Bipolar 101 -- Answers to basic questions

I think I may be bipolar. (Those words seem to be so common around here). But I really am too afraid to actually go to the doctor. I tried going to a psychologist. About 20 minutes into the session, he stopped me and gave me the number to a psychiatrist. He told me he couldn't help me. For a while, I could only focus on the words: "I can't help you". If he can't help me, who can?

How hard is it to take that first step?

I'm not sure that a psychologist COULD help you with being bipolar. It is more a matter of getting on good meds that will help control the processes in your brain, because it is a brain matter of chemical proportions and not something that a psychologist can do. You CAN however, go to a good therapist and have that person to talk to about how you are feeling can go a long way. You can also get involved in various support groups in your city for bipolar people. The important thing is to NOT isolate yourself, because then you just get lost inside your head and can't seem to make things work. I hope you do find a psychiatrist. i have been with mine for 7 years already, and being with a good psychiatrist matters a lot. Hope to hear from you soon, telling us of your better plan. abbi

I think Doc John could shed light on this...but I think research is say yes.....both my nephew and I have been diag with Bipolar I rapid cycling for yrs now. My adult daughter is also showing signs.

I am so sorry you were treated that way.

It is awful that, that happened to you. Please know that, that psychologist is the exception!!! Most people in that profession would never have said that to you!!!

You can be helped!!! And most psychologists CAN help.

This one must have been an idiot and a very insensitive one as well.

No one can be diagnosed in 20 minutes, anyway.

And if you do, in fact, have bipolar, which you may very well, the standard treatment is:
1. Medication (long-term) prescribed by a psychiatrist
2. Psychotherapy (long-term) with a psychologist ( a phd, psyd, or a master’s in psychology), social worker, or a psychiatrist
3. Stress Management (long-term)
It is not an easy illness. Bipolar is chronic, severe, debilitating, disabling. But it is NOT hopeless. You CAN be helped!!!!

I hope you keep looking for help. I hope you keep posting here on PC. There are a lot of very nice, knowledgeable people here who can help you through all of this.
Please let us know how you are doing.

oh i am soooo sorry you had such a dumb psychologist. do not be discouraged (((nt))). there are many excellent psycho. out there. one saved my life by helping me with my bipolar. today i can honestly tell you my life is rich with wonderful experiences and i have learned excellent coping skills to deal with the BPD. Feel free to pm me if you wish.
please keep us posted on how you are. we truly care about you!

Diagnosed with Bipolar II and recent with BPt . Medications I take which are quetiapine 75mg per night and venlafaxine 150mg every morning. Are they the right medications for Bipolar and BPt? Why my psychiatrist kept changing the meds and the doses? My mood etc are all over the place at the moment.

i totally know how you feel!

I'm fear I may be bipolar. I haven't had any history of ADD or anything, but my grandfather was schizophrenic.
I match many of the symptoms, but rather than cycling every few months, I go through many cycles a day. Can this be something other than bipolar disorder? Should I seek help?

Ihave adhd and I think I'm bipolar I'm to scared to tell my mom and don't tell my therapist anything he thinks I'm just depressed and have other issues what do I do ? This is ruining my life and friendships

What do I do here ? It seems to me I've ruined my life already and I feel like its just me

im the opposite of you...ive got bipolar and think ive got adhd. and i know i don't know you personally or anything BUT, your life isn't ruined. as im writing this im feeling a bit hypocritical cause i say that almost daily (that my life is ruined) and now that im thinkin bout it...im just 22. and ya know...even if i were 82...i know i would still have at least the next 10 minutes to be JUST ME!! i can be screwed up and bipolar (maybe adhd) and the rest of the world may hate me lol, but if i can spend just 10 minutes living life MY WAY...i know life isn't TOTALLY ruined!!!

well...hopefully my lil way of goin through crap can help ya out a lil bit.

and with the whole bipolar thing, it may be super crappy but trust me....it DEFINITLY has its plus's!! also...some of the coolest and most influental people in history were bipolar.

good luck and lemme know how things go!!

koren

My bf lives with BP and I'm trying to get a better understanding. I have stood by him through alot, but some things he has said and done (website for affairs, called cops to have me taken from home, etc) has been so hurtful. He is on meds and a new doc, which is great, but if your significant other changes constantly (in a moment getting along great to throwing you out of home)....how do you cope and what are some of the things you do to get you through?

I have the same problem. Me and my doctors finally connected the dots and figured out I was bipolar (that is I stopped denying it) and now I worry about telling my friends and family. They don't know how much of a problem this is for me and I doubt they will be supportive since they've always known me to be depressed most of the time and assume my manic episodes are me just being my true self, which is artistic and clownish. I don't think either are the real me now. It's like I'm 2 different people at opposite ends of the spectrum trying to compensate for each other. Somewhere in between must be the real me. I try to hide my emotions but it's getting harder in my 20s and likely to only get worse. I'd say you should talk about this to your therapist and if he doesn't want to ask you questions or be supportive about why you think you have bipolar, go to a psychiatrist who is more experienced with such things, tell him/her your concerns and at least you can receive some treatment/meds that will help.

