BiPolar

[Knowledged_one]

So i have been going through some things recently and after telling my doctor about it, he suggested i talk to a therapist.

After talking with the therapist yesterday (and i will be going back to see him some more) he said that basically i have bipolar disorder.

Not to the serious extent where i have extreme hypomania followed by crushing bouts of depression but a less then severe case.

I will probably be going on some additional type of medication to go with the Paxil i already take, but nothing as extreme as lithium.

Its weird though how the therapist in under an hour was able to pinpoint things about me from what i said to him that i thought was not related at all.

So now i know why i have acted some ways over the last few years, and what sucks is that prednisone that i took for my back may have just triggered all of this to start and it cant be stopped

[skyscraper]

So i have been going through some things recently and after telling my doctor about it, he suggested i talk to a therapist.

After talking with the therapist yesterday (and i will be going back to see him some more) he said that basically i have bipolar disorder.

Not to the serious extent where i have extreme hypomania followed by crushing bouts of depression but a less then severe case.

I will probably be going on some additional type of medication to go with the Paxil i already take, but nothing as extreme as lithium.

Its weird though how the therapist in under an hour was able to pinpoint things about me from what i said to him that i thought was not related at all.

So now i know why i have acted some ways over the last few years, and what sucks is that prednisone that i took for my back may have just triggered all of this to start and it cant be stopped

Sorry to hear it, but it's good that you're getting treatment for it. I wonder how many people are walking around not knowing they have it?
I never knew that prednisone could trigger it. How does that work?

[donnie_darko]

sweet soma.

[Mullenax]

I too was originally diagnosed with one disorder, then re-diagnosed as bipolar and given several different supplemental mood stabilizers to go with the Paxil I was already taking.

For me, it did not go well, and 8 years later I don't really know if I am bipolar or not.
I'm not trying to scare you, but the process of balancing meds can take a little while.

Just remember that even if this doctor made a revelation, you know yourself best, better than any doctor ever can in an hour. If you have ANY side effects (even moodswings or weird thoughts), trust your own judgement, and let the doc know right away.

Hopefully things will start to get better for you real soon, and other things that you mentioned will make more sense in hindsight.

[red_red_red]

It's not the end of the world, they may just put you on a low dose of a mood stabilizer, which you can take @ night if it makes you sleepy. If you have a mild case, it's easily treated. I know people who have bipolar disorder, from the mild form, to the kind that causes auditory hallucinations. They all take their meds, get proper sleep, and keep the stress to a minimal. Exercise is also helpful, as it helps you sleep better, lack of sleep can trigger maniac episodes. Best of luck :)

[Knowledged_one]

thanks everyone,

The sleep thing is tough as i am an extreme insomniac or so i thought, now it may be a sign of the bipolar disorder

I tend towards long strings of hypomania (high levels of energy) followed by short bouts with depression it just happened that 6 weeks ago i had a crushing bout of depression that caused me to talk to my doctor.

The problem is my mind races and wont shut down and it causes me to not be able to sleep, but because it was thought of as insomnia i got ambien. And he asked about headaches which i used to get a lot, but with my back problems i take percocets at night which help avoid it because they are so strong (10/650 ones) and i take flexaril but the fact that those dont do enough to shut my brain down he said was a big sign of this.

The prednisone thing he said has come to light in recent studies and the depression was triggered around the same time i had the first signs of depression

Honestly im not super worried, i was more worried before because i dont know what it was that was bothering me. Now with a plan of attack to treat it it makes me feel better and i actually yesterday when leaving felt so much better that i slept from 7 till this morning. And one of the things that he said that may have held it off for so long was smoking dope which we didnt really get into

[red_red_red]

i have insomnia issues too, it used to upset me but now i roll with it and take naps when i can. i tried sleeping pills but they just made me be all loopey feeling, so if i get super restless, i have a beer and take 2 nyquils, not good practice but oh well. i have that annoying mind racing thing too, i recently found a good distraction...sex! who knew?

[Aggie]

KO, my bbff, I'm sorry to hear you've been struggling with trying to figure out your moods and actions, etc. I can very much relate. It was really smart telling your doctor and getting the ball rolling on going to therapy. I've been thinking lately I need to go back again (I went for several years in college and my family has a bad history of depression.)

