How did you find out you had bipolar disorder?

[TheMainException]

I went to my family doc today to talk to her about a referral to a psychiatrist. I've finally come to the point where I really do think I have bipolar and I want to do something about it. While explaining my symptoms, my doc says that I am probably a typical young adult who sometimes gets excited and talks a lot. Uh...what? She must not know me very well. I'm shy, always have been, just an anxious person in social situations for the most part. And when I get to be her age, then I will not sleep well and really feel it, but I'm still young, so missing a few hours is nothing. Then she goes on to say that if I had bipolar or cyclothymia that I wouldn't realize it because manic people never notice that something is wrong.

So...basically, I just want to know how you found out that you had bipolar and especially if you figured it out yourself first, or had a hunch before getting diagnosed.

I don't get to talk to a psychiatrist until the end of next month, but that's a better step than none...like it's been since I started to think I had bipolar two years ago. It's been getting steadily worse over the years, moving away from just depression and the weird ways that I started to act when hypomanic started freaking me out a little when I would come to my senses, so to speak and see that I was getting really obnoxious. But maybe I'm just a little easily excitable? I'm really just trying to get a feel for things. I had a hard enough time even bringing up the issue with my doc to feel shot down like that after all this time. It was just lucky that I was feeling normal at the time and didn't get highly irritated and get nasty with her. I hate doing that to people.

 

[madison1101]

I have seen my psychiatrist for 22 years, and for 18 years he only said I had a mood disorder, of which bipolar is one, but then, so is depression. About four years ago, he told me I have bipolar disorder. I was not surprised, as I am well educated on the subject of mood disorders and personality disorders. I also knew that one of my meds is a mood stabilizer.

As long as my symptoms were manageable with the meds, it really does not matter what the label I am given.

I hope you are able to stay stable till your appointment. I hope you are in psychotherapy, because it can help you develop coping skills till you see the doctor.

Trish

 

[madison1101]

<staff edit>

I hope you are not discouraging someone who has some sort of mental illness from taking the medications they are prescribed. You are not this person's psychiatrist, so you are not qualified to say anything pro or con about medication with respect to anybody but yourself.

It is so dangerous to discourage someone about the use of psych meds, because you do not know what their state of mind is when they read your message. Many people I have worked with in a psych hospital would twist your advice into telling them not to take meds at all. Extremely dangerous advice you gave.

 

[tripletiger1200]

I hope you are not discouraging someone who has some sort of mental illness from taking the medications they are prescribed. You are not this person's psychiatrist, so you are not qualified to say anything pro or con about medication with respect to anybody but yourself.

It is so dangerous to discourage someone about the use of psych meds, because you do not know what their state of mind is when they read your message. Many people I have worked with in a psych hospital would twist your advice into telling them not to take meds at all. Extremely dangerous advice you gave.

I apologize if that was the message I gave. I am discouraging her from twisting a doctor's arm in to giving her a diagnosis so that she can get medication. If a doctor does not believe that you have an illness, trying to convince the doc that you do have an illness and thereby getting medication is not a good idea.

 

[RuthD]

My psychiatrist told me I had it when I asked her my diagnosis. This is not my only diagnosis, though. I was told I have BPII. Know that I am praying for your needs.

 

[TheMainException]

Trish: I did finally get into therapy earlier this year. My counselor is going in a completely different direction and doesn't seem to know much about mood disorders, which disheartens me somewhat. But for the moment, I'm willing to check out some of the things she wants to discuss because I do think they are very important aspects of my life that could be a large portion of so many of the things going on.

Tripletiger: Hey. I can't really see any benefit to asking for meds or twisting a pysch's arm to get meds...it's not like mood stabilizers are really great for getting hight or anything and neither are anti-depressants. I hate meds. I never want to be on them. I've researched and done enough legal, prescribed, prescription, and illegal drugs to want to limit how much I alter my mind and body through chemicals. I still have a hard enough time not doing drugs and drink to excess when I feel hypomanic, getting on brain drugs just for kicks when I know I have some sort of mood disorder? No. Not my kind of game. All I want is to find out what's up with me and get some help. I'd like to control it through behavior (like going to sleep and waking up at the same times, eating certain things, keeping a strict schedule) alone if I can. But I want to talk to a psych so I can make sure that it's bipolar/cyclothymia and not something else and that it gets controlled and managed so i can live the life I want. The way it is now...75% of the time I'm either depressed and can barely make myself do anything or hypomanic and can't stay on task long enough to get things done because I'm attempting to start 10 different projects at once or I get stuck on a project that is not at the top of my list, neglecting the more important things.

Ruth: Thank you.

 

[madison1101]

Trish: I did finally get into therapy earlier this year. My counselor is going in a completely different direction and doesn't seem to know much about mood disorders, which disheartens me somewhat. But for the moment, I'm willing to check out some of the things she wants to discuss because I do think they are very important aspects of my life that could be a large portion of so many of the things going on.

Tripletiger: Hey. I can't really see any benefit to asking for meds or twisting a pysch's arm to get meds...it's not like mood stabilizers are really great for getting hight or anything and neither are anti-depressants. I hate meds. I never want to be on them. I've researched and done enough legal, prescribed, prescription, and illegal drugs to want to limit how much I alter my mind and body through chemicals. I still have a hard enough time not doing drugs and drink to excess when I feel hypomanic, getting on brain drugs just for kicks when I know I have some sort of mood disorder? No. Not my kind of game. All I want is to find out what's up with me and get some help. I'd like to control it through behavior (like going to sleep and waking up at the same times, eating certain things, keeping a strict schedule) alone if I can. But I want to talk to a psych so I can make sure that it's bipolar/cyclothymia and not something else and that it gets controlled and managed so i can live the life I want. The way it is now...75% of the time I'm either depressed and can barely make myself do anything or hypomanic and can't stay on task long enough to get things done because I'm attempting to start 10 different projects at once or I get stuck on a project that is not at the top of my list, neglecting the more important things.

