Burnout or Bipolar?

[Silver-winged Flyer]

Hi

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety a couple of years ago and I've been on medication ever since which has been helping. A few months ago I started to really struggle and my pastor diagnosed me as being in the acute stages of burn out, he's had a breakdown so he knows the symptoms. I was the only person in my church's sound and screen ministry and I was setting up and putting away everything, two services a Sunday for a couple of years. After I started struggling, I couldn't be involved in the ministry, my pastor had to get other people to take over. Things are better now but I still can't do all the setting up and the sound, I can only run the screen and not every week in both services.

Since I was told I was burnt out, I tried to give up all my responsibilities in the church and just concentrate on my job except running the screen occasionally. But when I started feeling better, I started taking on a whole lot of responsibilities including a dinner for the youth. I thought I could do the dinner by myself and just get a couple of people help me cook the food and decorate the hall. A couple of weeks before the dinner I crashed and told my pastor I couldn't do the dinner. He took it over and all the leaders shared responsibilities for the dinner so why I thought I could do it myself I don't know, I did end up helping and doing quite a bit because I was feeling better by then. Similar things happened over a couple of months, I'd feel better, try to do more and crash. I went back to my doctor who increased my medication.

For the last two weeks I have just been working at my job and reading and I've been feeling good. One day last week I was a bit busier than usual and went to bed a couple of hours later than I normally try to get to bed but I don't think I was doing too much and yet the following evening I crashed, I felt really low and I'm trying to recover from it.

I don't know if I have burn out or if its bipolar or both. I've read some of the symptoms of bipolar and I do seem to have them like feeling invincible - thinking I can do more than I actually can and having highs and lows.
And the last time I went to my doctor he did ask me if I had highs but I didn't ask him exactly what he meant so I said I didn't think so.

I do need to go back to my doctor soon so I'll talk to him about it then but in the meantime I'd like to know if its possible that I am bipolar because there didn't seem to be a reason for low last week.

Thanks for reading this long post.

 

[Soulwings]

Tracey Good to see you, although not a happy post to read. I'm sorry that you're going through lots now. Honestly, I can't say if you're bipolar, and we the none of us are medical professionals - although I know you know that.

I don't know if you're bipolar. Depression and anxiety can look an awful lot like bipolar, though, or bipolar can be disguised as depression and anxiety - I was dxed with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder NOS years ago, but then that was changed to bipolar II and anxiety disorder NOS. So there can be mistakes in dxes, which I am also sure you know.

Next time you see your pdoc, definitely ask him what he means by highs and lows. Get him to give you some examples. Talk to him about what you've been experiencing. It could be that you just have some of the symptoms of bipolar without having the actual disorder - that can happen as well. Hopefully your pdoc can help you figure this out for sure.

What other symptoms have you noticed, besides the crashes and feelings of invincibility? Crashes can happen with depression, but they seem to be bipolar-y - to me at least - I experience them about 50% of my nights, and they suck. Doing okay, and then all of a sudden a quick drop to being low/very low, where I remain the rest of the night.

All to say, I understand where you are coming from, that I'm glad you posted, and that you should definitely have a chat with your pdoc about this.

 

[Silver-winged Flyer]

I may have low thyroid levels too, I had symptoms and my blood was tested but my levels came back borderline so my doctor didn't do anything. I'm having the same symptoms again. Does having low thyroid levels cause bipolar or aggravate or not make any difference?

 

[Silver-winged Flyer]

Thanks Soulwings, its great to see you're still active on these forums, I haven't been here for ages. I don't mean that its good you're still struggling but you haven't given up on them.

Thanks for your advice and support.

 

[Soulwings]

You're welcome for the support. Anytime.

I'm not sure about thyroid having anything to do with bipolar. I think the meds for it could affect though - I know that I have heard something about thyroid, meds, and bipolar, but not sure where or what.

 

[Alaskamomma]

I am with SOulwings on this. See your psych doc on this. It sent shivers up my spine to see you write that your "pastor diagnosed..." . No offense to you or him, but that is not his job. His job is to help be a reflection of Christ in your life, IMO and to help you with questions about the state of your soul. A pastor who thinks he is qualified to help you with your mental well being because he has had a breakdown doesn't equate to having a "diagnosis" laid upon you whether he was right or wrong. He should leave that up to your doctor.

Sorry, but I feel strongly about this as it is just my opinion as it was his. Do what you will with it. But in the meantime, make an appt to see your pysch doc.

 

[Alive again]

hugs, prayers and agreeing with previous posts. Hypothyroid can cause a lowered mood that responds to thyroid medications as well as other symptoms, however it would not cause a high or invincible feelings. Just fyi. Do talk to your doc and tell him in your own words what you are experiencing/feeling/wondering about. Let us know. Prayers.

 

[Jeshu]

Hi

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety a couple of years ago and I've been on medication ever since which has been helping. A few months ago I started to really struggle and my pastor diagnosed me as being in the acute stages of burn out, he's had a breakdown so he knows the symptoms. I was the only person in my church's sound and screen ministry and I was setting up and putting away everything, two services a Sunday for a couple of years. After I started struggling, I couldn't be involved in the ministry, my pastor had to get other people to take over. Things are better now but I still can't do all the setting up and the sound, I can only run the screen and not every week in both services.

Since I was told I was burnt out, I tried to give up all my responsibilities in the church and just concentrate on my job except running the screen occasionally. But when I started feeling better, I started taking on a whole lot of responsibilities including a dinner for the youth. I thought I could do the dinner by myself and just get a couple of people help me cook the food and decorate the hall. A couple of weeks before the dinner I crashed and told my pastor I couldn't do the dinner. He took it over and all the leaders shared responsibilities for the dinner so why I thought I could do it myself I don't know, I did end up helping and doing quite a bit because I was feeling better by then. Similar things happened over a couple of months, I'd feel better, try to do more and crash. I went back to my doctor who increased my medication.

For the last two weeks I have just been working at my job and reading and I've been feeling good. One day last week I was a bit busier than usual and went to bed a couple of hours later than I normally try to get to bed but I don't think I was doing too much and yet the following evening I crashed, I felt really low and I'm trying to recover from it.

I don't know if I have burn out or if its bipolar or both. I've read some of the symptoms of bipolar and I do seem to have them like feeling invincible - thinking I can do more than I actually can and having highs and lows.
And the last time I went to my doctor he did ask me if I had highs but I didn't ask him exactly what he meant so I said I didn't think so.

I do need to go back to my doctor soon so I'll talk to him about it then but in the meantime I'd like to know if its possible that I am bipolar because there didn't seem to be a reason for low last week.

Thanks for reading this long post.

Good question - I think bipolar is burn out material though!

 

[Silver-winged Flyer]

Thanks everybody for your replies, I think its more burn out than bipolar but I will be completely honest with my doctor when I next see him.