I had a meeting with my psychiatrist yesterday. He told me that I might not have bipolar at all. For one and half years I have been treated for bipolar and now I am told that all I have is probably...
I am co-dependent on my parents. I have spent so many years being abused by them that I have for some odd reason become co-dependent on them. I detest them yet I can't imagine living away from them....
Dear Jenny, I had the hardest teenage years. I was wrapped up in my own world and could barely connect with anyone. My mother emotionally abused me because I failed to meet her expectations. I was...
I am not a psychiatrist but your constant highs and lows do sound like bipolar. I never went on a manic shopping spree till I had an episode. For most of my 15 years with bipolar, I was happy...
Dear Mogli, This is how I am feeling. Even though I am taking anti-depressants, I feel everything around me is in slow motion. I can't find the energy to complete my work, can't find the energy to...
Dear Starch, I have had an uncle tell me very cruelly to commit suicide. It sounds brutal when this kind of advice comes from family members. You have to remember that your mother and brother are not...
I went to work today feeling nervous. My boss was really nice. His assistant is really cute and I managed to have a crush on someone after a very long time. Everything went well till I came back home...
Dear Ron, Are you not taking medication? I am curious as to how you control BPD without medication because I have a tendency to get convulsions without medication. Best, Sheeba...
Dear freetoaster, Why don't you get an appointment with a psychiatrist and get professional advice? Your mood swings sound like bipolar disorder but I am no professional. Your doctor will conduct...
Dear volatile, I don't know if you have BP but most BP people go through a normal phase in between cycles. Only your psychiatrist will be able to tell though. Best, Sheeba...
Dear Keeping it Real, I am sorry your father is giving you hell. It is one of the sad facts of life that not all families are perfect. I come from a very dysfunctional family and I have major issues...
I had to sign my job contract today. I panicked when I read the terms and conditions. The last time I quit my job after giving a day's notice because I went into a depressive psychosis (my doctor got...
Dear cafemocha, I completed my Masters degree last year and I had a rough final semester. I was not motivated and I turned in a crappy thesis. Then my friend came to visit and reminded me of the...
If your wife is depressed, she needs to get back on her meds. Depression causes a person to act very irrationally. You also need to get counselling together. When I get depressed, I tend to want to...
Hypomania is one part of bipolar. It means that you are feeling more energetic than usual, are more agressive, have more ideas, more sexual energy, etc. Crying all day sounds like you are depressed....
Is your husband depressed or manic? Sometimes, during an extreme mood swing, a person becomes aggressive and hostile. Your husband needs help. He needs to be gently reminded that his mood swings have...
I think you should have children if you would like to. I have bipolar and I want to have children. I know it is going to be more difficult for me to raise them than it is for others, but that is a...
Dear hotmail, Is your wife taking medication? Is she seeing a psychiatrist? It sounds like your wife is going through a hypomanic phase. During hypomania or mania, it is common to develop love...
Dear volatile, Are you seeing a psychiatrist? Are you on any kind of medication? Therapy and counseling will help but only with medication. You might have to keep trying till you find medication that...
Dear Greg, I have been doing well, thank you. Looking forward to starting work next week. A cousin of mine is visiting so I am keeping busy with that. There is not much to see in Kuwait so I guess...
Congratulations Serafena. That is fabulous news. Hope you have fun....
I am so sorry that your family went through such a rough time because of your wife's psychosis. It is good that your wife finally got diagnosed. It is difficult for your wife to feel remorseful...
The best way you can help any bipolar patient is by making sure they take their medication and see a psychiatrist and a counselor regularly. It is important for bipolar patients to take their...
Dear try2cope, Trusting the court system is the only way you can protect yourelf legally and ensure a safe future for yourself and your child. If your wife has violent outbursts despite taking...
Dear hexe63, I have often become violent during an episode and I remember hitting my sister when I was undiagnosed. But at that time my parents thought it was sibling rivalry. They did not like the...