Be careful and good luck with the meds. They can definitely make a big difference but it may take awhile to work out a good mix like someone else said. When I was diagnosed with ADD in college my mom wanted me to get a second opinion and they told me I had an anxiety disorder with a memory retention problem and said ADD meds would screw me up worse. Just continue to examine your thoughts and feelings and be responsible, which I know you already are.

You know you can reach out to me anytime!! :wub:

[DarkHippie]

I have bipolar syndrome. i was diagnosed when i was 14.

honestly, it is a crippling illness. every single aspect of my life is influenced by it

i am on Lamictal, it works very well, and no side effects.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

both my older bro and dad have bipolar , as long as you have a strong family who can get you through the small episodes which occur ever 1-3 years, you will be fine

my older bro has it worse, he gets stage of schizophrenia when he is in a bipolar episode


the first step to dealing with the illness is to realize you have it and not to fight it

[KatPw]

So i have been going through some things recently and after telling my doctor about it, he suggested i talk to a therapist.

After talking with the therapist yesterday (and i will be going back to see him some more) he said that basically i have bipolar disorder.

Not to the serious extent where i have extreme hypomania followed by crushing bouts of depression but a less then severe case.

I will probably be going on some additional type of medication to go with the Paxil i already take, but nothing as extreme as lithium.

Its weird though how the therapist in under an hour was able to pinpoint things about me from what i said to him that i thought was not related at all.

So now i know why i have acted some ways over the last few years, and what sucks is that prednisone that i took for my back may have just triggered all of this to start and it cant be stopped

http://smiliesftw.com/x/hugggy.gif (http://smiliesftw.com) Hope you start feeling better soon. Be honest with your Doctor and Therapist about everything, especially if you notice anything different after you start taking the meds, so they can adjust the medication or change it if need be. Please, tell them if you have any suicidal thoughts. When I was on Paxil, I had overwhelming urges to off myself, and had almost non-stop suicidal ideations, and keeping quiet about it was a stupid idea (I figured telling the Dr. would result in me being in the nut hut). Maybe keep a notebook of your progress (how much sleep you are getting each night, if there are changes in your appetite, energy, etc.). That will really help you whenever you next meet with your doctor, because it is hard remember every little thing, and the doctor will have a better idea of how the therapy is working.

[alabamatrucker]

Im Bi-Polar and it has been diagnosed by 3 different pyshciatrist. For me it has been tough but the medicine helps me and sometimes you just have to deal with it the best way you can. Some things make mine flare up worse, like weather,stress etc etc. Just remember to see your doctors and take your meds and try to not let it get you down. Oh and if you ever get on a high its almost as bad as a low because its like being on a coke binge. You will know trust me. ANyway good luck

Alabamatrucker

[commish13]

Man, I hate the term bi-polar. My therapist and I have talked about it in my case, and while I've tended to deny it, I got all the signs. Insomnia, hypersomnia, times of extreme highs to the point of being way overenergized and manic, followed by lows of depression. Sometimes on the same day, sometimes one day and it changes the next, sometimes it's a whole good week followed by a bad few days or a week.

It sucks because I'm recovering from heavy depression and anxiety, so when I have a good spell, it's good but I often act manic, but it's fine because it's just been kind of my personality forever. But then when I think things are beginning to go well, I end up having a streak where my day is not so great, then the next is worse, and on until I have a day like today where I just can't do anything I want to do and end up sleeping all day and then moping around when I finally pull myself out.

It fuckin' blows, and I've pretty much been effectively out of commission for a full year thanks to all of this, and now when I've started making progress on my depression and anxiety to the point where I finally started feeling like in a couple of months I'll be able to get out and get a job and finally get started working on a career that I should have started on 2 years ago, but now the bipolar bullshit is pulling me down from that.

I prefer manic depressive, though. It sounds cooler. The chicks think you have a dangerous edge.

no they don't

But yeah, it sucks, but the right drugs and therapist will be able to get it as in control as possible so you can keep your life going.

Look at me acting like Fez.

[spoon]

So i have been going through some things recently and after telling my doctor about it, he suggested i talk to a therapist.

After talking with the therapist yesterday (and i will be going back to see him some more) he said that basically i have bipolar disorder.

