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Can you have normal hours/days with bipolar?
I'd say I first noticed something wrong when I was 15 (now 22) and over time 'episodes' have gotten worse and the time between them shorter to now days apart. I feel normal at the moment, after having just been low for a few days. But I know I'm going to go up because I can feel it coming on. Sometimes there isn't a distinction and I can go from right up and buzzing to low or the other way round in minutes, but like I said sometimes I'm numb and just waiting, often with a bit of crying or a bit or irritation. I've got an evaluation on in a couple of days but am so worried that I might be up or between episodes and therefore not seem to have a problem, which I know I do. Last year after a really low point and after a couple of suicide attempts, I ended up being diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder but my symptoms match Bipolar more. I guess I'm just worried and a bit scared about actually having a part of my 'personality' taken away, but on the other hand I'd love to stop bouncing between the two extremes as it messes up everything: university work, my other job and my relationships.
Thanks for help you can give.
Thanks for help you can give.
I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in my early 20's, but managed to control it with DBT, and the diagnosis was dropped
However, I lost my father 3 years ago which triggered a Manic Episode, and ended with a Depressive Episode 3 months later. My diagnosis changed to Borderline Personality Disorder with Bipolar Features.
I had another Manic Episode a few months ago and was hospitalised for 8 weeks which again ended the depression and psychosis.
I had 18 months of my normal mood between episodes - which is up and down on a day to day basis. I understand it takes a long time and a lot of medical history before the doctors will diagnose Bipolar.
However, I lost my father 3 years ago which triggered a Manic Episode, and ended with a Depressive Episode 3 months later. My diagnosis changed to Borderline Personality Disorder with Bipolar Features.
I had another Manic Episode a few months ago and was hospitalised for 8 weeks which again ended the depression and psychosis.
I had 18 months of my normal mood between episodes - which is up and down on a day to day basis. I understand it takes a long time and a lot of medical history before the doctors will diagnose Bipolar.
the fact that BP is genetic is a classical hypothesis for things we don't know well. They even reckon that the behavior of a person is hereditary too.
That it can worsen with age is not conclusive either because the head of the psychiatric hospital in our country whom I discussed this matter - and surely he saw all kind of psych diseases - asserted to me that in most the cases he encountered in his hospital became better and left and upon tracking their case afterwards they seem to be improving. But upon asking him whether there is a scientific evidence for that he said he hasn't. He only saw this phenomenon out of his own experience for the 23 years he headed this post. Of course he said there are cases that worsened but these are exceptional.
As to BP is due to virus, in many psych illnesses the person feels the fire in his brain especially in seizures. again it isn't conclusive whether from virus or not, neither it is due to a gene on chromosome 22 is or is not the sole factor etc... All evidence regarding this disease is doubtful. It's chemistry plus psychology plus stress and environmental etc...etc...
That it can worsen with age is not conclusive either because the head of the psychiatric hospital in our country whom I discussed this matter - and surely he saw all kind of psych diseases - asserted to me that in most the cases he encountered in his hospital became better and left and upon tracking their case afterwards they seem to be improving. But upon asking him whether there is a scientific evidence for that he said he hasn't. He only saw this phenomenon out of his own experience for the 23 years he headed this post. Of course he said there are cases that worsened but these are exceptional.
As to BP is due to virus, in many psych illnesses the person feels the fire in his brain especially in seizures. again it isn't conclusive whether from virus or not, neither it is due to a gene on chromosome 22 is or is not the sole factor etc... All evidence regarding this disease is doubtful. It's chemistry plus psychology plus stress and environmental etc...etc...
First of all, please be aware that we're not allowed to post links in forums. This is something I forgot until someone reminded me, and so I try to pay it forward.
Second of all, there are a number of problems with the assertion that you grow out of bipolar. I found the article that your third link mentions. They use some weird criteria for diagnosing BP that might weight the diagnosis toward younger people (things like insisting that mania come with increased sexual activity or doing things that will get you into trouble--which older BP sufferers might have learned not to do). There's also the issue that BP has a fairly high mortality rate over time, and that severe BP can land you in jail, a mental institution, or homeless, which were all populations the study missed. Those are just a few examples.
