I do believe we all have our own versions of what BP is or means or does to us. I have known my whole life something wasnt right. Get a good pdoc and tell everything and they will help you cope with the insanity that BP is. GOOD LUCK! I wish you well!

I'll try. bipolar, also known as manic depression is a mood disorder that has two extreme poles.Bipolar people experience these two poles in extremes, and some people cycle all over the place in different mood states.Some people with bipolar suffer psychotic, episodes and some do not.The moods are not only eradicate they tend to be extreme.I'm sure someone can explain it better, but I did my best.

So...you THINK you are bipolar...you have mood swings?

Being bipolar is alot more than mood swings.

We are not Doctors here.If you suspect you are bipolar...GO see a Phyciatrist..get a correct DX...do some research ,then come back and we can address issues.


I truely do not mean to bash or be cruel...but these "I THINK I MIGHT BE BIPOLAR " posts are getting out of hand.
It is taking space away from newly DX BP's ,who need to talk .

I guess I'm in a bitched out mood.....last few days ,there have been sooo many of these "I think I might be's".....go find out!

I said it last night, dancingd... I'm SICK of self-diagnosis.

There are mood charts you can use to track your moods.

I strongly encourage you to tack your moods on one of these charts, for as long as you can. I also suggest finding a chart that allows you to track your menstrual cycle at the same time, so you can see if there is a correlation between your pms and your moods, or if there is a correlation between your moods even changing after your menstruate.

also, search the net for bipolar and read the medical articles and the info posted by the drug companies and compare the two.

But, you have been blessed to find this site. Congratulations!

Lets not be so harsh......dont you remember when you first knew something wasnt right....everyone has had that moment and she is having hers....back off!

Didn't mean to be harsh, but dancingd is right, there is a hella lot more to bipolar than mood swings. It's insulting to the rest of us.

I'm gonna go and talk to the kettle, he understands.

Lostsoul1....yep you are right ...I came off way to harsh...I'm sorry Wendolnn.

But you have to help yourself.
Lately it seems people are running here crying out "I THINK I"M BIPOLAR!!!!"

Without proper information,there is nothing we CAN SAY ,but ...go get a DX.

Besides,Prozac,is NOT usually given to bipolar patients...it can cause backlash mania ,or even deeper the depressive episodes.
So Wendolyn,if your family Doctir RX the Prozac...it is espaecially important for you to see a specialist,a Phyciatrist.....a family Doctor Rx me Paxil...(because he thought I was JUST depressed)...the Paxil sent me into a medically induced phycotic episode.

Please,for your own health and safety...go see a Phyciatrist!

Everything when put under the microscope, takes on a peculiar importance that it would not otherwise have.

American life today is like a roller coaster. Road rage, SNAFUs galore, computer's down, etc.

But, for BPs, a lot of the mood swings happen in the absence of a trigger. IMHO, that is the key.

yeah, what dancingd said...everyone has 'mood swings' bp is a lot more extreme.

wendolyn you need to explore the issue with a psychiatrist. You are on the right path and smart to do research. I don't understand the insulted feeling from others while you are questioning yourself. It is like a high school click. I enjoy reading the posts and ignore the ones I don't feel strong againist. I would recommend that. Good Luck with you diagnosis!

By all means, please schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist.

Mood swings could be hormonally caused, caused by life situations, just be your personality, be "normal" but sometimes people are looking too closely, or they could be a part of something that could be diagnostic.

In order to diagnose bipolar a doc should run a series of blood work to rule out other things that can mimic mood disorder such as thyroid problems among other things.

Then a good detailed interview with you, and preferably including someone close to you will help as well and a detailed family history should also be asked.

Only then should a psychiatrist venture to diagnose someone...and when you're only talking about mood swings that are happening daily, it makes me wonder if you're talking about a rapid cycling bipolar or borderline personality disorder. Of course, it could be many other things, including medical so please see the doc.

If you want to learn about bipolar check out
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-publication.shtml by the NIMH (National Institute on Mental Health). It's probably the most comprehensive article out there on the topic.

You could make an appt. to see a psychiatrist, or get a referral from your general practitioner. I guess it was different in my case, I never really had a chance to speculate or wonder about my diagnosis. I was forced into hospitalization at a young age, so the diagnosis found me. I couldn't hide from it.

Anyway, point being I guess Bipolar just "comes out" & can't be hidden for long. If you have it, you will certainly know it as will those close to you. Best of luck!

so relate to that, basketcase.

Great advice from mentalhealthadvocate & a great site too! Thanks, I bookmarked that.

wendolyn, that's where you should look for your answers about "what exactly is bipolar?"

A psychiatrist can help you with the diagnosis & treatment plan, if necessary. All best!