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Bipolar Disorder
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Posted 1/29/2007 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
  I've been struggling with depression since I was 11 years old and I now think it's more than just that.

  I was wondering if anyone could tell me some signs of having bipolar disorder besides mood swings. I have major mood swings, but I can't tell if I have bipolar disorder or something worse.

  I greatly appreciate your responses. Thank you.

Posted 1/29/2007 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
I first went online and looked at bipolar, went to a pdoc she told me I had cyclothymic disorder a mild form of bp 1 , anyway I did research on that found that she knew what she was talking about, because it decribed me to a tee!!
but anyway, I think you should go see a pdoc and get diagnosed - I'ts definately not something that should be handled onl it's own - take it from me - I've been "trying" to handle it for a while on my own and now am going to start my meds tonight - better later than never, right?
Hope you find what you're looking for
Dawn
Posted 1/30/2007 10:16 AM (GMT 0)

Welcome to Healing Well Angel  :-)

I agree with Dawn.

BP isn't easy to diagnose , and other illnesses can mimick the symptoms of BP so it must be diagnosed by a proffesional.

Let us know what you find out , and in the meantime , post away with any other questions you have.

Smiler tongue

Posted 1/30/2007 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
scool Get you a doc that you really trust. If you don't like that doc, keep going till you find the one you think you agree with. That is what I did. The doc who diagnosed me with bipolar disorder knew what she was talking about. She put me on lithium, klonopin, and luvox which they have since taken me off of. I am doing well on my meds. I believe it is a combination of trust and keeping yourself safe. God be with you,
ddagassi
Posted 1/30/2007 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
I have a therapist that I see frequently and I was diagnosed with manic depression at age 11. I have researched things online, but I've never found anything that completely describes me. I've found things that I have some of the symptoms, but never anything that I'm fully.

Anyway, things are hard for me because my mom is a psychologist and she doesn't like the thought of her daughter being "crazy." It took a lot of persuasion to get her to let me see the woman I'm seeing now. I've been a cutter since I was 13 and it wasn't until the most recent episode I had that she finally gave in.

We don't have a family doctor or anything like that because my family has lose faith in medicine so I don't really know what to ask about. I complain about physical pain sometimes and my mom tells me to just suck it up because she refuses to take me to the doctor. She's not a bad woman, just tempormental.

Any ideas about what I should say to her? Before you think I'm some unintelligent tot, I'm actually 18 years old and I'm pretty smart. I just don't have the connection with my family that a lot of people have. I can't talk to them. I need some help on what kind of things I need to say and do. Is there anything I can do on my own?
Posted 1/30/2007 6:02 PM (GMT 0)

well, here's what I think - if you like your therapist now, I'd say keep going to her, if not, you are 18 now, so you can find your own - I went to Social Services and they hooked me up with the County Mental Health - some can be good, others just seem like they don't care - it's really all trail and error - but I would say definately need to talk to someone..

As far as the "mom" thing goes, I feel ya on that   - I am the 4th of 4 girls, and by the time it got to raising me, my mom didn't care anymore - literally gave custody of me to one of my older sisters when I was 11 - Have SERIOUS issues with her too..

Anyway, now you have us here - we're always here to listen and vent to - One thing I've learned in just my short couple of days here, is that it makes me feel better to just think I may be helping someone else out..

Take care and God Bless

Dawn

Posted 2/1/2007 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone, I can agree with all of the recent comments. I am having a very difficult time since I recently had all of my colon removed and the medication is not absorbing enough in my system. I have had aud. hallucinations the other day and have been very manic running from store to store yet do not have money to buy anything, I am on SSDI. I have not been sleeping well since up 5 times or so per night to go to the bathroom. Doctor informed me to take meds after I eat and go to the bathroom a few times and then take my meds. I  pray this will get me adjusted because I can't handle the depression and mania all in one day, its just insane. I am going to bed at 10:00 as ordeted and just wish I could not keep getting up but it seems of no use since I can eat early or late and the same thing occurs. My doctor said this will eventually get better. I am obsessed with my weight and lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks due to the surgery and am not losing anymore and am upset about that. I keep being told all this is for my health and getting stable. Bipolar stuff can be very hard at times yet I know my medication is right for me and keeping me out of the hospital. I am 46 and have had alot of hospitalizations over the years unfortunately. I have been depressed since 5 as I can recall and had been so depressed in kindergarden I remember some of those days. But in the 1960's things were much different. All I was trying to do was care for my mom who is also BP and she was sick for 35 years until she came across the right meds. So, life has been difficult with other things medically and psychologically yet I am very grateful to the doctors who have tried to help and to those that did. Life keeps on getting better for me yet sometimes like these times it can be very hard. I just moved from another state and have no friends yet and depend on this site to have other people like me to identify with. Thank you all for being here. enpointe
Posted 2/4/2007 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
BP manifests itself in SO many different ways so it is hard to diagnose. When I was first put into psychotherapy, my mother called my nurse practitioner and she asked if we were positive I didn't have BP. After that when I was diagnosed with just simple depression I was confused because sometimes I was SUPER happy and I got OCD from the happiness. I ended up getting a 2nd opinion and that's when I was diganosed.

What I say is to keep getting opinions. It is bad to go onto the internet and diagnose yourself, but you should investigate and see if you have any of the symptoms that you never even spotted before so that when you get into a pdoc you can tell ALL your symptoms without forgetting any or counting some out.

Hope this helps!
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