thinking is. It would really help me if you shared what happens to you during rapid thinking, particularly your thoughts.

thanks.

Well depending on the severity of the disorder their probably going to give you medication. This is to stabilize your mood, but most bipolar individuals typically reject taking the medication, or get off it when they start to feel better. Anyway, again it depends on how dysfunctional you are. Has the disorder impacted your relationships, work, and social life? If it has then you'll probably get medicated (this is up to you). If its not so bad then they'll just give you "light meds". They will also suggest you do psychotherapy.

the medications are not so bad I feel much better on them. But I have more lows than highs. dont worry your life will not change that dramatically you'll just become more aware of your disorder and how to manage it.

Did I answer your question?

I dont know about all that mediation stuff, I take anti-convulsants. I have bipolar II disorder, and I think I have ADD too, and now panic disorder. so theres three things I have to constantly battle. I am so depressed from the panic attacks, they hurt man, and their humiliating. Like I'd take the depression over panic attacks any day. but luckily I have both lol.

Anyway I also sometimes think that I cant continue like this, but you have to remember its just part of the disorder. You are more than bipolar. you are who you are with bipolar disorder. focus on those features. Plus bipolar disorder has its advantages. therefore, try your best to focus on those. It would be like a diabetic labeling himself only a patient.

Its a biological disorder and the psycho-evolutionary theory for it is that basically it may have originated in individuals who lived in extremely high changing climates.

In the winter we need to store energy therefore depression begins, and then in the summer we need the mania and hyperness to collect food and what not.

This is just a theory, but it would be important to track your mood and look for triggers. are you impacted by the seasons? please dont harm urself its not worth it and build yourself proper social support.

I should be happy right now my life is going well but im just always sad now, Im so tiered of it sometiems and with the panic attacks I wanna just end my life. its very hard. I feel like the old me is gone, and I miss that person. now Im just a sick person and all I wanna do is not be that. so I focus on those features that make me me.

I think yes you can get depression alone in mixed cycling (ask the psychiatrist)

Are you inquiring about rapid thinking during manic/hypomanic episodes specifically?
Or generally geared to all the cycles of bipolar?

Both. I just cant stop thinking. but im not sure its bipolar, maybe its from anxiety? I have panic attacks, and I think ADD. I just wanted to know content. I wake up, and the thinking begins, I never get any work done because I think about all the things I wanna do with my life, I read one paragraph that interests me and I'll think about that for hours, and connect it to everything.

So I think a lot about the future and fixing my life up, and what I'll do. Then I'll get depressed from thinking too much. and I just cant stop thinking. its driving me insane. but I dont have "highs" anymore... you know? and my depression is very mild. I'm almost normal, but when I'm depressed I'll think about what a pathetic person I am, and that I should die, or that I'm a burden. you know? but this happens all in one day. is that normal in bipolar II? should it not be more "polar" where I have depression for weeks and then get hyper for i dunno 2 weeks?. I dunno, im just so tiered. but It would really help me understand whether for I am bipolar II or just severely anxious.... I used to have bipolar II for sure, but at 18 it just stopped but then I started getting panic attacks and rapid thinking.

i dunno. I'd just like to know the content of your thoughts, how you experience these thoughts, this would help me so much thanks.

for me I have two variations depending on y mood. In hypomanic I am able to solve problems better and faster, I can think of several things at a time often cycling back and forth from one to another. I seem to be more in control during this variation. The other one is I have little or no control over my thoughts and they are all over the place often scrambled like tossed salad unable to stay focused. I hate this one!

But what do yo think about? I dunno if this is really relevant but I am curious. Like I literally get up and never stop thinking. future, failure, happy, depression all in one day. is that how you get? I just pace back and forth thinking. I get so easily inspired, and cant stop thinking. therefore I started to drink a lot. But during the hypomania can u have depressing thoughts? like I get over confident and depressed, anxious and angry all in the same day. its no longer polar its everything at once. like a storm. but they diagnosed me BP 2 because I used to have severe depression and then get the highs. I dont know its like living in hell.

Depends, some times just about any thing! One time I got so caught up in why there is no life on Mars what happened to it or what didn't happen to it I spent most of the day researching it until I finally thought, "who cares?!" But that's what happens to me some times. I get stuck on a damn topic and can't break from it easily/ Other times my thoughts are tossed salad, mixed and all over the place. I also am effected by my mood too. If I am depressed, my thoughts tend to be depressing. Why I am no good, all the things I did wrong or said wrong, etc. The worse imo is when they are racing thoughts and I simply can not keep up. This cause me anxiety, and paranoia and some times delusions.

From what I can tell reading what people say, we all all different with some similarities. There is no blue print to follow. We can and usually are all over the map

For the most part mental illness can be directly linked to family history of mental illness. Meaning that if your Mother had diagnoses of Bipolar Disorder you, her daughter/son is more likely to exhibit symptoms of bipolar disorder. But only more likely, other things like environment child is raised in and which genetics child obtains from parent can determine likelihood of symptoms developing in child. Age of onset of symptoms of bipolar disorder is mid teens early 20s as far as i am aware.
Also one does not start with having symptoms of ADHD and then end up with Bipolar Disorder, the two disorder are connected like that. Although with some disorders there is a high likelihood that you will have one and the other. For example there is a high rate of individuals who have symptoms of depression AND symptoms of anxiety. We call that co-morbidity, when two disorders have a high chance of dual diagnoses. In the same respect ADHD does not result in schizophrenia.
As someone who has minimal experience in behavioral health and is NOT a doctor I would recommend taking your doctors advice to heart and not worry about what could or will happen down the road. If your child is exhibiting symptoms of ADHD then worry about THAT now, and maybe do some research on coping mechanisms for children with ADHD, for example maybe your child NEEDS to move in order to learn, or pay attention. Personally I know if I am in a lecture I need something to do with my hands otherwise I can't focus. Maybe talk to his teachers and see if it would be ok (if not too distracting for the other children) if he stands in the back, or has something to fiddle with at his desk. Maybe that will help. But like I said, I am not a doctor, nor am I counselor. Please take your doctors advice.

No your not crazy, I once shared these feelings, some can control and some cannot, Ativan shots twice in a 6 month period plus blocking out the dumb stuff people do helped me

I've been Dx with Bipolar II. I feel no mania but get extremely depressed. Why is this different from regular Depressive Mood Disorder?

I am going thru such shame over my mental illness. I am so sick of it! I wish I was normal.

I have a question and I believe I know the answer to this ..... is bi polar curable or is it a disorder that can me handled with medication?

Yes it is. My dad's dad had it,my dad had it and so do I.