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.
Speaking of self-destruction...
Is it a sign of mania when you start doing things without being able to think through the consequences, and then you look back and you're, like, why did I do that? Did I just answer my own question here? But, for example, if you say something that may hurt someone because your brain is not keeping up? For example, I have once told my boss I dropped his native language in college, cause it's too ugly for me to study it. And we were just chatting. It's been worse. Is that mania, or should I be in the Asperger's group?
Or how about absolutely having to do something that you know you should not be doing, and it doesn't become you anyway, and is definitely not worth the risk, but somehow you talk yourself into why it has to be done? And I don't mean having another piece of cake, I'm talking about a 30-year old woman with a steady job shoplifting a $3 pair of underwear at Marshall's. To this day I cannot explain why I did that, never could, never will, but at the time it absolutely had to be done. Luckily, I didn't get caught. Is that mania, or is that just plain ol' insanity?
How about inviting a stranger you met 15 minutes ago to your apartment? And does being drunk negates the mania in that?
How about totally falling in love with a friend (same-sex, mind you) and then driving 500 miles and back two more times that year, just to spend time with her, even though you know nothing can happen, cause neither one of you is gay? (And I was very married and very monogamous, and very happy with my sex life.) How about staying up at 2am writing poetry about that love?
So help me out here. Does this sound familiar?
My doc doesn't believe I'm bipolar, cause I don't feel rested on 5h of sleep a night. I have told him about the time when I was positive the aliens were projecting thoughts to my brain, and he said that was normal (cause it only lasted like 30 seconds, and I was depressed and sleep deprived at the time). I have asked for a referral for a different therapist, but I don't think I can switch psychiatrists yet. Besides, I'd much rather believe him than not. It's just that I can't just yet.
Is it a sign of mania when you start doing things without being able to think through the consequences, and then you look back and you're, like, why did I do that? Did I just answer my own question here? But, for example, if you say something that may hurt someone because your brain is not keeping up? For example, I have once told my boss I dropped his native language in college, cause it's too ugly for me to study it. And we were just chatting. It's been worse. Is that mania, or should I be in the Asperger's group?
Or how about absolutely having to do something that you know you should not be doing, and it doesn't become you anyway, and is definitely not worth the risk, but somehow you talk yourself into why it has to be done? And I don't mean having another piece of cake, I'm talking about a 30-year old woman with a steady job shoplifting a $3 pair of underwear at Marshall's. To this day I cannot explain why I did that, never could, never will, but at the time it absolutely had to be done. Luckily, I didn't get caught. Is that mania, or is that just plain ol' insanity?
How about inviting a stranger you met 15 minutes ago to your apartment? And does being drunk negates the mania in that?
How about totally falling in love with a friend (same-sex, mind you) and then driving 500 miles and back two more times that year, just to spend time with her, even though you know nothing can happen, cause neither one of you is gay? (And I was very married and very monogamous, and very happy with my sex life.) How about staying up at 2am writing poetry about that love?
So help me out here. Does this sound familiar?
My doc doesn't believe I'm bipolar, cause I don't feel rested on 5h of sleep a night. I have told him about the time when I was positive the aliens were projecting thoughts to my brain, and he said that was normal (cause it only lasted like 30 seconds, and I was depressed and sleep deprived at the time). I have asked for a referral for a different therapist, but I don't think I can switch psychiatrists yet. Besides, I'd much rather believe him than not. It's just that I can't just yet.
Most-if not all- of the behaviors you have described can be attributed to mania. I also had a therapist who said I was misdiagnosed- that I wasn't bipolar. Sounds very possible that you are, but a trained Psychiatrist should make that call. A second and even 3rd opinion sound like a good plan.