Do I have Bipolar Disorder?

I am not sure if I have symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder and I currently do not have insurance so I cannot visit a health professional. Here goes: When I was about 14 I had experienced a difficult situation in school and for about a year, I had depressive symptoms like thoughts of suicide, loss of interest in my favorite activities, severely decreased appetite (I ate once a day), self loathing, and shame. I bounced back once my situation was resolved and I felt happy again. From the age of 16 until now, I experience intense anxiety, sometimes enough to prevent me from going out and being socially withdrawn. Recently, I have been experiences mood swings where for a few days at a time I am very productive taking care of errands, tutoring, cleaning, schoolwork. I usually do it quickly and perform well. My mind races with thoughts of things to do, places to go, people to see. I also experience strong urges to shop. Then all of the sudden, for a few days at a time again, I feel sad and experience feelings of shame, guilt, worthlessness and hopelessness, sometimes I toy with the idea of suicide. I am not sure what any of this means. Is it normal to feel "up" some days and "down" other days? This has been happening for the past year and I recently have experienced a stressful situation.

[ILADVOCATE]

  Yes these kind of extreme changes back and forth as regards mood swings and what you are describing that accompanies them can often occur in bipolar but only a psychiatrist could provide a diagnosis but it would be worth seeing one. If you have suicidal ideations at any time it would be crucial to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible.
  There are clinics that have sliding scale fees that could help. You also could potentially be eligible for Medicaid which if you went to a walk in clinic at a hospital you could potentially be eligible for emergency Medicaid which could transition into standard Medicaid. If you are working and you live in the U.S. and your state has it you could be eligible for the Medicaid Buy in for working people with Disabilities.

[lindahand]

I agree that it is really important to see someone especially if you are toying with suicidal thoughts. If you are poor the drug companies all have programs where you can get your meds for free too.

In the meantime I would go on the health information tab at the top of this page and look up bipolar disorder. It will give you a description that you can then see if you fit it. Only a psychiatrist can diagnose, but it would give you a pretty good idea if that is what you are dealing with.

If it is bipolar your best outcome is usually a combination of meds and therapy.

[Kateybabey4]

What if your not one of those people that is really up to going to a therapist. When I was in high school a couple teachers noticed my mood swings and turned it into the guidance office because they thought I was depressed. Since then I have hated those little rooms and can't stand telling someone my whole life story. Any suggestions?