As for viruses, I doubt it. There's a pretty strong genetic component to BP, and life stressors probably account for most of the rest of it (diathesis-stress hypothesis).
@OP: They might have gotten the borderline diagnosis wrong, since ultradian cycling can look a lot like borderline. And self harm, if that's something you've done, is not necessarily from borderline, even though a lot of clinicians think it is. Suicide attempts are fairly common in bipolar as well. In fact, if the clinician you're about to see doesn't have your old records, I might not mention the prior diagnosis of borderline so as to keep the clinician from being biased. You might want to start on a mood stabilizer, which would be a good test--if you can find a mood stabilizer that works, it's probably not borderline. It's also possible to have both borderline and bipolar. If they reverse the borderline diagnosis, then think of it not as having a part of your personality taken away, but a restoration of people's perceptions, because it was never really a part of your personality to begin with.
Second of all, there are a number of problems with the assertion that you grow out of bipolar. I found the article that your third link mentions. They use some weird criteria for diagnosing BP that might weight the diagnosis toward younger people (things like insisting that mania come with increased sexual activity or doing things that will get you into trouble--which older BP sufferers might have learned not to do). There's also the issue that BP has a fairly high mortality rate over time, and that severe BP can land you in jail, a mental institution, or homeless, which were all populations the study missed. Those are just a few examples.
As for viruses, I doubt it. There's a pretty strong genetic component to BP, and life stressors probably account for most of the rest of it (diathesis-stress hypothesis).
@OP: They might have gotten the borderline diagnosis wrong, since ultradian cycling can look a lot like borderline. And self harm, if that's something you've done, is not necessarily from borderline, even though a lot of clinicians think it is. Suicide attempts are fairly common in bipolar as well. In fact, if the clinician you're about to see doesn't have your old records, I might not mention the prior diagnosis of borderline so as to keep the clinician from being biased. You might want to start on a mood stabilizer, which would be a good test--if you can find a mood stabilizer that works, it's probably not borderline. It's also possible to have both borderline and bipolar. If they reverse the borderline diagnosis, then think of it not as having a part of your personality taken away, but a restoration of people's perceptions, because it was never really a part of your personality to begin with.
out of my own experience and readings, episodes have to get worse before they get better.
I don;t believe BP gets worse with age contrary to what others believe. It's like uranium transformed into lead with time and the sensitivity and radiation lessen. I read many times can't keep a record that it's outgrown with age
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Bipolar-Disorder/BP-can-improve-with-age/show/1442686
http://************.com/news/2009/09/30/bipolar-disorder-may-be-outgrown/8670.html
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20090830023042data_trunc_sys.shtml
even if these articles are fake, the disease is not studied well enough. In my modest view it's a kind of virus disease or inflammation of the brain. This is why omega-3 helps, turmeric, ginger etc... once they thought that borna virus disease from horses is the cause of BP. I used to feed a horse when I was a young. Who knows , nobody has a clue, but believe me it attenuates with age. so don't lose hope. i don't
I don;t believe BP gets worse with age contrary to what others believe. It's like uranium transformed into lead with time and the sensitivity and radiation lessen. I read many times can't keep a record that it's outgrown with age
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Bipolar-Disorder/BP-can-improve-with-age/show/1442686
http://************.com/news/2009/09/30/bipolar-disorder-may-be-outgrown/8670.html
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20090830023042data_trunc_sys.shtml
even if these articles are fake, the disease is not studied well enough. In my modest view it's a kind of virus disease or inflammation of the brain. This is why omega-3 helps, turmeric, ginger etc... once they thought that borna virus disease from horses is the cause of BP. I used to feed a horse when I was a young. Who knows , nobody has a clue, but believe me it attenuates with age. so don't lose hope. i don't
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