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Bipolar 1 or 2
Does everyone know what type ov bipolar they have?.i still haven't got a definite.my phyc has said 2 but there's some indications it's 1 so we arnt really sure
Hi thanks for your response.ahh I used to get so confused because when I came out ov either a hyper episode or a depressive episode,a lot ov it I couldn't remember,plus I change into a different person.
All I've wanted was a definite diagnoses as I had had,PTSD ,post natel depression,bipolar,eating disorder.
Then when I got really ill they i got referred as they thought I had an eating disorder then bipolar and PTSD came up once again x
All I've wanted was a definite diagnoses as I had had,PTSD ,post natel depression,bipolar,eating disorder.
Then when I got really ill they i got referred as they thought I had an eating disorder then bipolar and PTSD came up once again x
Terribly sorry about the toll your illness took on you. Everything you said, I experienced, but I wasn't confused. Overwhelmed and lost, and even defiant, but not confused. I saw quite a few pdocs. First 3 said I was in major depression with psychotic features. It was my present pdoc who came up with the bipolar diagnosis because a therapist told him she witnessed mania. It turned out to be the right diagnosis but not the one that I was going to accept. In fact, I was furious when he told me that he felt I was more likely bipolar. I screamed at him and slammed things around like a tornado, that I wasn't bipolar and that he better hit the books again because he didn't know what he was talking about. Normally, I don't display such a violent temper.
It took me 2 years to embrace the bipolar diagnosis. During the 2 years, he and my therapist never brought up the word to me, for their safety, although the meds were definitely given to treat bipolar disorder, but I didn't want to know that. They just said stuff like, "I think you need a mood stabilizer to cut the depression down."
After 2 years, I did bring it up to my pdoc. By that time I saw 4 inpatient pdocs for hospitalizations and they didn't tell me what they thought I was (probably because my pdoc said Iwas violently in denial) and I didn't ask. I had told my therapist that I was suspicious that my pdoc was treating me for bipolar disorder, and, of course, she said why don't you ask him. Then, Iwould say, not now.
When I finally asked him if he was treating me for bipolar disorder,, he just smiled and leaned back on his chair, stretching out, and placed his hands behind his head, and said yes. I just said, "Well, I still don't think I am." Then he said, read up on bipolar 2 disorder. That was all. I read up, and I realized that I was bipolar. I kept re-reading it just to make sure about it for a few days more. It took me another 2 months to say the literature seemed roght and are you absolutely sure. It's not an easy diagnosis to swallow. There are all these exaggerations and myths about it. Until you have it, that's when you get the real education.
Even when I saw a bipolar specialist a few years later, I was hoping he would say I wasn't bipolar, but he fine tuned it with the rapid cycling. The expert told me right away after the consultation that he was confirming the diagnosis. The good thing that came out of having the diagnosis was the fact that even after years of trying to get the right cocktail or the right drug to get me where I am now, after more than a decade of trying to get up from under this disorder.
Even now, I will have some doubts, but I know I am bipolar. I'm not happy with it, but I'm not going to sweat about it, because what I want is stability...for a long time. I also want to know and have the resources around to help support me and the ability to support myself when I fall down, so the fall isn't as bad as when I first started. I'm more in the mood to look ahead of me and making life happen. Lately, I've gotten some insights on what I went through, but I don't dwell on. My head is thinking better now, and I'm just glad about it.
Most likely, if I get into the cycle gain, I'll forget my insights and knowledge and just feel miserable, and just hang on to my words that my pdoc so kindly repeats to me to mirror myself so I know I was better before. It helps only if I take aleap of faith. I think you know what I mean. You don't have to be bipolar to know that. Anyone who went through mental agony would know what I'm talking about. Mental Illness is so "in the moment."
It took me 2 years to embrace the bipolar diagnosis. During the 2 years, he and my therapist never brought up the word to me, for their safety, although the meds were definitely given to treat bipolar disorder, but I didn't want to know that. They just said stuff like, "I think you need a mood stabilizer to cut the depression down."
After 2 years, I did bring it up to my pdoc. By that time I saw 4 inpatient pdocs for hospitalizations and they didn't tell me what they thought I was (probably because my pdoc said Iwas violently in denial) and I didn't ask. I had told my therapist that I was suspicious that my pdoc was treating me for bipolar disorder, and, of course, she said why don't you ask him. Then, Iwould say, not now.
