Normal can be your BASE LINE which may be slightly high or low... or in reference to others... ACTING in away society dictates.... for me Normal is slightly high not as high as I have been.

I don't think normal has been diagnosed in the diagnostic and statistical manual. Who knows what normal is? It's like the word like, like you like know what I mean like that's normal, ya know?

they just want us to be happy. that is what normal is to them. how many of them are happy? Its all how you look at it.

Ya, like I totally know what you mean. :-)
I know I shouldn't let it bug me, but.....
*shrug*

I agree with Not2Sure. Baseline, being able to react to situations in a suitable manner be it sad or happy.

I'm having the same problem. I too don't always know what normal is. At times I'm so disatified with my partner, my life and still feel some anger. It seems so real. Is it? When I level out some of the feelings are still there. I'm going to request a Counselor or Psychologist to go along with my Psychiatrict treatment. I know I need to figure some things out. Any suggestions?

I'm almost 52, and got diagnosed at 40-freaking-nine! I'm wondering the same thing. Being diagnosed has made sense of my life, though. My Dad used to say that living with me was "Daily Drama With Cindy". I have no clue what "normal" people feel. I do know, though, that I don't want to be drugged into apathy.
As Red Green says, "Hang in there. We're all in this together."

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NORMAL. But instead socially acceptable threads of behavior. But I second guess myself constantly. I have a support group of friends and family and I run EVERY SINGLE THING I DO past them to see if what I'm thinking, doing, reacting is normal or not then based on there response I try to choose the best reaction I can.

All the time... I have never had a 'baseline' or a mood lasting more then a day. My meds kicked in and slowed me way down which ment I was having a mood a week... and that is still fast to a lot of people to me its an eternity. I actually had a mood for 3 weeks befor PMS hit and I dunno if it was the 'stable' me or a hypomanic mood.... Your right if you have always been this way its hard to define who you are. Maybe if your moods are farther apart then you have a better idea of the you inbetween.

I am also finding that since I have a few dx's I am trying to classify my behaviors and moods to what causes it. I know this process is driving me nuts and really should matter but I guess I feel like if I know then I can figure out what the 'normal me is' even if my BP is stable I still do all these odd OCD things.

My doctor says your not your diagnosis' but then that just leaves me with a bunch of nothing. Since most of my behaviors thoughts and actions are because of some disorder or anougher.

If I take it all out Im a girl who likes to do a bunch of things I cant do for some reason or anoughter.... and that sucks....

Ok tangent here... stopping lol

I dont' question myself too often unless i have too many days in a row of not enuf sleep and start to feel a little hypomanic...
otherwise i feel "normal", which to me means back to 'myself' before diagnosis.... and my behavior compared to any other person without a mental illness, when encountered with a tough situation...
anyways,, what's normal outside of BP either?

No Kidding, Adrienne2! I've had a hell of a last 6 months. I've cycled faster and harder than I ever have in my life, and I'm on meds! I'm seriously considering getting off meds altogether.

A friend once told me "We are all wierd. Just find someone who's wierd like you and hang out with them"

brilliant!

funny BK!! ya gotta be careful tho.. that could get ya into trouble lol

not funny about the meds! bp's are famous for not taking thier meds.

Your "normal" is probably where you function best. Mine happens to be what is considered hypomanic for most people. I just accept that I am always going to need to walk a little bit faster, avoid caffeine, traffic on the freeway & people who talk too slow, then life is alright ;)

My psychiatrist says there is no such thing as "normal". It is strickly subjective, and everyone has their own definition of it. He says things like you are feeling "well" or '"better" or to use other descriptive words. So, remember nobody in this world is normal. Just go by how you feel, and if you are functioning the way you want to.....