Abilify Question

Is Abilify a medication like an ADHD med that is proven to enhance everyone's performance regardless of whether they have ADHD?

I used to be on Abilify for severe anxiety related outbursts and I've been off it for over a year. Recently, my pdoc and ex-therapist brought up the possibility of me having a bipolar disorder. Abilify worked for me when I was on it before. I was wondering if the fact that it worked for me is confirmation that I have some sort of mood disorder?

I have never taken Abilify so I don't know much about it. I think that is something you can probably ask your therapist or Dr. Why did you get off it if it was working for you? You can also check the top of this page where it says drugs click on that and see what it says about Abilify. I hope everything goes well for you.

No abilify is not like an ADHD med. Quite different. ADHD meds are amphetamines and abilify is an atypical antipsychotic.

Whether you have a mood disorder or not depends very much on your symptoms. What symptoms did abilify help with??? It is meant to treat psychotic features of mental illness. It is also used as an augmenter for depression. If you are bi polar they should put you on a mood stabilizer but would maybe also use an antipsychotic if you have psychotic features.

The abilify was mainly for irritability and temper tantrum like episodes. I was put on it as a last ditch attempt to get enough stability for me to get on a medication regimen and for those meds to kick into effect- I was supposed to be on an ADHD medication, an antidepressant, and an antianxiety medication (none of which I was taking). It didn't work and I was put in residential treatment where I was stabilized. I chose to wean of the abilify thinking that it wasn't needed.

After I was off it, I began to notice increasing mood swings- depressive symptoms coming back as well as an anger and irritability. I also noticed very hyper episodes which I originally thought were due to ADHDd. But I was back on ADHD medication and an antidepressant at this time. So I began wondering if the symptoms were something more- such as a mood disorder.

Best to talk to a psychiatrist about all you are experiencing. I find it really helps to keep a mood log everyday. Then I know exactly how I was doing each day and what meds I was on.

I am on a low dose of Abilify for anger and irritability outbursts. My pdoc said low doses of an AP can sometimes be used to help people with ADHD and other populations to lower outbursts of uncontrollable extreme irritability and anger. But at the low dose it would not be therapeutic for someone with, say, schizophrenia.