Hi and welcome to the group. Confusion comes with the territory around here....

BiPolar Disorder can be very different for each person. There are some common things that pretty much happen, but they happen in different ways, times, cycles.

The 2 key factors of BiPolar are Depression and Manic Episodes. BiPolar Depression is like standing on railroad tracks in the dark and a Freight Train smashing into you at a 100 mph. It usually hits pretty fast and it increases in severity pretty fast. This type of Depression, is usually not something a person can control/manage without medication and therapy. Because it is all consuming, a dark cloud that wraps around you with no door or window to see or get out of. Most BP'ers (BiPolars) that have severe Depression find it hard to just live, it becomes very hard to figure out what reason there is to even try, every little thing is like climbing a mountain with no assistance. For me when my Depression is at it's worst, as soon as my eyes open in the morning I have trouble finding the will to take a breath....

The other half, Manic Episodes, is just as destructive. BP'ers cycle from one to the other. Mania is the exact opposite and it can ruin your life in a short time. People that are Manic generally have no reason to sleep for days on end, they have no reason to eat, they have to go at a 100 mph all day every day....and the things they do, like having sex with multiple people over multiple days, spending 1000.00's of dollars shopping on crap they don't need, making very bad decisions that usually have repercussions that last far longer than the hour it took them to screw things up...

Those are just generic views, BP'ers are all different. Some stay Depressed for weeks to months on end, some stay manic most of the time, some rapid cycle from Depression to Mania several times a day/week/month, etc. we all kind of have the same struggle, but we all get it slightly differently.

The good news is BiPolar Disorder can be managed and a person can be stable for long periods of time, my personal best is 9 years with just low maintenance meds. It does require the right cocktail of meds, regular Therapy and learning what your triggers are, learning how to notice when things don't feel right, or don't look right...learning when your cycling so that you can get a handle on it before you get sucked in.

The only way to get Diagnosed is to go to a Psychiatrist to be tested/observed/and for the Dr. to learn about your symptoms and your past problems.

Take care and I wish you well,

Kat

as siad you need to see a psychiatrist.

Lots of things cause mood swings, from the physical to mental illness.

Bipolar will make you feel speeded up - while you may react to things in life bipolar is more about changing the way you react to the world and even more it will make you do different things than you usually do.

Greetings and Salutations, andi! As mentioned, You will need to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist. You might want to keep a journal of the anxiety/depression that you've been feeling - when and for how long it happens - to show to your psychiatrist (we call 'em pdocs). I hope you get in to see somebody soon! Anxiety and depression can be debilitating. But - these symptoms can and often do mimic other physiological problems in the body - like problems with your thyroid gland. Good luck to you on your experience!

Hi and Welcome andi

Here's some info on Bipolar vs Personality that might be helpful to you...I had the same diagnosis as you for years until I started hearing voices and the diagnosis changed to bipolar
That's only happened to me twice... Work with medical professionals sweetie... Symptoms can be treated even if you don't have a firm diagnosis for a while

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/borderline-personality-disorder-bipolar-disorder

The other thing to consider, because you don't really mention true Manic episodes...is Uni-Polar Depression. That would match many of your symptoms as well and also would need to be Diagnosed by a Pdoc.