When I finally asked him if he was treating me for bipolar disorder,, he just smiled and leaned back on his chair, stretching out, and placed his hands behind his head, and said yes. I just said, "Well, I still don't think I am." Then he said, read up on bipolar 2 disorder. That was all. I read up, and I realized that I was bipolar. I kept re-reading it just to make sure about it for a few days more. It took me another 2 months to say the literature seemed roght and are you absolutely sure. It's not an easy diagnosis to swallow. There are all these exaggerations and myths about it. Until you have it, that's when you get the real education.
Even when I saw a bipolar specialist a few years later, I was hoping he would say I wasn't bipolar, but he fine tuned it with the rapid cycling. The expert told me right away after the consultation that he was confirming the diagnosis. The good thing that came out of having the diagnosis was the fact that even after years of trying to get the right cocktail or the right drug to get me where I am now, after more than a decade of trying to get up from under this disorder.
Even now, I will have some doubts, but I know I am bipolar. I'm not happy with it, but I'm not going to sweat about it, because what I want is stability...for a long time. I also want to know and have the resources around to help support me and the ability to support myself when I fall down, so the fall isn't as bad as when I first started. I'm more in the mood to look ahead of me and making life happen. Lately, I've gotten some insights on what I went through, but I don't dwell on. My head is thinking better now, and I'm just glad about it.
Most likely, if I get into the cycle gain, I'll forget my insights and knowledge and just feel miserable, and just hang on to my words that my pdoc so kindly repeats to me to mirror myself so I know I was better before. It helps only if I take aleap of faith. I think you know what I mean. You don't have to be bipolar to know that. Anyone who went through mental agony would know what I'm talking about. Mental Illness is so "in the moment."
I think I'm just so sick ov assessments and seeing different people,this has been 10 years now.my meds are doing the job tho and I've never ever been this stable.it was really hard at first because I felt like I had lost part ov myself,and I also disliked the feeling ov being controlled.
When I'm not on meds I'm very erratic,hyper,never stop,racing thoughts ect.i also rapid cycle and its exhausting.i have bouts ov depression at around 2 to 3 weeks at a time then spring straight back up again.in the end I was also having mixed episodes which were awful.ive had at least 3 episode ov really bad mania where I ended up really poorly.i have also had hallucinations,auditory and visual x
When I'm not on meds I'm very erratic,hyper,never stop,racing thoughts ect.i also rapid cycle and its exhausting.i have bouts ov depression at around 2 to 3 weeks at a time then spring straight back up again.in the end I was also having mixed episodes which were awful.ive had at least 3 episode ov really bad mania where I ended up really poorly.i have also had hallucinations,auditory and visual x
I was diagnosed bipolar 2, but I have my doubts. Like mentioned above, therapist seldom really know. Because I never had legal issues, they called it 2. My manic episodes have landed me in some crazy situations, so I think I'm type 1. I stopped caring what to call it. I am focused on what to do. I haven't found the solution yet, but I will be posting my progress. I wish you the best. I do find cog/beh therapy helps me cope, but the cycles are still there
i'm a severe bipolar 2 with rapid cyling, now over 3 months stable...finally. Meaning my depression is worse than my hypomania. I have psychosis with my depression and become non-functional to nearly non-functional My hypomania is shorter than my depressed periods but I feel absolutely wonderful and everything I do is wonderful with a little lack of judgment. I don't do really crazy stuff or get in trouble with the law when I'm hypomania. I did spend days nonstop redecorating and painting my house over and over even at night with a flashlight without sleeping for a couple of days. That is the most extreme I got.
Rapid cycling because I can get triggered by stress or a negative experience or even a very pleasant experience to switch moods at the blink of an eye and short bursts. There was a stretch when I rapid cucled 6 or 8 times a day that I'm aware of. At my worst, I don't bother counting. I am just aware that I make other people uncomfortable being around me after awhile. You can get a bipolar disorder diagnosis for having a cycle of depression, and one little short manic period, and just experience depression again without getting mania or hypomania for more than a year or 2. The cycles don't follow a set of depression, stable, manic episode,and back to depression., stable then mania. It can just be depression, stable, manic, stable, depression, stable or any sort of combinations and series with long stretches or stable. Sometimes, you can hit the depression without ever getting mania, but for that one time for years or viceversa.
