[SoupDragon]

Saw my T yesterday (yes still the same one, still haven't quit ) and I was feeling very upbeat and "cheeky". My T was talking about how he would like for me to be on a more middle ground rather than swinging between feeling high and very low.

I know I have been through the whole diagnosis thing with him before and he suggested that labels were not useful so I didn't push for one. But today I am feeling confused, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was just "difficult" at times, but I am wondering if what he was describing was bipolar.

I know no-one is here to diagnose and I know the answer is probably to talk to my T. But I just don't want to make him think I am being overly dramatic about something that is maybe really normal and not a MI. Actually I think I am feeling a little scared.

[someone321]

Maybe you could consider filling "DailyMood" here in PC everyday so you could see if your mood changes in a certain pattern or is it just caused by some independent events?

[SoupDragon]

Yes, that may be useful, thank you. Where is the Daily Mood thing?

[someone321]

one position left from "log out" Or if you want to see the graph without putting your mood in, click on "private messages" just below your login and then on the left-down corner in the category "your quizzes" you can find it as well...

[someone321]

Btw - of course I cannot and do not want to diagnose you anyhow - but when I was thinking that I might be bipolar, I discovered that closer would be borderline personality (fortunately it turned out that don't have it), as in my case the mood didn't change in a pattern: long depression, long high etc but the mood was changing even few times per day Perhaps you could read about this as well, but as you've noticed - only your T/pdoc could give you the real diagnosis...

[Petra5ed]

I think it's easy to read the symptoms of anything and think you have it. Last week I was wondering the same thing, so I bluntly asked my T and got a response. Really the T is probably right about the labels not being very meaningful. It's not like bipolar can be tested for and treated like strep throat . If you have severe bipolar I bet your T would tell you so you could get treated.

[SoupDragon]

Well that was slightly freaky, followed the daily Mood link and 2 years ago l had filed it in regularly. l have absolutely no recollection of doing so.

Yes keeping a dairy and journaling between sessions is a good way if tracking your moods. I think it's normal when we are going through something and attending therapy to feel this high and low feelings and to go forward and take a step back. It's also normal to want to blame something or put a diagnoses on our feelings or label them as something in order to explain or accept that we are feeling down and that's it's ok to feel down. As long as our moods don't interefere with our work or relationships.
Yes this is a symptom of bipolar but it would have to be extreme mood swings along with other symptoms.
Do you feel like these mood swings are uncontrollable or can you pin point them to a trigger?

[SoupDragon]

l think they are a little random. Like l can be faced with similar situations and on some occasions l can deal with them well and other times it can be difficult for me. Also my levels of confidence can swing, l may be the life and soul of an event, but other times struggle to string a sentence together. l don't know what makes the change, but do know l can become overwhelmed eventually if l take on to much.

[recentdiscovery]

I have some pretty serious ups and downs but having lived with a bipolar person for many years I am confident I don't have it. Either that or I knew how to answer all the questions during my diagnostic appointment to avoid them thinking I have it.

I think it's normal and ok to have some upbeat days. I felt awesome yesterday, not so much today, but that's ok.

[Wren_]

((((((((((((((soup))))))))))))))))))) i wasn't reading it as him saying you are bipolar more about finding more balance ... i hope you do ask him more about his comments though if it is concerning you