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.
My diagnosis has been bouncing from clinical depression to bipolar 2 (I believe) for a couple years now. I’m wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation? We can’t tell if my “hypomanic episodes” are actual episodes, since they are so brief and dull, in comparison to my acute and lengthy depressive “episodes”.
I jump back and forth between what I think my diagnosis is. I can go weeks without a (what we have considered) hypomanic episode, and then convince myself that I’m only depressed. But once I get really bad, like attempt suicide, cry uncontrollably, sad, for a while (can be “average” sad too), I will suddenly flip and feel so...buzzed. Energized I guess. Like someone plugged me into an outlet. I’ll go from crying hysterically for hours to like singing to myself. It is not happiness though. It’s synthetic and fake and feels wrong.
Its also very short lived. Usually a couple hours, compared to my weeks of depression, only to be interrupted by this energy.
Can anyone who’s bipolar relate? Anyone else have this issue?
-
I did the dumbest thing today. I charged my earbuds, unplugged the block and put the block in my little bag instead of the earbuds. I wasn't happy about that when I got to the gym. What a dummy!
-
Ever since I stopped doing therapy because of insurance, I've been feeling that old tense and irritable sense of anxiety and stress. I hate that. I was making so many strides and changes during therapy, my therapist would acknowledge all of my progress and accomplishments, and I miss that reassurance. Today I thought about it, and I made those changes! She would always tell me that I chose to...
When I was first diagnosed over 25 years ago I was in a mixed state so I was in a depression with extreme agitation and wasn't sleeping....
I ended up at that point having shadow people jumping at me and hearing some voices so that was how I was diagnosed for sure however I'd been going through this without the voices etc for several years and it was then depression and an anxiety disorder
Getting onto the right meds will help you to get this under control.... Symptoms can be treated even if you're not sure at this point just what the diagnosis is
Welcome to the board..... This is a good place to come..... Gentle hug......xo
If you're going to a Pdoc (Psychiatrist) that can't determine the difference between the 2 for a Diagnosis, then I'd see a different Pdoc. If you're just going to an M.D. and the 2 of you are trying to Diagnose you....you need to see a Pdoc.
The additional major difference is Medications. A Unipolar Depression Illness responds to Anti-Depressants generally as a BiPolar Illness requires a Medication Cocktail of combined possible Anti-Depressants, Mood Stabilizers, Anti-Anxiety and Sleep Meds. Therapy is also a big component of BiPolar Treatment.
There's a whole world of difference between UniPolar and BiPolar and most Pdocs can tell this over a 2 year period by symptoms and medication stabilization....
Since my first therapy session in 1972, the dx'es in my psych portfolio have bounced around like a political scandal. That phenom was exacerbated by the rapid cycling of therapists in my treatment. Psychotherapy is not the first professional camp to suffer considerable disagreement in their ranks. Every therapist I worked with seemed to have a different summary of my symptoms. Time is a factor, as well. My bipolar dx originated as manic depression. I'm not even sure when or how that morphed in to Bipolar. Don't know that I ever got a number rating for ^it^. Psychology is a young science and has changed considerable since 1972.
Personally, I treat my symptoms more than I treat my dx'es. I take them one episode at a time. I believe each round is different enough to rate subtle variations in which psychotherapy tools I use and how I use them.
It's confusing stuff, Garden. Sometimes I think getting lost in ^it^ shows that you are paying attention.
Welcome aboard. Maybe we can figure ^it^ out together.
Manic Depression and BiPolar Disorder are one in the same...the name just morphed as the science grew and became more encompassing and technical as things do, patients needed to understand there was a difference between UniPolar Depression and BiPolar Depression and honestly it just sounded better than Manic Depression. The "Bi" just represents the "state of 2 concurrent possible mood disorders". They aren't 2 different illnesses that were merged into one.