Dear Mark, I went through 8 psychiatrists and psychotherapists before I was diagnosed. I did not like or trust any of those doctors and was not cooperative. As a result, I was misdiagnosed. My...
Dear BPTT, My journey toward diagnosis was a difficult one. I was psychotic for several months, went through several psychiatrists and psychologists and finally got diagnosed in July 2007. I went...
Dear Mike, Glad your medication worked and everything else worked for you. Best, Sheeba...
Dear BP, Risperdal did not work for me at all. I spent over a year being depressed and sedated because of it. I also had suicidal ideation while I was on it. I stopped it abruptly because I could not...
Dear BPTT, Sometimes I experience an increase in appetite and sometimes I suddenly lose my appetite. I also have problems with low blood pressure. My menstrual cycle is not regular but that has been...
Dear BPTT, I think you should seek counseling for yourself. You have gone through a lot of pain and you need a lot of support. Your husband is much older than you and much smarter at playing games....
Dear BPTT, Your husband sounds like an abusive man. He is just using the bipolar disorder excuse to rationalize his own abusive behaviour. My father used to behave in a similar fashion with my mother...
Dear Greg, I am already a follower of your blog but I am having trouble posting my comments. I wrote a long comment and it did not get posted. The instructions show up in Arabic here so I can't...
Dear wishdreamhope, I think having a bad childhood has more to do with feeling worthless and being aimless in life rather than being single. I have been single all my life and have had all the time...
Dear wishdreamhope, I can empathize with how you feel. I have had a bad childhood too. My parents only cared about their social image. I had bipolar since I was 10 but they never took me to a...
This week has been productive for me. I have been going for interviews. I have got one job offer from an art gallery. I guess it will be a good way to kill time and make money till I figure out what...
I am having a hard time understanding the new me. The old me liked reading crazy books like "History of the World in 6 Drinks", "Spice", "Salt", etc. For some reason I don't find them that amusing...
Dear lakewinds, Please do not think you need to be euthanized or put away. Having bipolar does not make you defective. I do not consider myself defective despite the crap I hear from my relatives. I...
Dear Dazed and Confused, A lot of people don't take bipolar seriously. My parents never took my tantrums and my mood swings seriously. When my teachers recommended that I be taken to a psychiatrist,...
Dear Dazed and Confused, Your wife seems go be going through a hypomanic phase. Is she taking any antipsychotics? Sometimes mood stabilizers are not enough. And she should definitely not be drinking....
Have you ever got yourself examined by a psychiatrist? Sometimes, it takes the right psychiatrist to diagnose you. I spent six months with four psychiatrists who diagnosed me and medicated me for...
Risperdal did not suit me as well. I was constantly drowsy when I was on it and it did not cure most of my symptoms. I also have PTSD, anxiety disorder and abuse issues and I needed something...
I went through four psychiatrists and two counsellors before I finally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was given medication for all kinds of disorders - schizophrenia, psychotic disorder,...
Dear Greg, I have been running on the treadmill and going for walks at the beach. Helps momentarily. It's hard not to have all these crazy feelings during hypomania. But I have to admit, it feels a...
I am feeling extremely irritable and I am snapping at everyone. My parents think I am not taking my medication but I have been taking it every single day. I log on to this forum and then take my meds...
Hi Greg, You can check out this blog: http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html and ask the author if you can link your blog with hers. Sheeba...
I have never felt the switch in my brain. The mod swings are part of the disorder. It is common to be reckless, impulsive and to talk faster during a hypomanic phase. I have had many people dump me...
I take lexapro as well and it doesn't really help with my depression either. The only reason why I am still on it is because it is the one of the few anti-depressants that does not make you put on...
Dear iceflash, I have never done drugs but I know that you should not even keep that option open. Can you get yourself hospitalized till you get the refill problem sorted out? At the hospital, you...
Is your wife taking her medicines? It sounds like she is going through a hypomanic phase - the shopping sprees, neglecting her chores, the increased social activity, etc. Is she seeing a psychiatrist...