Not to the serious extent where i have extreme hypomania followed by crushing bouts of depression but a less then severe case.

I will probably be going on some additional type of medication to go with the Paxil i already take, but nothing as extreme as lithium.

Its weird though how the therapist in under an hour was able to pinpoint things about me from what i said to him that i thought was not related at all.

So now i know why i have acted some ways over the last few years, and what sucks is that prednisone that i took for my back may have just triggered all of this to start and it cant be stopped


KO, if you are a less severe bipolar patient, you actually will experience "hypomania" as opposed to a full manic episode from time to time. Your doctor, hopefully a psychiatrist, should have called your case Bipolar II, not Bipolar I (which patients experience full manic episodes that interfere with their lives much more). I'd be concerned that your physician believes it's a good idea to stay on Paxil, as that class of meds are mainly for unipolar depression mainly, not bipolar disorder. In fact, many thought leaders now believe Paxil can throw a person into a manic episode and it should not be used on any form of BP. Now it's true not all docs ever agree on an issue, but the majority who focus on the field, not those who treat BP from a primary care perspective, feel agents like Paxil are an extremely dangerous choice.

I'm far from an expert here, but I have worked hand in hand with some of the top psychiatrists over the last 7 years in this field, so I'm only passing on what I've learned form them.

A lot of people here gave good advice so lean on them, but the most important thing to remember is that the Sean Taylor still sucks. Good luck.

[spoon]

Man, I hate the term bi-polar. My therapist and I have talked about it in my case, and while I've tended to deny it, I got all the signs. Insomnia, hypersomnia, times of extreme highs to the point of being way overenergized and manic, followed by lows of depression. Sometimes on the same day, sometimes one day and it changes the next, sometimes it's a whole good week followed by a bad few days or a week.

It sucks because I'm recovering from heavy depression and anxiety, so when I have a good spell, it's good but I often act manic, but it's fine because it's just been kind of my personality forever. But then when I think things are beginning to go well, I end up having a streak where my day is not so great, then the next is worse, and on until I have a day like today where I just can't do anything I want to do and end up sleeping all day and then moping around when I finally pull myself out.

It fuckin' blows, and I've pretty much been effectively out of commission for a full year thanks to all of this, and now when I've started making progress on my depression and anxiety to the point where I finally started feeling like in a couple of months I'll be able to get out and get a job and finally get started working on a career that I should have started on 2 years ago, but now the bipolar bullshit is pulling me down from that.

I prefer manic depressive, though. It sounds cooler. The chicks think you have a dangerous edge.

no they don't

But yeah, it sucks, but the right drugs and therapist will be able to get it as in control as possible so you can keep your life going.

Look at me acting like Fez.

You sound like a potential rapid cycler. It's much tougher to treat, but you seem to have a good outlook about it which is a HUGE factor.

[spoon]

I have bipolar syndrome. i was diagnosed when i was 14.

honestly, it is a crippling illness. every single aspect of my life is influenced by it

i am on Lamictal, it works very well, and no side effects.

Lamictal is a better choice in my op, but many other "cleaner" options have come out as of late that have shown better efficacy in clinical trials, along with an additive effect in case you ever need more help DH. If it's working for you, by all means stay on it, but it's good to know there are other options in case your efficacy is suboptimal.

[Mullenax]

http://smiliesftw.com/x/hugggy.gif (http://smiliesftw.com) When I was on Paxil, I had overwhelming urges to off myself, and had almost non-stop suicidal ideations, and keeping quiet about it was a stupid idea (I figured telling the Dr. would result in me being in the nut hut). Maybe keep a notebook of your progress (how much sleep you are getting each night, if there are changes in your appetite, energy, etc.). That will really help you whenever you next meet with your doctor, because it is hard remember every little thing, and the doctor will have a better idea of how the therapy is working.
I had the same experience, and I recommend the same. You can get better, good luck!

[grlNIN]

All i can really say is hang in there and seek out any and all help you can get from friends and family because they want to see you well above all others.

I have major difficulties concerning the entire aspect of both being and the diagnosis of bi polar disorder.

