mania question

i am far from being a pdoc, therapist, or any kingd of a professional and recommend very strongly that you see a pdoc or therapist who has experience with bp.  but from what you describe, you certainly seem to be displaying all of the classic behaviors associated with bp.

when i was still able to work, i would regularly work for two or three days straight and then go home and crash.  or i would party for a few days, go to work and be super-productive, than go home and crash.  i would also get super depressive episodes where i didn't want to talk to or see anybody and had my secretary take all my calls,  sound familiar?  i wasn't diagnosed with bp until 2001, so i didn't know what was going on or even that something was really wrong.

hope this helps.  see a pdoc or therapist soonist.

hi.  i'm in a real mood today so please forgive my turns of phrase.

i had sex once about 40 yrs ago.  it was only so-so.  i don't think i need any more.  this is exactly saying about pdocs and therapists.  listen, girl:   these people are glorified gardeners - they work for you, you don't work for them.  you, or if you are lucky, tyour insurance company pay their salary.  if you don't like what you are getting, find another one.  yiou aren't married to this person.

bp tends to run in families.  it is possible that your mother has an undiagnosed case of bp.  this is fairly common because mental health issues were had severe social repercussions several years ago and also the dsm of the 60s had depression as about its only illness (or schizophrenia).  i was diagnosed several times as depressed and wasn't diagnosed as bp until 2001.  my illness has in the past turned my anger inward in depression and self destruction.  but everybody is different.

hope this helps.

warren

A therapist or psychologist is someone who uses one of the many types of talk therapy. A psychiatrist is an MD who Rxs meds. I think you need to see a psychiatrist for a diagnosis here and tell that doctor what you have told us. In fact, you could print out this page and take it all.

Warren is right about therapy. I have had several therapists, most of them pretty poor. I had one who was good, but then I had a Rogerian therapist who was excellent. I would not be here if not for her. It was some of the worst and hardest 3-1/2 years of my life, but I will never (thank God!) be who was I before she came into my life. It was not succeeding at first, but I tried and tried again. It paid off.

On the lighter side, if you are done with your house, you wanna come and do mine? I have lupus, am in a flare and sicker than.... well real sick. I woke up with pericarditis and pleuritic pain AGAIN and I just want a clean house. I'll make it for about 45 minutes and have to sleep for 2 hours. Perhaps you can bottle that and send it my way?

Keep us posted, we do care. If you are bipolar and you are starting to hate your manic phases you are going to do all right. You know how you feel and you can describe it, you simply want some control over your life again. It is surprising how many people can't describe what they are feeling or what is going on with them, and I think you can. Let your fingers do the walking and find a psychiatrist for a diagnosis and possible treatment. You can call around and find someone who is well versed in bipolar issues and see them. They do exist.