Ruth: Thank you.

How you doing these days?

I want to encourage you. My therapist did not recommend a psychiatrist until I had been in therapy till I had been with him for eight months. Then, the only diagnosis he gave me was Borderline Personality Disorder. I still was given a mood stabilizer. The cocktail of meds I have been on has always had some sort of mood stabilizer in it. It used to bother me that I was not diagnosed with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder yet was on that type of med. I don't care one way or another now that I have the diagnosis. But for years, it did.

Whatever the psychiatrist decides concerning medications, I hope you are compliant. I learned the hard way that I couldn't stay sober or stable without my mood stabilizer being exactly right. I had a two year alcoholic relapse because of that very things. So, you may find it easier to stay sober if you are prescribed something like that, should you need it.

God bless you.'

Trish

 

[TheMainException]

How you doing these days?

I want to encourage you. My therapist did not recommend a psychiatrist until I had been in therapy till I had been with him for eight months. Then, the only diagnosis he gave me was Borderline Personality Disorder. I still was given a mood stabilizer. The cocktail of meds I have been on has always had some sort of mood stabilizer in it. It used to bother me that I was not diagnosed with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder yet was on that type of med. I don't care one way or another now that I have the diagnosis. But for years, it did.

Whatever the psychiatrist decides concerning medications, I hope you are compliant. I learned the hard way that I couldn't stay sober or stable without my mood stabilizer being exactly right. I had a two year alcoholic relapse because of that very things. So, you may find it easier to stay sober if you are prescribed something like that, should you need it.

God bless you.'

Trish

I have a lot of ups and downs, but my drug and alcohol use is way down. I rarely drink any more, like once or twice a month and within moderation. If I'm at the bar for 4 hours, I might have 4-6 drinks. If I'm only there 2 hours, I'll only have 1-3. I always drink enough so that I'm legally allowed to drive and feel comfortable and safe with my ability to drive. Drugs are still an issue sometimes, but even that is down from a couple times a week to once very 6 months or so. And substances are really hinged on my mood I've found. When I was in college, I think I cycled so fast that I was always trying to medicate or party. Now, I've been tracking my moods and monitoring myself and at least making an attempt to go to bed at the right times and get up at the same time every day and that sort of thing.

Thanks for the encouragement Trish. I really appreciate it. I've been mostly compliant with my Wellbutrin from my regular doc so far. I did skip a few days for some reason (I'm not entirely sure of the reason, whether it was mood related or not or if I wanted to see what effect it was having, I dunno), but then I went back on it within three days. Since I started the mood chart, it has made it easier to make sure I'm taking my meds, so that's been helpful.

 

[garylee12]

How you doing these days?

I want to encourage you. My therapist did not recommend a psychiatrist until I had been in therapy till I had been with him for eight months. Then, the only diagnosis he gave me was Borderline Personality Disorder. I still was given a mood stabilizer. The cocktail of meds I have been on has always had some sort of mood stabilizer in it. It used to bother me that I was not diagnosed with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder yet was on that type of med. I don't care one way or another now that I have the diagnosis. But for years, it did.

Whatever the psychiatrist decides concerning medications, I hope you are compliant. I learned the hard way that I couldn't stay sober or stable without my mood stabilizer being exactly right. I had a two year alcoholic relapse because of that very things. So, you may find it easier to stay sober if you are prescribed something like that, should you need it.

God bless you.'

Trish

I had a nervous breakdown when i was 22 years old and lost a fiancee due to my emotional problems she left me. I was given antideppressants and mood stabilizers. I have been on medications since and am 54 years old. When I went of medications in my 30's I became a severe alcoholic and cocaine abuser. I backslid as a christian. I didn't understand to be sober I needed to take the medications. I am now 7 years married and 7 years sober. My wife won't allow me to drink and now I don't want to. God is blessing me spiritually now. I never have heard of a bipolar being instantly healed. I have only heard of them getting better or stabilizing on medications. Some people like my brother who is usually manic don't want to take the medications because it brings them down from their high. I did that too for awhile. It is dangerous to not be on the medications unless the psychiatrist releases you. God Bless You All, Gary

 

[GarySneakers]

You can't think yourself into Bi-Polar, You will know it, if you have it. I would also take a long look at your forum avatar. You are special in the Father in Heaven's Eyes. Not the image in the avatar.

 

[TheMainException]

I don't know Gary...bipolar is on a continuum. I don't think I have Bipolar I or II, more like Cyclothymia or Bipolar NOS. But with depression and anxiety in the mix, I can't tell half the time. Plus, then there's mixed episodes to contend with. And also, the chicken or the egg conundrum as it pertains to sleep...am I feeling such a way because I didn't sleep or did I not sleep because I feel a certain way? It would be much easier, as a student of psychology, to see the signs if this were a textbook situation with all the "right" signs and symptoms. But the world from my own eyes is subjective and when I think back on things, I can't tell if I'm reading into it or out of it.

But my appointment with the psychiatrist needed to be rescheduled because I had things already planned on that day that couldn't be changed...so now my appointment is another month away. :-/