I myself was diagnosed with it when i was 17, was on meds for a couple of years and let that go. I returned to therapy last Spring but after several sessions i could not make amends with what the doctor was trying to "sell" me. That i need to be on meds, even though i explicitly told her i wanted anxiety counseling. She continued to push the option of meds until i just stopped going to her.

I don't want to say that medication is not an option, My mother is severely bi-polar and i have questions on whether there is a touch of schizophrenia in there, there is no way she could be without a form of medication. However, i feel that doctors are way too quick to point a finger at a diagnosis and then prescribe medications.

I know that sometimes when i have a really bad stretch of highs & lows i wish i had something to ease the transitions and mood variations but i know that, at least for now i am mentally capable of getting through it and so i don't want to turn to medical options.

It scares me to know that so many people are churning through prescriptions and/or various types of medicine because i honestly don't know what that could potentially do to the body AND mind.

Again, i am not condoning, looking down upon or even suggesting that you or anyone else should nix medication as a form of treatment but i do think that if you are able to push through the dark points that there may be something more viable to that option.

PS- My thoughts about this don't stem from anything even remotely connected to religion as i know that is most commonly assumed.

[cogsdoc]

I am a psychologist, and therefore have nothing to do with medication prescription, so I am far from a medication fanatic. What has been said about medications is true. They can be very scary, and often come with a laundry list of side-effects. I would always encourage trying alternative treatments before turning to medications. However, if your symptoms are severe (eg dangerous behaviors associated with mania, any psychosis, suicidal thoughts, etc), I strongly encourage you to see a psychiatrist and get started on a medication regiment. Also do not hesitate to get a second opinion if you are hesitant about your diagnosis.

Unfortunately the reality is that we have not found a therapy that is extremely effective in treating Bipolar disorder without the use of medication. Once your psychiatrist finds a medication that you are relatively comfortable with and helps manage some of your more severe symptoms, you can use the available therapies much more effectively.

These are just general recommendations, and not directed at anyone in particular.

[Knowledged_one]

Wow, i never realized how many people here have gone through this or know someone who has gone through this.

First there was a lot of good advice like keeping the notebook of this stuff.

And the good thing is when i told my family doctor this he said basically i could throw some medication at you and see if it works but i dont want to do that (and this doctor has no problem giving me percocets) lets have you talk to a therapist. And the therapist is waiting till after the next time i talk to him to decide if i should take another medication (the one he mentioned was is mainly used to treat like epileptic/nerve issues, but is also used for bipolar and as an added side effect also helps with weight loss) so i will see if i get that medication next week but most likely i will be on some kind of medication.

The thing is i trust these people so i think they have my best interest at heart rather then just throwing medication at it to treat it and use me as a human test case.

Thank you again to everyone for the kind words and support and i offer the same to those going through the same thing

[jauble]

Keep your head up KO I got diagnosed at 18 meds sucked for me so I am just fighting through it. Keep laughing (but not too much) because a good attitude is the best fix.

[thepaulo]

i've only been with bi-polars.

[Snoogans]

hey KO, its all good man, dont feel bad. You seem cool on here. Also, here are some other good things that are Bipolar:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/d/d8/20060312083354!Bar_magnet.jpg

Magnets

http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/graphics/earth2.jpg

The Earth

[Knowledged_one]

i've only been with bi-polars.

http://www.talkweather.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rimshot.gif

[Knowledged_one]

Snoogans thanks and believe me i dont feel bad about it, i just look at it as something that i will have to deal with. Its knowing going forward that there is treatment for it and i can get it taken care of. It was the not knowing that was the worst part

[cogsdoc]

i've only been with bi-polars.

It's the sex isn't it Paul

[Knowledged_one]

Well i finally had my follow up with my therapist and will be starting medication as soon as i talk with my family doctor about the two they (fam. doc and therapist) have narrowed it down to either

Lamictal

or

Topamax

I am leaning towards the Topamax as the Lamictal as possible fatal side effects and takes a longer period to get balanced in the bloodstream requiring more blood work. While the Topamax will not only help with my symptoms but also aids in weight loss which i am all for. I also want to switch off of the paxil as i dont think it really helps me and it has such a short half life that if you miss a dose it can leave your system within 22 hours.

