Questions for those with Bipolar Disorder

How easy or difficult was this disorder to diagnose? Was it very obvious to you that you had it, or were the signs more subtle? What specifically made you realize you were bipolar? Do you think it is possible that someone could have the disorder and not realize it?

 

I dint know it until my 3rd suicide attempt.
I was found uncouncious by a roomate who came home early.
They did CPR and After being releases from ICU too the shrinks
They said oh your crazy your Bipolar :blink:
It makes sense when I think about it.
I was always accused of being a tweaker and when I was camping out the Sheriffs were like we KNOW your using and one day we WILL catch you and then your going down..
I dont even drink nor smoke much less use dope buut hey...
And I Was never taken seriously cause no one could understand what I was saying.
It didnt help the fact that I ddint speak until like 5 because of bad ear infections,,
Then I stuttered until like geez 11 ish,

 

Nowadays anyone who wants to kill themself is bipolar.
Don't let your doctor diagnose you so easily.

The most known signs of Bipolar disorder is mood swings.
One moment you can be so happy and the next you feel like shit.

 

I must agree with bioHomicide ont his one. After seeing you once, they jump to conclusion too easily.

Dont take the prognosy as literal or be labelled until there is a long follow up on your case.

best of luck

 

I'm shocked to hear that you were diagnosed simply on the basis that you attempted suicide. That's simply gross negligence on the medic's part.

Bi-polar is not easy to diagnose. As the name suggests, the patient's mood swings from one extreme to the other. Usually this occurs in phases lasting a few months. In an acute of phase of mania, the patient is likely to be overly idealistic and/or delusional. Thus often bi-polar patients are likely to get into massive debt, or to have serious accidents by believing they can stretch their limits beyond that which is physically possible. Then a depressive phase may follow.

However there are 3 types of bi-polar disorder. Type 1 is as I have described above, type 2 is where depressive phases are shorter and less intensive in comparison to type 1. Cyclical is a rapid change in one extreme to another.

I know you haven't specifically asked about what bi-polar is, but I suppose I'm just trying to demonstrate how difficult it is to diagnose.

For me, I was misdiagnosed, but this is probably because I did not realise I was ill, lied about my reasons for my suicide attempts. Have you seen the recent BBC horizon program where a panel of psychologists had to diagnose based only on observing behaviour (rather than having a patient come to them and describe symptoms as would normally be the case). The results were that they were not always right. It's still on bbc iplayer I think.

All the best

 

Just for the record..ppl with bipolar aren't crazy! It is hard to diagnose bipolar cause it mimicks so many other mental illnesses. We aren't crazy though, it is a chemical imbalance in the brain. I hate ppl labeling ppl with bipolar as crazy.. would ppl with brain tumor that alters their state of mind be labeled as crazy..i think not! Ppl with bipolar have an illness..its mental..but it is an illness.

Ok so the symptoms are hard to determine, but it is treatable with meds..although very hard to find the right ones ..and sometimes it takes a combination of meds. Still there will be mood swings, and depends on what type of bipolar you have too. But being diagnosed with bipolar is so stigamatized..because ppl don't understand and fear the unknown..More education is needed!

 

What is "crazy" anyway?

 

I'm Bipolar and I'm crazy!!!!!! :smile:...it took many years for me to be diagnosed.

 

Thanks for the responses, although now I am even more confused.

 

according to whoever i see on what day, i'm apparently bipolar (as well as schizophrenic and borderline). erm. i'm now 'schizoaffective' with doctors. i actually presented myself as 'manic' that day or so they say, (to me, i was normal, i was just y'know..me) and he wanted to put me on lithium. he wanted to know if being high was being destructive to my life. i said no as it wasn't at that time, it was very useful and i was using it in a way that made me loads productive and i was happy. in my CMHT they diagnose BP if they see you're manic, and they monitor you for a good year they say before giving you a diagnoses of a psychotic illness. so it's not a diagnoses people give here lightly, they actually monitor you...for at least 6 months to a year, rather than just a one off consultation. i don't see myself as bipolar now , i'm fed up with the names. i just know that i need a lot of sleep and my brain does get overstimulated very easily..and i need to listen to myself carefully. other people seem to know when i'm manic more than when i know, because when i'm like that i'm just having a great time. :dunno:

 

i think i am bipolar, i have never seeken help though. didint really think that till today. the past couple days ive noticed..ive gone from depressed, to happy, to horny, to normal. idk, i may have it. im not sure. i cant afford to seek help.

 

Hi there,

You say that you've experienced mood swings over the past couple of days? Have you noticed any kind pattern that has persisted over the last couple of months?

The thing with bipolar is that it often happens in phases, a manic and depressive phase, which tend to last longer than just a few days. Also, as the name suggests, it is difficult to feel "normal" or at least something between these two extremes.

Remember if you have been feeling persistently low in mood for over 2 weeks you need to consult a doctor. Have a look on the website for the charity, Mind, to find out more info. I think they have a questionaire that will help you determine whether you have depression.

Can you afford to just see a counsellor say, once a fortnight? If you go and see your GP they can get you an appt on the NHS, though there is a long waiting list. Remember there's organisations around like Samaritans who are willing to listen to you over the phone/email.

Take care.

 

Ive dealt with depression for a while, one time at this medical clinic for poorer people, they gave me this test. I didint answer truthfully but still they were concerned, they gave it to me again and i just put what they wanted to hear so i didint have to add anything else to my life. Sometimes its worse then others, like the past few days have been worse then say the past month maybe. I took a few bipolor test on line, and it said i may have moderate to severe bipolor symptoms or whatever it is. Ive dealt with mood swings i guees you could say since i was 13 or 14, i am now 21. I can usally control it, sometimes i loose it and throw shit around, go beat the shit out of my truck, or listen to death metal. So i dont know, i could have it, it could just be depression idk. Right now ive been unemployd for 3 months, so seeing a dr well, is out of the question.

 

My father is bipolar, and they're starting to think I might have it too.

I was literally suicidal a few hours ago but right now I feel on top of the world.

Been over a month since I've felt so euphoric.

 

I've confused my GP by having polar opposite heart rates from one day to the next and sent my therapist's head in a spin merely by vocalising my everyday thoughts (at a million miles an hour) I don't know if I'm bi-polar though, I've never really thought about my thoughts/actions in great depth. Am starting to but, well, it's difficult. No-one I know knows how I will react to anything, least of all me. I'm not a violent person at heart, not towards others. I do have a lot of rage inside though. Don't sleep or sleep too much. Panic for no reason. I've been accused of being addicted to coke, I've hardly touched it but I can look "wired" for days. For every up there is a down and vice-versa. But to me, it's just me. I feel the need to analyse everything. Try and replay everything that's happened in a day over and over until I've filled in every possible loophole. I spend a lot of time on my own, if I have an even slightly busy day I know I won't sleep for more than 3/4 hours, if at all, due to brain activity. Most of my life I've lived under a black cloud. That same black cloud is there but it feels "edgier." Almost as though my conscious mind has harnessed a way of using all the pent up negativity. Or what has been held inside for so long is coming out.

Apart from when I'm "racing" I'll feel drained and exasperated. I smoke weed, too much probably. As much as I think it helps I know it doesn't but either being stoned or not being stoned is easier to handle than not knowing what mood is gonna hit me, and what the repercussions might be in the "real world" should it be one of my less friendly ones.

I don't really have any answers though, I can feel that I've changed in a big way from even a few months ago. A few months before that I was different again. I question why and just get on with things. No answers seem to appear though really.