I too was ADD in my childhood, but only sporadically where I got punished by teachers for being hyperactive. I guess this was before they put everyone on Ritalin and most of the time I could stay in my seat, I just fidgeted a lot and was easily distracted. I'm sure future studies will confirm that ADD and ADHD can be early warning signs for bipolar or other disorders in adulthood, but I'm no expert, so we'll wait and see.

Hang in there. It's better to reach out for help from the proper experts rather than struggling alone. You can decide if you want to tell your mom after you get an official diagnosis, that way it can't be as easily dismissed.

I have never been diagnosed I am 49 years old. I go into me thinking last year in July I quit a really good job and asked for unemployment. The day I left they said you were the best we ever had and I got in my car and drove away. I did not remember what happened or why I quit. I looked for other jobs and about four months later went into depression. I did not know the day of the week or month of the year I still went to work every day. I would not let the other job go that I quit in July. It was stuck in my mine for six months. I would go in the front door and come in the back. I would not get out of bed all weekend. I thought I was the child and my children and husband were the mothers. I thought my employer worked for me. I was think ing backwards. At this last job I told them it was not working for me and I wanted fired. I am on my third job this year I am making 1/2 as much money as I was last July. I did not know I was that sick and would not go to the doctors I wanted to die for what I did to my employer. I never seen anyone or heard of anyone being like this before. I will get a diagnosis on Monday I wish I was diagnosis correctly eight years ago when this happened I lost my Career the best job I had in my life and hurt my family financially over this. We had to sell our rental houses. I don't listen to anyone when I am sick. I have a answer for everything. What ever I have is a horrible disease.

hey there i was just wondering about after geting treatment for there bipolar with takeing meds doing self help things to help with there bipolar how long do you keep your mood in control can you go on without your mood haveing mania all depressed do you go for years months days without haveing any ups all downs get back to me i would love to hear your storys

hobssy

I was originally diagnosed as Manic Depressive (Bipolar I) when I was 13 years old. The doc put me on Welbutrin that didn't help so after a couple of months he took me off of it and I didn't get further treatment again until May of 2007. I was then put on Depakote 2000mg and Effexor 75mg. It helped somewhat. My current doc (the one who put me on the two meds) has taken me off the Effexor, lowered the Depakote to 1500mg, has just recently put me on Lithium 300mg and Geodon (160mg currently even though we have stated that the 120mg was enough). I haven't felt any change for the better and I also have to take Cogentin to ease up the tremors I have from the Depakote.

I have a friend who is a nurse for a local doctor (with my permission) talk to the doctor who has stated flat out that I am being severely over medicated. I can't be left alone at all without someone to contact in case of an emergency.

Not only do I have BPI but I am also diagnosed Scitzoeffetive (hence the Geodon to keep the auditory and visual hallucinations at bay) I can't afford to go to another doctor (the one I am going to now is based on income and makes it so that I don't have to pay because I don't bring in any money) I can't work because it is just to stressful and throws me into a severe panic attack. The longest I had ever worked at any one job has been 7 months... and even then I lost my job because I was considered a "liability" to the company (2 different work comp claims in the 7 month span. The first incident I am still being treated for with surgeries).

I know that I got off on a spiel. Sorry for that.

Zara

i hate the fact that u dont know what mood ur gunna be in , so cant enjoy things in life. i feel sum days that the most simple things are like mountains and other times i could conquer the world.

I'm new to the program and am very interested in learning as much as I can about the disorder I have been diganosed with. I don't know if I have bipolar I or II and don't know the difference really. I just know that taking the meds to treat bipolar are helping keep me normal or I turn into one of two monsters. A crying monster or a pissed off monster.

I have a son that I am doing this treatment for, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't give a rip what happened to me. And that's the god's honest truth.

Doing martial arts helps some, gives me something to focus on and I've been offered classes to learn meditation, which I've been told by my therapist will help. I know that listening to classical music helps when I'm irritated, and I've noticed I go into a meditative state when listening to classical at night. I just need to find music that helps when I'm depressed.

But like I said, I'm on here to learn and get support and maybe support others.

Dear Mom!

Welcome to PC!! My name is Holmes, & I am a PC member & host the Bipolar Chat on Friday nights at 7:00 pm (est). Doc John has given you the excellent guided introductury information on Bipolar. If you would like to talk w/ me before Friday's night's Bipolar chat, plz PM at your convenience. I will be in the Lobby, Wed. night, at 7:00 PM. (est), if that is convenient, hope to meet you!

All The Best To You,
Holmes

i was diagnosed with bipolar, received medication but nothing changed.
i stopped taking the medication. now after researching i think i have a personality disorder, a distorted way of thinking that brings upon my ups and downs