Like everything, there is no black and whote in bipolar disorder. There are greys in the middle, and there are likely concurrent diagnosis. I also suffered and get treated for PostTraumatic Stress Disorder, for example. If you don't fit well in a specific category of bipolar but have the general characteristics or characteristics to guide treatment, don't worry about it. It also takes some time to fine tune the diagnosis if it needs that because you only see your pshchiatrist for a very short amount of time to observe and assess you. Also, the clues only come about in conversation a little at a time, as they happen on what you, therapist, or friends report to the psychiatrist. If you read the DSM V, you will see there are more than 2 categories, and there are probably more categories and subcategories not yet defined or entered.
I hope this helps answer your question, When I meet other people with bipolar disorder, each of them are different, and I haven't met anyone who had striking visual and auditory hallucinations or strong delusions like me, but my cycles are pretty definitive. So most of the bipolar population here cannot relate to me. The bipolar community think I'm schizophrenic when I'm depressed, but the people with schizophrenia definitely know I'm not one of them and so do I, although I sometimes prefer their company.
Socially, I don't classify. I only am aware of the classification , sometimes when it's useful, for treatment. The understanding of my illness is left with the process and insights that I gain as I move through it. Most health professionals, including MDs outside of psychiatry, and therapists do not even know the categories, they only know bipolar disorder, nothing else, just to let you know.
Rapid cycling because I can get triggered by stress or a negative experience or even a very pleasant experience to switch moods at the blink of an eye and short bursts. There was a stretch when I rapid cucled 6 or 8 times a day that I'm aware of. At my worst, I don't bother counting. I am just aware that I make other people uncomfortable being around me after awhile. You can get a bipolar disorder diagnosis for having a cycle of depression, and one little short manic period, and just experience depression again without getting mania or hypomania for more than a year or 2. The cycles don't follow a set of depression, stable, manic episode,and back to depression., stable then mania. It can just be depression, stable, manic, stable, depression, stable or any sort of combinations and series with long stretches or stable. Sometimes, you can hit the depression without ever getting mania, but for that one time for years or viceversa.
Like everything, there is no black and whote in bipolar disorder. There are greys in the middle, and there are likely concurrent diagnosis. I also suffered and get treated for PostTraumatic Stress Disorder, for example. If you don't fit well in a specific category of bipolar but have the general characteristics or characteristics to guide treatment, don't worry about it. It also takes some time to fine tune the diagnosis if it needs that because you only see your pshchiatrist for a very short amount of time to observe and assess you. Also, the clues only come about in conversation a little at a time, as they happen on what you, therapist, or friends report to the psychiatrist. If you read the DSM V, you will see there are more than 2 categories, and there are probably more categories and subcategories not yet defined or entered.
I hope this helps answer your question, When I meet other people with bipolar disorder, each of them are different, and I haven't met anyone who had striking visual and auditory hallucinations or strong delusions like me, but my cycles are pretty definitive. So most of the bipolar population here cannot relate to me. The bipolar community think I'm schizophrenic when I'm depressed, but the people with schizophrenia definitely know I'm not one of them and so do I, although I sometimes prefer their company.
Socially, I don't classify. I only am aware of the classification , sometimes when it's useful, for treatment. The understanding of my illness is left with the process and insights that I gain as I move through it. Most health professionals, including MDs outside of psychiatry, and therapists do not even know the categories, they only know bipolar disorder, nothing else, just to let you know.
Hi I'm bipolar I which means I have mania and depression at different times, have only been diagnosed in the last week but been suffering with it for 15 years over that time my manic episodes have created sweet merry hell for my family, my depression had caused me to attempt to take my own live several times. I guess it depends on weather you are having theses highs and lows in your life, your doctor will grade you on which category you fall into with you symptoms if you are not sure they have got it right I suggest you go back and see them. Just remember everybody is very different so no one persons bipolar will be the same as somebody else's. I hope this is of some help to you.
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