have i got bi polar?

[pruney1]

I have had slight depression since my twins were born in  2006. I had post natal depression and since then I have quite severer mood swings and low times. The doctor has put me on cytolapram for ' PMT' . I loose my temper in a second with the twins, no time to be rational. I am forever on a low and on a high over different things and constantly looking for my next high, another baby, another house move, a holiday redecorate etc. do you think i have bipolar???    

[badegg]

Hi. I wish I had been in your situation when I was your age.  I too suffered from post partum depression. About two years after my child was born, she ran to me with her arms outstretched and a look of sheer love on her face. She wanted to hug me. I responded with a hug while fighting off the urge to slam her against the wall. At that point, I knew something was wrong and that I needed help. I was put on Paxil, which I stayed on for 15 years. I have been newly diagnosed as bipolar. My doctor told me that post partum depression is one of the markers for bipolar. Please see a psychiatrist to determine if you have this disorder. I don't want you to waste good years by putting a bandaid on what might be treated more effectively as bipolar disorder.  Hopefully, whatever you have can be correctly diagnosed and treated quickly. Take care, and good luck!

[heyjude1]

Hi, I am by no means a doctor or mental health specialist and certainly cannot dx you but I can give you some advice you may want to consider.  

Is your Doctor a Phycharist or a Family Physican?  I would suggest you see a Physcharist as they are more of a specialist in behavior and mental illness issues.  Pherhaps the Celexa is not in the correct dosage, perhaps not the best antidepressant for you or perhaps a mixture of meds would benefit you better...I dont know but a p-doc would.  I have been on a candy store of different medications until I find the one that works best for myself.

I can relate to the sudden onset of anger.  I do that too and I am Bipolar.  I have often thought about the fact that  my sudden anger began after my last child.  I am now learning to try to hold myself with my anger but it comes on so fast that there is really no warning sometimes.

I still do the same thing with looking for the  next high...it took me along time to realize what I was doing.  I think just being aware of it helps to stop  and set back and think about it.  

There are several sites you can google to find the symptoms of Bipolar and a self test on Bipolar you can take on Physc Central website.  Of course the test is not meant to be a dx but give you an idea if you fit in the possibility of being Bipolar.

[ILADVOCATE]

The best thing to do is keep a mood tracker here and print out the results for your psychiatrist. If your moods vary and you have manic episodes in addition to depression then you might have bipolar but you should discuss that with your psychiatrist. As well there can be mixed states such as an agitated mixed state where a person has the speeded up quality of mania but the down aspect of depression and seems angry at the world. You should discuss that with your psychiatrist as well as generally bipolar requires a full mood stabilizer and an anti-depressent can sometimes worsen bipolar on its own but only a psychiatrist could make a conclusive diagnosis.