how can a doctor tell if your bi polar and how can they tell which meds work for you?
551705
That sounds pretty weird that your doctor after only 2 visits would diagnose you with bipolar right away. It's really tricky to diagnose because it's so complex. Bipolar has a lot of similar symptoms as other disorders. The best way to really find out what's wrong with you is to tell your doctor EVERYTHING that you feel. Write stuff down between visits so you don't forget to tell her about some things that may be important. Plus, you might be feeling different when you go see her and not be able to explain how you were feeling inbetween. Communication is SOOO important because there's no other way they can tell what's wrong. As far as meds goes....you've got to be patient because different meds work for different people and the side effects are different from person to person too. It's trial and error and the same thing applies....you HAVE to tell your doctor everything that you're feeling.
646623
READ EVERYTHING YOU CAN ON WEB AND IN MEDICAL BOOK; TALK TO DOCTORS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND OR PSYCHIATRIST, OR TO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS. I've had bi-polar at least 18 yrs. & possibly longer. I think i've read that STRESS can bring it ON  or make it worse. Some helpful info i read was info. about Mentall illness that i ordered from the U.S. Government--I think it was; the way i found it: first thru: Consumer SOMETHING (I SORRY I CANNOT think of name of it right now.\nSome of my symptoms of Bipolar: very excessive TALKING with mania--just couldn't get enough said & told; flights of money making ideas- thinking of the ideas--ALMOST faster than U can write them down;also lots of hostility and BEING HATEFUL,ETC.; also too much mental energy & need for very little or no sleep;  in depressive cycle:  too much sleep & at bottom of barrel--excessively DEPRESSED & can't Make myself do things that I needed to do.  (My med. helps a little, but not LOTS & i refuse to take more then 1.5 mg.'s of zyprexa DAILY, but to possible side effects-especially Diabetees, which i don't think I HAVE -yet, anyways. --u can type in BIPOLAR I THINK UNDER SEARCH at yahoo and /or google. ---ALSO, in depressed cycle: too much sleep & lack of energy.
706202
There are two major Bipolar types (I and II).. There are also some subsets.  All have to do with type and frequency of mood changes.  Doctors use something called the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual.  You could get a copy and read all the choices, but then, if you're like me, you'll probably think that you fit all of them.  Ask your doctor about it and he/she will be able to explain it clearly and to explain your particular diagnosis to you.
420895
I am bi-polar. I take my medication daily and have learned to relate to life without abnormal depression, as in my past. I now own my own business and am very lucrative. Happily married, and life is good now. It took years of Doctor's misdiagnosis' to find the right med for me, but am fine now and proud that I faced it after 9 years of wondering why I felt "different".\n\n"Bi-polar" disease is actually a chemical deficiency in the brain It Is Not A Mental Illness Like People Think..., actually it's a chemical problem and nothing to be ashamed of, I'm not. I do NOT see a psychiatrist, it's maintained by my regular family doctor.\nThe general public is not well educated on this chemical imbalance-it's not mental illness. It's physiological.
157521
I haven't been diagnosed with anything but I myself suffer from bi-polar disorder and depression.  I think that medication to doctor who you are, is stupid.  I manage to be myself, to live my life, to hold a job and an apartment and I do it all alone.  I'm not into taking medication and altering who I am.  I was dealt this hand in life and I'm just trying to stay in the game.  It sucks but hey, I smoke lots of weed.  That helps.
319848
Asking for help is the first step toward recovery. Yes, find a counselor that is trained to deal with people of your age and diagnosis. But talk to a psychiatrist first so they can find out what is wrong. You could be living with Depression, Bi-Polar Disorder, Manic Depression or something else. Only a Psychiatrist can give you the answers you need to find the right counseling for you. Depending on the cause there are many ways to treat it. I found a great one, it's called W.R.A.P./ Wellness Recovery Action Plans developed by a wonderful lady named Mary-Ellen Copeland.\nAnd don't be afraid or let anyone tell you it's dumb to need and seek help, it's not, it's a very intelligent thing to do.
797043
Registered Nurse Here; A Doctor of Psychiatry, for Bipolar disorders usually require medication.  After getting established with a psychiatrist, he or she may very well involve a psychologist at some point of your treatment
769607
Only the person's doctor can answer that.  I have a history of addiction and am currently on medication for Bipolar Disorder and it has been very difficult to manage medication levels.  I must work with my doctor constantly.\n\nIf you are close enough to the person to be allowed to meet with the physician in charge, let the doctor know of your concerns.  Sometimes the patient isn't always the best person to judge his or her reaction to medication.\n\nGood luck and never give up.
71561
If you have dramatic mood changes, like either extremely up or down, like going from crying to extremely angry, to happy and or have trouble sleeping because you are to wound up or have thoughts that race constantly you should see your doctor. The most common drug used if neccesary is Lithium and will help to balance your moods. You should get at least 20 min a day of direct sun light every day too,it helps increase the amount of seretonin your brain produces. It doesnt mean your a psyco weirdo if your diagnosed as bi-polar you just have to learn to manage it.
