Who has Bipolar Disorder? How long have you had it?
545045
As a child I would experience mood swings - happy one minute and sad the next minute. I started cutting my skin because of the sadness I felt inside. Since we were poor, my parents laughed me off - they didn't take me to see a doctor and instead blamed my moodiness on self-inflicted temper tantrums. While in school, I would always panic before taking tests and my palms would sweat. At age 21-25 I noticed a strange feeling of being too happy and all I wanted to do was spend, spend, spend and became unhappy when all the money was gone. I then sunk into deep depression blaming myself for anything. I was crying all the time even when I was happy.   When I finally turned 40yrs old, I became violent towards myself and of course, towards others. I was abusive. Then one day, I just jumped out of my car and ran down the railroad tracks... I wanted to kill myself - but for what and Why?  Today, I can't believe that I had done such a thing.  Anyway, at 40yrs I experirenced a major bout with depression and had to be hospitalized. After the usual tests were conducted, it was discovered that I had Rapid Cycling Bipolar. Was placed on Prozac, Paxil, and finally Valporic Acid = Depekote at 1000mg per day.  I'm 57yrs now, and sometimes feel so good that I don't take my medication... which is not good.  In other words, when I don't take my meds my seritonin attacks my system, so I must contiually remind myself that the meds are my friend and will help keep my brain balanced and help me to live one more day. A day without ups and downs.  A day of strength.  Yes, I have been diagnosed with Bipolar for 17 years, but really all my life.   If you are Bipolar please don't play doctor... take your medications and live a long life. You might even help someone like me - who is using this forum to answer your qustions.  This is good for my brain.... yeah?
574674
My daughter who is now 28 has bipolar.  She was diagnosed in her late teens and was in denial for quite along time.\nShe fought it, tried self medicating, refused to take any pills.  She was a mess.  This is an illness that will stay with you as they have yet to find a cure.  The good news that with the right combination of medications a good support system you can learn to cope and indeed have a good life.  Bi-polar has nothing to do with you not being you- it is a chemistry disorder and that is not your fault.
683996
The symptoms you describe sound very much like my own before treatment. I am bipolar. I went for years between feeling normal one minute then mad at the world the next. Only occasionally did I become depressed. However, in recent years I was depressed more and more often. The depressive episodes also began to last for longer periods of time. In June 2005 I became very depressed and considered suicide. Gradually, the depression eased somewhat but stayed at a low level trough March 2006. The anger raged throughout this depression. I finally had to make a decision. Get some help or find another job. I sought help from my doctor.  I am now taking Paxil and Seroquel and doing very well. I'm almost never angry or depressed. Life is pretty good for me now. People seem nicer and more courteous, I know that is perception. They haven't changed. I have. Whether you are bipolar or there is some other mood disorder, it is best to see your doctor or a psychiatrist for diagnoses and treatment. It may not even be anything that serious. But I can tell you that no matter the cause, when you are treated you will feel much, much better about life and yourself.\n\nI have included a link below to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Website. Specifically, the bipolar pages.\n\nI hope this helps you.\n\nSincerely,\nTerry
1101162
I just wanted to say I am very sorry this happened to you. BIPOLAR disorder is a very serious and sad condition. I suffered with it for several years, and i Know how tuff it is. When you have bipolar disorder, you attach to people very easily because they are one of the only things that make you feel important. be proud of yourself because you were the light in his life for a period of time. Its not your fault he took his life, he had a disorder that made it hard for him to make good decisions. You where what made him happy, remember that, cause you gave him hope. You made his life happy while he was here. God Bless you, hope i have helped.
