Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
http://www.mhsanctuary.com/therapist/1045.htm
Bipolar and Rage
I'm a 21 year old female and I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
about 6 years ago. I hadn't seen my father in 13 years, and my mom got a
hold of him, and me and my sister went to live with him. He was very
physically abusive and we were put in a foster homes. After that I started
to cut myself and was always depressed. So I was hospitalized and they said
I had bipolar, because I had mood swing, where one hour I'd be angry and the
next I would be fine. Well I don't think that I have that. I first of all
notice that I never have any manic episodes, I'm always depressed, I always
have burst of sever anger, mostly with the people that I'm dating. I get
upset at the littlest things, like my boyfriend going some where or not
being home on time. I have tried to harm myself many times and have been
hospitalized about 4 times. I was also cutting and burning myself. I have
extremely low self- esteem and I'm easy disappointed when something doesn't
go my way. These anger out bursts only last for a couple of hour, in that
time I'm so depressed I go crazy. Then I get over it, but these out burst
happen alot. I have had nothing but crappy relationships, because I never
trust anyone I'm with and I always want them with me, and basically not to
have a life. I push people away, and no matter what they do, I'm never
happy. I knew something was wrong with all these outburst of anger, and
feeling depresses all the time, and I have anxiety issues, but I didn't
think it was bipolar cause I" am never happy, or have any manic phases, where
I think that I can do any think. I just wanted to know if it sounds like I
have BPD, and if so how do I tell a therapist, if I have been diagnosed with
bipolar? I don't want them to think I'm making it up, or that I was
diagnosed with bipolar for a reason. I really want help because I can't have
any healthy relationships, and it is ruining my life. Thank you for your
time.
THerapists answer
Diagnosis is subjective. Bi-polar and BPD get confused and overlaid all the
time. What you are describing sounds more like BPD, but I can't make a
formal statement about that here. As for telling a therapist, just say
that, while you carry a diagnosis, you are not comfortable with it and would
like him/her to reconsider and reevaluate you.
By the way, your history of abuse and your consistent rage would suggest
PTSD with a Borderline overlay, or, at the very least, traumatic stress
related depression. Anger in adolescents is generally a sign of depression.
Bipolar and Rage
I'm a 21 year old female and I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
about 6 years ago. I hadn't seen my father in 13 years, and my mom got a
hold of him, and me and my sister went to live with him. He was very
physically abusive and we were put in a foster homes. After that I started
to cut myself and was always depressed. So I was hospitalized and they said
I had bipolar, because I had mood swing, where one hour I'd be angry and the
next I would be fine. Well I don't think that I have that. I first of all
notice that I never have any manic episodes, I'm always depressed, I always
have burst of sever anger, mostly with the people that I'm dating. I get
upset at the littlest things, like my boyfriend going some where or not
being home on time. I have tried to harm myself many times and have been
hospitalized about 4 times. I was also cutting and burning myself. I have
extremely low self- esteem and I'm easy disappointed when something doesn't
go my way. These anger out bursts only last for a couple of hour, in that
time I'm so depressed I go crazy. Then I get over it, but these out burst
happen alot. I have had nothing but crappy relationships, because I never
trust anyone I'm with and I always want them with me, and basically not to
have a life. I push people away, and no matter what they do, I'm never
happy. I knew something was wrong with all these outburst of anger, and
feeling depresses all the time, and I have anxiety issues, but I didn't
think it was bipolar cause I" am never happy, or have any manic phases, where
I think that I can do any think. I just wanted to know if it sounds like I
have BPD, and if so how do I tell a therapist, if I have been diagnosed with
bipolar? I don't want them to think I'm making it up, or that I was
diagnosed with bipolar for a reason. I really want help because I can't have
any healthy relationships, and it is ruining my life. Thank you for your
time.
THerapists answer
Diagnosis is subjective. Bi-polar and BPD get confused and overlaid all the
time. What you are describing sounds more like BPD, but I can't make a
formal statement about that here. As for telling a therapist, just say
that, while you carry a diagnosis, you are not comfortable with it and would
like him/her to reconsider and reevaluate you.
By the way, your history of abuse and your consistent rage would suggest
PTSD with a Borderline overlay, or, at the very least, traumatic stress
related depression. Anger in adolescents is generally a sign of depression.
I do, but only when I am hypo manic. The littlest thing throws me into a furious rage, like a sneezing attack for my 8 year old, or a little comment.
To me the rage (and I've seen that repeatedly in BP literature) is part and parcel of BP, when depressed or hypo manic.
Irritability certainly is a known symptom Road rage is too. I can drive behind some slow car en route home and get furious beyond belief. I get close to get them to be scared and moved to the shoulder or pass them in a clearly furious way.
I have the same - very unfortunately - reaction with my kids. With them I try real hard to contain it, and when I am furious, my husband makes sure I go to our room and "hide." But I can lose my temper because a staff meeting at work is going off track, 0r one of the co-worker speaks 3X the amount theu should to make a point. So in my view, the rage is the BP. When I am not sick, it is not there.
Why couldnt I have found help before our lives were torn apart?
:-)
~ bump ~