1120444
It is a mental disorder, when the chemicals in your brain are out of whack! \n\nThe person that has been diagnosed with a bi-polar disorder usually has tremendous mood swings.  Very jolly one minute and extremely angry in the next moment.  The individual may have a learning disability.  It can be severe enough to cause harm to others or to oneself. Can be very quick to anger.\n\nThe good news is that it can be treated.  Many very talented and famous people are bi-polar.  Or the individual just learns how to deal with their problem without medication.  It just take awareness of oneself.
562787
I am a fifty year old man with Bi-Polar disorder. I also worked as a Nurse in Psychiatric Hospitals until my illness got to severe for me to continue.\nI have several relatives who are also Bi-Polar. Symptoms generally first appear, as in your mothers case, in the mid-teens. It is often misdiagnosed, though there have been improvements in recent years. Treatment for bi-polar d/o has improved massively in recent years. \nFirst, don't feel like you need to be responsible for your mothers moods. She can't control them; the medicine doesn't always control them; so don't feel like you have to control her moods.\nRealize that irritability can be a symptom of bi-polar disorder (though by no means one of the primary or diagnostic symptoms). Also, remember no matter how healthy or well-adjusted a mother and a teen-daughter are there is always going to be some friction.\nAs far as helping, love and patience are the best things you can offer and provide benefits no medicine can. \nDoes your mother have a good system for remembering to take her medicine properly? Both personal and clinical experience show me that taking the medications consistently and correctly is the best way for bi-polars to help ourselves.\nWhen she is depressed be encouraging. Help her find something, anything to do and be patient. \nAnyway I hope this has been some help. I will pray for you and your mother. I hope you get many helpful responses.\nYou may want to get in touch with NAMI, if you live in the US they offer lots of support for families of the chronically mentally ill.
587722
Hope you Consult your Doctor. There are to many meds and side efects to be playing the how much meds game. Just tell your Doctor how you feel and how the meds you got are or are not working and the 2 of you can make a better decision on what's best for you.
299187
Some doctors got the idea that people could not deal with Truth. So, instead of the doctors telling the patients they were mal-adapted to society, or had bad manners and bad judgment, or that they were mentally ill, they coined the term "chemical imbalance". I do not think there is scientific evidence today to prove bi-polar disorder (which is the most over-used diagnosis), or psychosis, and certainly not neurosis. Pharmaceutical companies and doctors have to be able to SELL patients their products, and people are currently buying into it.
992765
It really depends on whether they are both organic (meaning chemical imbalances). Usually what happens is that there is a chemical imbalance like bi-polar with the corresponding depression and maniac phases. That's the organic component. Now, you may also have problems with anxiety (for example) associated with problems created by being bi-polar. That is a behavioral problem. So yes you can have two different mental illness. I had a diagnosis of Bi-polar with extreme depressive episodes and Borderline Personality Disorder. One is organic the bi-polar and one is behavioral. So you may need to treat both things with a combination of medication, counseling, and behavior modification. Don't despair, it will get better. You just have to communicate with your doctor about medication (side effects, etc), take your medication (very, very important), and keep talking. Just my two cents worth. Hope it helps.
750303
she's been cleared by Dr's that she's not Manic Depressive or Bi-polar??\n\nI would suggest that she see's a Dr again for a check up things can change.  Everyone gets depressed,but comatose like depression on a regular basis is NOT everyday depression.
988552
You have to understand that not all medications work for all patients. What works for me, may not work for you, and so forth. Also changes to the treatment plan may be needed at various times during the course of bipolar disorder to manage the illness most effectively. A psychiatrist should guide any changes in type or dose of medication. Be sure to tell the psychiatrist about all other prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or natural supplements you may be taking. This is important because certain medications and supplements taken together may cause adverse reactions. As for the prices, it all varies on he type of insurance you have, or if you quqlify for assistance through the pharmacudical manufactuers. \n\n\n* Lithium, the first mood-stabilizing medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of mania, is often very effective in controlling mania and preventing the recurrence of both manic and depressive episodes.\n\n* Anticonvulsant medications, such as valproate (Depakote®) or carbamazepine (Tegretol®), also can have mood-stabilizing effects and may be especially useful for difficult-to-treat bipolar episodes. Valproate was FDA-approved in 1995 for treatment of mania.\n\n* Newer anticonvulsant medications, including lamotrigine (Lamictal®), gabapentin (Neurontin®), and topiramate (Topamax®), are being studied to determine how well they work in stabilizing mood cycles.\n\nAnticonvulsant medications may be combined with lithium, or with each other, for maximum effect.\n\n*Atypical antipsychotic medications, including clozapine (Clozaril®), olanzapine (Zyprexa®), risperidone (Risperdal®), quetiapine (Seroquel®), and ziprasidone (Geodon®), are being studied as possible treatments for bipolar disorder. Evidence suggests clozapine may be helpful as a mood stabilizer for people who do not respond to lithium or anticonvulsants.\n\n*If insomnia is a problem, a high-potency benzodiazepine medication such as clonazepam (Klonopin®) or lorazepam (Ativan®) may be helpful to promote better sleep. However, since these medications may be habit-forming, they are best prescribed on a short-term basis. Other types of sedative medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien®), are sometimes used instead.
459224
I think that you need to talk to your doctor and have him change the type of medication or the dosage because it sounds to me that you are still having manic/depressive episodes. My best friend went through this for months and they found out the medication was conflicting with other meds and they were just not effective. If nothing else get a second opinion!