Could I be bi-polar 2?

Hi everyone, Normaly I post on the anxiety forum, but I thought I would share here and see if I can get some input. I tend to be a very high strung person, pretty anxious (I have a social anxiety problem), but I am beginning to think that I might be bi polar and that my social inhibitness may have been masking this.  I definitely have periods of depression. I can remember times in university even when I had no reason to be down, not wanting to get out of bed until 5pm, being very irritable and not enjoying my self as I used to. I hear that anxiety and irritability can happen during hypomania and I wonder if this is maybe me. I only noticed this recently,but I tend to have a few weeks of rather "normal" behaviour,and then it seems out of nowhere I get incredibly irritable with my boyfriend. Sometimes I feel like I can accomplish a lot and make lists to get things done, but rarely do they ever get accomplished as I usually start feeling down and unable to before I have a chance to start. My doctor thinks I am depressed and have anxiety issues, and while I don't disagree, I wonder if maybe I am bipolar. I don't feel depressed all the time. In fact, there are times when I feel super happy. Thoughts? Do I need to have full blown manic episodes to be bi polar? and will SSRI's make bi polar worse if I'm treated for depression instead of bi polar?

 

Thanks for the reply. I am not currently on any medication. My doctor wants to put me on an SSRI but I am scared that if I am bipolar, it could cause manic symptoms. I guess I will speak with my doctor about it. I'm not sure how they determine if you have bi polar or not since it can vary quite a bit, I just know that I have periods of time where I'm not depressed at all, but I can be incredibly irritable. This has caused some major problems with my bf and I'm terrified to take an SSRI and possibly cause a worsened situation.

Hello anxious angry.

I have struggled with anxiety and panic disorder, now mainly anxiety at times now that i know how to manage panic attacks.

also i have had depression for years, it would come off and on but has been more perssitant the last 2 years.

ive taken ssri's of and on since age 16 for depression, they always seemed to work. then id stop for a few years then back on.

two years ago i had a major mental breakdown, where i couldnt stop crying and was very anxious and resltess.

I was also way over caffinated at the time wich could have helped trigger this.

i was put back on ssri's by my pcp.

unlike the past, they just made things worse for me. I had terrible insomina, my mood fluctuations were very loopy, i would feel ok, then then boom! major depression, then feelings of euphoria, then depression, I felt like i was on a mental rollercoaster.

i for the first time went to a psychiatrist. He listened to my symptoms, my history and my success and failure with ssri's past and present.

He diagnosed me with bi polar 2 hypomanic. He said i have a (mild case).

i dont do  anything crazy but have some higher energy times and lots of racey thought. I do get depressed alot.

He said its common to misdiagnose bi polar as depression, also he says that our brain chemstry can change over the years, like a duck in water then wam! bipolar attack if can call it that.

I would recommend seing a psychiatrist if your concerned that you have bi polar before starting any mental health meds just to be safe. Some people with bi polar have great success with ssri's but see the dr. first.

i dont take any meds now, took some bi polar meds, like lamictal in the pase but i did nothing for me but give me headaches.  so far ive done ok with out meds since then. about two years now but am open to trying something else if need be.

i hope my story helped and keep in touch!