1092040
Maybe instead of trying to blame it on a disorder...talk to him and try and figure out what is going on.  It is amazing the effects of talking and openess and dealing with problems can have on a person.\nOh...and if anyone says it is bipolar and/or manic depression...it is not because the highs and lows are not that quick...one extreme can be going for months at a time before it changes to the other.\nGood luck....TALK :)
574178
The symptoms you describe sound very much like my own before treatment. I am bipolar. I went for years between feeling normal one minute then mad at the world the next. Only occasionally did I become depressed. However, in recent years I was depressed more and more often. The depressive episodes also began to last for longer periods of time. I also had the racing thoughts and such as you describe. In June 2005 I became very depressed and considered suicide. Gradually, the depression eased somewhat but stayed at a low level trough March 2006. The anger raged throughout this depression. I finally had to make a decision. Get some help or find another job. I sought help from my doctor. I am now taking Paxil and Seroquel and doing very well. I'm almost never angry or depressed. Life is pretty good for me now. People seem nicer and more courteous, I know that is perception. They haven't changed. I have. Whether you are bipolar or there is some other mood disorder, it is best to see your doctor or a psychiatrist for diagnoses and treatment. It may not even be anything that serious. But I can tell you that no matter the cause, when you are treated you will feel much, much better about life and yourself.\n\nI have included a link below to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Website. Specifically, the bipolar pages.\n\nI hope this helps you. You may contact me if you like.\n\nSincerely,\nTerry
710848
Well, what you've described are sort of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, but not really, so I don't understand the question. What you describe would barely count as cyclothymia, to be honest. Have you been diagnosed as bipolar, or do you just think you may be?\n\nHere's the lowdown: OK, so it's a mood disorder and a serious mental illness. It has a strong genetic component, but appears to be triggered environmentally. There are no diagnostic tests for it, just psychiatric evaluation. Most sufferers are not diagnosed until middle age, and it takes an average of around 8-10 years to get a correct diagnosis. In recent years bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages.\n\nIt is characterised by episodes of severe clinical depression and mania or hypomania (for definitions of those, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_diagnostic_criteria_for_bipolar_disorder The extreme end of mania often turns into psychosis, complete with hallucinations and delusions. During manic phases, the persons judgement and perception of reality is severely compromised, leading to risky actions with potentially damaging consequences (financially, sexually and relationship-wise). Untreated, episodes generally worsen over time due to an effect known as kindling. Untreated Bipolar sufferers are at a very high risk of suicide: 20-25% attempt it, and and 15% succeed.\n\nThe cycles in bipolar disorder are much longer than people generally believe. Anyone whose mood changes from minute to minute is very unlikely to be bipolar. Bipolar 1 is characterised by mood episodes lasting many months, while Bipolar 2 has episodes in the region of weeks to months. Rapid and ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder is rare, and cycles last days to weeks.\n\nThere are many drugs available to treat the symptoms of bipolar (there is no cure). These are either anti-convulsants or anti-psychotics (personally I take both), and the most well known of these is Lithium. Most patients will go through a number of different drugs before finding one that works for them.\n\nIf this really isn't you, then be thankful. Best wishes.
382824
No. I'm polar.In fact, I'm bipolar. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about it, but maybe the link below can.\n\nI hope this is helpful. Good luck.\n\nSincerely,\nTerry \n\nSource(s):\n\nhttp://www.webmd.com/search/search_resul...
390810
No. I'm polar.In fact, I'm bipolar. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about it, but maybe the link below can.\n\nI hope this is helpful. Good luck.\n\nSincerely,\nTerry
885518
Medication is the only answer. Bipolar Disorder is a serious mental illness and untreated, it will only get worse and carries a 20-25% suicide risk.\n\nYou need to see a doctor if you have not already been diagnosed.
308585
I was diasgnosed with Bipolar Disorder when I was 17 years old. My mother told me that the worse years trying to raise me was when i was 17 and 18. \n\nI don't take medication because to me it makes me feels as if I have lost all hope of controlling my own life. Therapy was the best help to me. Someone not threatening to shove pills down my throat all the time. You can't push someone into therapy, they need to make that descision on their own. Bipolar disorder is something that the person must deal with thie entire life. They have to learn to control it on their own i think. i alsothink that the people around them have to realize that We get offended easily and We will snap when we get offended. Just let them know that you are there for them. DOnt force them into anything unless it has come to the point where they are harming themselves or others.
55555
Many people are Bipolar.  It's a very serious condition.  Some studies recently have found that Bipolar disorder may be more common in teens than originally thought.
486532
If you go get medical attention they can tell what is wrong with you. But hopefully you just have a short temper. I  know someone who is bipolar and its not fun they said they wish they just had a short temper so best of luck to you. But go get some medical attention. Let me know what happens i will keep you in my thoughts.
829753
I'd like remark about the comment "I have know 2 people who are bipolar, both who treat the disorder with Ritalin."  I have Bipolar and A.D.D. I take a separate med for the Bipolar (Lamictal) I LOVE IT!!  I take Medadate cd for my A.D.D. which is equivalent to Ritalin.  Not sure how the people you know with Bipolar are doing but I would think that when they go into their High Manic state they could harm themselves or someone else.  I know that until I was treated my Highs were pure RAGE so I can only imagine what could have happened if I were taking an amphetamine alone.\n\nWhat is Bipolar Disorder?\n\nThe exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown.\n\nBipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) is a serious, lifelong medical condition. It affects more than 2 million people in the United States. \n\n It’s a medical condition. Bipolar disorder may be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain, genetics, or abnormalities in brain structure. \n\nPeople with bipolar disorder can have mood swings, including depression (extreme lows) and mania (extreme highs). \n\nA period of depression or mania is called an episode. Individuals may experience episodes of depression or mania throughout life. \n\nEpisodes may be separated by long periods with few or no symptoms. To help keep bipolar disorder under control, medication is often taken even when few or no symptoms are present.
