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.

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chemical imbalance DOES kill

cb72
cb72
I don't know why the other thread evolved that far. The question indeed was:

Could the chemical imbalance ALONE kill you without taking physical actions?

It is documented that, in the age before lithium, people frequently died of mania, presumably due to exhaustion. I got this from one of Kay Jamison's books. It takes a lot of mania, but it happened in asylums relatively frequently. If it could happed 100 years ago, surely it can happen today too, to some poor unmedicated soul.

So the answer is YES.
dobiedots
dobiedots
Ditto Lou2. I would not be here if it weren't for meds. Neither would a lot of people I have come in contact with.
cb72
cb72
#10, cells do die in the brain, due to depression, which is part of bipolar. Manias, too, cause brain damage, although I don't know the details.

As for the body, when I start going manic, my hands shake sometimes, I am warm all the time, I don't need my jacket, my vision starts to blur, I've even had my eyes dart left-right-and-around etc. There is a host of totally physical symptoms, and I don't believe bipolar is only in my head.
deleted_user
deleted_user
What do you say about people in mania who do insane things through delusion? ie/ trying to fly off buildings?
I have survived pretty hairy situations caused directly by my BP- I say, yes, the BP can lead directly to your demise.
deleted_user
deleted_user
exactamondo, Dobie...don't know why we are trying to convince those who desperatel;y choose not see this. Fuck 'em
nickpc20001
nickpc20001
I mean how the hell do we all know we are bipolar anyways there is no true tests?

Maybe we are all like ZED off police acadamy...

LOL
deleted_user
deleted_user
Uh, Nick...if you have been psychotically manic- you are bipolar.
cb72
cb72
#14
Not having BP on the death certificate is meaningless. for the longest time you could not have suicide on the death certificate, back when it was too much of a taboo. Today, there is too much successful medication for the type of death I described (from mania). But there is still that guy at the Miami airport who got shot for being manic. I gave the links to the story in the other thread (can bipolar kill you), at #24.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I think those who dont know or believe that this disorder does affect the brain should go back and do some research. If you are affected mentally you are affected in every way.
nickpc20001
nickpc20001
Insanity is a perfectly natural adjustment to a totally unnatural and negative enviroment"


Bipolar is just a phucking label.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I'm glad this has become another med discussion. why cant we all be supportive of those who choose to live THEIR life med free?? some people are just to all about meds and refuse to see the other side.
Chuggernaught
Chuggernaught
no one's inventing torture logic. We are merely trying to distiguish from side effects compare to direct effects. No one's arguing if suicides count because in the end they do. I will, however, concede to the idea of excess release of said chemicals can cause a wear down in the brain given an excess of time. (This by the way is fucking fun! I haven't been this intellectually stimulated on DS in a while..)
dobiedots
dobiedots
So you're saying we're not bipolar?? Do you think I tried to kill myself 4x on a whim?
Or bounce off the walls because I was bored? Or attack people physically because I didn't like the color of their eyes?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Two years without meds isn't that big of a deal, depending on the individual. I've done it as recently as 3 years ago. But sooner or later the MONSTER will return. Bigger and Nastier than ever.

Personally I'll take the word of DOCTOR Kay Jamieson. If she says it can kill you, that's enough for me.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Nick, you sound like some ignorant, twisted Saner. What are you saying, Bipolar doesn't exist? Accounts of 'circular madness' of people being torn by extremes of mood, madness- have been around for thousands of years. Try educating yourself.
nickpc20001
nickpc20001
1 other thing some of you guys are saying that if you don't take your meds your brain is shrinking etc..?1?!?!

I never knew our meds had brain regeneration properties in them. I mean hell the damn label says Mode of action unknown.

LOL