Am I REALLY BIPOLAR?

[Denya]

I have been on many many medications over the past 2 years.

I switched from Paxil, Prozac, Abilify, Seroquel, Zoloft, Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Effexor, Trazadone, Lamictal, Buspar,and many, many, others I just can't remember them all.  

Yeah, I'd have to say that maybe, just maybe, all these medications just may have screwed with my physiology at least a little,  but what do I know, I was just a mere LAB RAT!

I don't know if I'm really Bipolar  I have a therapist I've been seeing for 6 years and she thinks I just suffer from trauma.  Meanwhile I had another therapist I worked with for a year tell me I was bipolar one????  I'm living my life Medication free now, and I'm learning to live one day at a time all over again.  I guess my question is, if I answered all their questions and they tell me I'm Bipolar 1 with an anxiety disorder, but I get off all the Medications and feel completely normal, what is the deal?

[althepal39]

Well, what are your symptoms that they say you are Bipolar one?  (I've never heard of bipolar being numbered like that.. ? but I'm not a psychiatrist - I'm sure there are alot of things I've never heard of!)   How are you feeling now?  

[Denya]

I'm actually feeling really good, I'm wondering if I have been misdiagnosed.  I went to the doc today and she said I seemed like I was doing great.

[Nikki1220]

Hi, I too was told i had bipolar 1 about 2 years ago, and took meds for a while abilify and lamictal and stopped taking them to feel ok again, to only eventually have my ups and downs again, but my recent dr. of 6 months ago actually told me I had BPD which is sometimes misdiagnosed with Bipolar 1 disorder, as she feels I was. So, I went back on lamictal lower dosage and 25mg of seroquel at night to be able to sleep and feel some what better, but still have my days of feeling good, fine and bad. So, there is such thing as Bipolar 1, here are the symptoms they base it off of:
Depression might be identified by:
Refusing to get out of bed for days on end
Sleeping much more than usual
Being tired all the time but unable to sleep
Having bouts of uncontrollable crying
Becoming entirely uninterested in things you once enjoyed
Paying no attention to daily responsibilities
Feeling hopeless, helpless or worthless for a sustained period of time
Becoming unable to make simple decisions
Wanting to die
Mania might include:
Feeling like you can do anything, even something unsafe or illegal
Needing very little sleep, yet never feeling tired
Dressing flamboyantly, spending money extravagantly, living recklessly
Having increased sexual desires, perhaps even indulging in risky sexual behaviors
Experiencing hallucinations or delusions
Feeling filled with energy  
as for BPD (Borderline personality disorder) the symptoms are as follows, but a BPD does not have to have all the symptoms that is another reason it is so hard to diagnos.
BPD is associated with specific problems in interpersonal relationships, self-image, emotions, behaviors, and thinking.
Relationships
People with BPD tend to have intense relationships characterized by a lot of conflict, arguments, and break-ups. BPD is also associated with strong sensitivity to abandonment, which includes intense fear of being abandoned by loved ones and attempts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.

Self-image
Individuals with BPD have difficulties related to the stability of their sense of self. They report many "ups and downs" in how they feel about themselves. One moment they may feel good about themselves, but the next they may feel they are bad or even evil.

Emotions
Emotional instability is a key feature of BPD. Individuals with BPD may say that they feel as if they are on an emotional roller coaster, with very quick shifts in mood (for example, going from feeling okay to feeling extremely down or blue within a few minutes). BPD is also associated with feelings of intense anger and emptiness.

Behaviors
BPD is associated with a tendency to engage in risky and impulsive behaviors, such as going on shopping sprees, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or abusing drugs, engaging in promiscuous sex, or binge eating. In addition, people with BPD are more prone to engage in self-harming behaviors, such as cutting, or to attempt suicide.

Stress-Related Changes in Thinking
Under conditions of stress, people with BPD may experience changes in thinking, including paranoid thoughts (for example, thoughts that others may be trying to cause them harm), or dissociation (feeling spaced out or numb
the causes of BPD are:
Like most psychological disorders, the exact cause of BPD is not known. However, there is research to suggest that some combination of nature (biology or genetics) and nurture (environment) is at play.

Research has shown that many people diagnosed with BPD have experienced childhood abuse or neglect, trauma, or were separated from their caregivers at an early age. However, not all people with BPD had one of these childhood experiences (and, many people who have had these experiences do not have BPD).

There is also evidence of genetic contributions and differences in brain structure and function in individuals with BPD.
I am not  a dr. but I know how it feel to wonder what is it that is wrong, when sometimes you feel like there is nothing wrong. BPD has had me on a constant struggle of feeling good some days and feeling horrible some days. Anyway, just some info for you, good luck to you.

[Denya]

Thank you for explaining the difference to me, I really needed to see the difference,  I'm going to do more research and check it out, I did identify with a lot of that in BPD. I'll check it out.  Thank you so much for your time and help.

[Nikki1220]

No problem, it was a real relief for me to learn more about BPD, I wish you the best!

[homely59]

My son is in a relationship with someone who i think is BPD. She has turned our family upside down and my son hardly has anything to do with us. I have been told that her illness will make her a control freak. It is so hard to know what to do for the best. I seem to be her main target to villify. They have a little girl, who i am not allowed to spend much time with. She allows no one to spend anytime with her unless she is present to control the situation. I need some help please on how to cope.

[kmathis70]

hi but is it true that people with bpd try to take their emotions from other people? my therapist said she didn't think i was  bpd because i always wanted to fix everybodies problems and bpd people wouldn't do that

[JazzyJay62]

I can assure you that people suffering from BPD feel their own emotions very acutely. They also are a diverse group so I would be concerned that your therapist is making such sweeping such sweeping statements. Bearing in mind that many people who suffer from BPD have been traumatised so it's only natural they'd find it difficult to trust others. Sorry, I find your comment disappointing on a supposed medical website. Fight the stigma, don't perpetuate it.