6817
Understand it as well as possible and then be supportive of treatments. This FAQ's might help you.\n\n1. What is bipolar disorder? \n\nBipolar disorder is a common, recurrent, severe psychiatric illness that affects an individual's mood, behavior and ability to think clearly. It occurs in 1% to 2% of the population in the United States. A variant, called bipolar II disorder, is probably even more common and occurs in up to 3% of the general population in this country. \n\n2. What are the differences between bipolar I and bipolar II disorders? \n\nBipolar I disorder is characterized by episodes of mania that alternate with periods of depression or periods in which individuals have simultaneously occurring manic and depressive symptoms called mixed states. In contrast, bipolar II disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and milder symptoms of mania, called hypomania. Hypomanic episodes typically do not impair an individual's ability to function to the extent that full-blown manic episodes do additionally; hypomanic episodes are not complicated by psychotic symptoms. \n\n3. What is rapid cycling? \n\nThe term rapid cycling was originally coined by David Dunner, M.D., and Ron Fieve, M.D., in the 1970s when they identified a group of individuals who did not respond well to lithium. These patients typically had four or more episodes of mania or depression in the 12-month interval prior to lithium treatment. This definition has been adopted formally by DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.) and specifically means the occurrence of four or more mood episodes within the preceding year. In severe cases, rapid cycling can occur even within a one-day period. \n\n4. At what age does bipolar disorder appear? \n\nBipolar disorder most commonly presents in the late teens and early 20s. Unfortunately, for most individuals, lifelong treatment may be required to prevent recurrent manic and depressive episodes. Equally unfortunate is evidence that the illness often goes undiagnosed and untreated for many years; the longer the illness progresses without treatment, the greater the impairment in an individual's psychological, educational and vocational development. Additionally, untreated bipolar disorder carries a high risk of suicide. \n\n5. Is bipolar disorder genetic? \n\nBipolar disorder, among all psychiatric illnesses, may have the greatest genetic contribution. For instance, if an individual has a parent with bipolar disorder, the chance that the individual's child will have bipolar disorder is about nine-fold greater than in the general population, with the risk rising from about 1% to about 10%. The inheritability of this illness is estimated to be anywhere from 50% to 80%. On the other hand, if a person with bipolar disorder is thinking about having children, there are still good odds that the child will not have bipolar illness. So the genetic determinants of the illness are complicated. \n\n6. How is bipolar disorder treated? \n\nThe cornerstone of treatment is medications that treat acute manic, depressive or mixed episodes, and which, in the long run, attempt to prevent the recurrence of these episodes. Such medications include lithium, divalproex (Depakote) and, more recently, some of the atypical antipsychotics as well as antidepressants. \n\nPsychotherapy plays an important role in improving the course and outcome of this illness in people. In particular, those with bipolar disorder often have strained relationships with loved ones because of their experiences during manic or depressive episodes; psychotherapy can help repair these torn relationships. In addition, psychotherapy can educate people about the signs and symptoms of their illness, how to pay attention to warning signs and how to nip emerging episodes in the bud. Psychotherapy can also help individuals cope with the stress that can sometimes precipitate manic or depressive episodes. \n\n7. What med
557196
I have bipolar affective disorder. I actually hate it if i feel I'm getting special treatment from family and coworkers. But i guess there are some who would try and use it to there advantage.
939794
Bipolar disorder (previously known as Manic Depression) is a psychiatric diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders in which the person experiences clinical depression and/or mania, hypomania, and/or mixed states. The disorder can cause great distress among those afflicted and those living with them. Bipolar disorder can be a disabling condition, with a higher-than-average risk of death through suicide.\n\nThe difference between bipolar disorder and unipolar disorder (also called major depression) is that bipolar disorder involves both elevated and depressive mood states. The duration and intensity of mood states varies widely among people with the illness. Fluctuating from one mood state to the next is called "cycling". Mood swings can cause impairment or improved functioning depending on their direction (up or down) and severity (mild to severe). There can be changes in one's energy level, sleep pattern, activity level, social rhythms and cognitive functioning. Some people may have difficulty functioning during these times.\n\n\n\n\nBipolar disorder is often a life-long condition that must be carefully managed. Because there is so much variation in severity and nature of mood problems, it is increasingly being called bipolar spectrum disorder. The spectrum concept refers to subtypes of bipolar disorder or a continuum of mood problems, that can include sub-syndromal (below the symptom threshold for categorical diagnosis) symptoms. Nassir Ghaemi, M.D., has also contributed to the development of a bipolar spectrum questionnaire. The full bipolar spectrum includes all states or phases of the bipolar disorders.\n\nKraepelin's (1921) construct is useful for primary care clinicians, patients and families. It describes variations in two directions (mania and depression) and of three aspects: mood, activity and thinking.