Just after some advice...

[deniro69]

I have been feeling that I may be BP for some time now. Although my shrink and doc do not agree. I have also completed the online screening tests - and they come up negative. I would liek your advice though if I list how I am feeling...

I suffer from General Anxirty Disorder...

My moods will pop from good to bad during a day - normally I will feel depressed when I think I have BP (I know this sounds weird) but ill be okay, then think what if I have BP - and then I will feel down.

When trying to sleep I do get racing thoughts sometimes - as in moving from subject to subject. This is very occasionally

If I have struggled for sleep - the next day I will feel slightly hyper, and talk slightly more than usual - I feel on edge - but I do feel tired also. If i feel anxious I will also talk more.

I do worry about everything....

I dont know what im asking for - but what would you say? or am I simply over-reacting.

[moonpanda]

A lot of what you're describing could most definitely be part of GAD, especially the constant worry and fearing for the worst.

Many people with mood disorders such as BP experience high levels of anxiety as a symptom of their changes in mood (and of course,some people with mood disorders also have full comorbid anxiety disorders like GAD). Remember, though, that extreme anxiety and the behaviors/subjective experiences that result from it can often mimic symptoms of other illnesses (for example, racing thoughts at night caused by worry instead of mania; heart palpitations caused by panic rather than heart problems, etc.), and it comes down to what the underlying cause is (mood vs. anxiety, for example).

Obviously, you know yourself better than anyone, but you should also take your doctors' opinions into account. Try to do some more personal research into both bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders, and really think about whether or not what you're experiencing is coming predominantly from changes in mood or changes in anxiety levels. Also remember that while many people might transiently experience some of the symptoms of BP disorder at some point in their lives (ex: changes in sleep, faster thoughts and speech, high self esteem, or depression, low motivation), the symptoms need to occur at the same time as an episode and cause significant distress/problems. For many people, these "symptoms" are just reactions to normal life events and situations. In the end, if you are still worried that what you're experiencing is indeed mood related, then you can always bring it up again with your doctor and explain it, or you can even seek a third opinion. This forum has a small list of helpful websites:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Mental-Health/Useful-Bipolar--Depression-Webisites/show/523?cid=105

Good luck!

[deniro69]

Thanks for the advice - I think I do have OCD to some degree, always worrying, always fearing the worst...can I ask one more thing....is thi sany way related to BP then? Recently I have been having weird memory pop ups...nothing disturbing...but just random memories appearing out of the blue, maybe just 1 or 2 a day - completely unrelated.

[ApRiLGeTsAngry77]

I would not say you are over-reacting. I think a lot of what you describe could be average behavior. When you don't sleep well do you drink coffee or other caffeine beverages to help you? If so that could explain your extra energy. I think the average person would be less than happy if they thought they had bipolar disorder. You mentioned that the self tests come back as negative and you have had 2 professionals disagree that you have bipolar. Why are you doubting everything? I wish you the best and sure hope you find peace with yourself.