My therapist and i were talking and he actually said that the Topamax may benefit me more because it helps more on the depression end and does less to lessen the effects of the manic episodes. He even said and i would agree that the manic episodes for me are highly productive and some bipolar people love that feeling of mania because they get so much accomplished that they dont mind it as much.

Well we will see how things work out now

[commish13]

I'm about to start on Lamictal next week, but I'm going to check out this Topamax and bring it up. I'm the same way with the manic times being very good for me, so that's interesting.

Good luck with it.

[cogsdoc]

I'm the same way with the manic times being very good for me, so that's interesting.

Good luck with it.

This is a very common experience for people with Bipolar Disorder. It's one of the reasons that it is so difficult to convince people with Bipolar Disorder to follow through with treatment, despite all of the problems that go along with the manic episodes.

[commish13]

The thing with me is that the manic times feel much, much closer to the 'normal' me that functioned fairly well in society for the first 19 years of my life. A little bit more bold, but only a bit, and it's the 'bit' of extra boldness that I've felt over the years that I always needed.

I'm still feeling a lot better now than I was a couple months ago, so we'll see what this upcoming week has in store.

[Knowledged_one]

The thing with me is that the manic times feel much, much closer to the 'normal' me that functioned fairly well in society for the first 19 years of my life. A little bit more bold, but only a bit, and it's the 'bit' of extra boldness that I've felt over the years that I always needed.

I'm still feeling a lot better now than I was a couple months ago, so we'll see what this upcoming week has in store.

Yeah I am that way i try to explain it like a sine curve. But my top peak is very long and extended while the depression cycles are short but deeper and that is where the problem is and thats what im hoping the medicine helps with.

But yeah its hard to explain the manic phases to people (and i suffer from hypomania not the more serious Hypermania) because thats how most people know me because i do talk fast and my mind is always running to me it feels like a river of fire burning through my brain and i have to fight to get it all out. And this causes me to get work done at a fast rate because i just burn through it. And then when its done i get the "dead" type feeling where my mind wanders i lose concentration and dont get anything done.

It used to be real bad when it was mania + coke = bad times

[ChimneyFish]

I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder years ago.
At the time I was diagnosed, I was in the middle of an extended fight against drug addiction. I was on Depakote for awhile and then Lithium, along with a handful of other pills for a varity of diagnosed mental problems.(at one point I was on 7 different pills daily)
I stopped taking everything after a few years, mainly because, while it helped my mood swings and what not, it killed all emotions in me. I felt nothing. I was just simply alive. No joy. No pain.
I haven't been on anything in years, except for Paxil a few years ago.
For awhile I really was starting to think that this was a misdiagnosis, as for the two times I was in the loony bin, I met quite a few people with BPD, and there manic side was sheer lunacy. All I noticed form mine(if I had one) was chronic insomnia.
Then last week I was talking to someone online who was diagnosed, and she suggested I might have:
According to the DSM-IV-TR, a hypomanic episode includes, over the course of at least 4 days, elevated mood plus three of the following symptoms OR irritable mood plus four of the following symptoms:

pressured speech; rapid talking
inflated self-esteem or grandiosity;
decreased need for sleep;
flight of ideas or the subjective experience that thoughts are racing;
easy distractibility and attention-deficit (superficially similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder);
increase in psychomotor agitation; and
steep involvement in pleasurable activities that may have a high potential for negative psycho-social or physical consequences (e.g., the person engages in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments).

which would make sense, as I can pretty much put a check mark in front of every one except for the inflated self-esteem.

I have a bottle full of Zoloft that I got months ago and just haven't taken yet.
I just am really hesitant to take anything, because of how I felt(or didn't feel) on it years ago.
But my life now is such a fucking mess, that I think it might be time to just say "fuck it", and get back on something, so I can resume my life as an android.:tongue:
I know there are a lot more medications out there for BPD now than just Depakote and Lithium.

Anyway, good luck to all that are in this situation.

[jauble]

I am having a really down moment tonight and this blows. I'm as low as Ive been in awhile, but for anyone who feels the same way now or in the future apparently Coolio has a reality TV show on the oxygen channel. I feel like shit but at least Im not Coolio.

[ahhdurr]

I am having a really down moment tonight and this blows. I'm as low as Ive been in awhile, but for anyone who feels the same way now or in the future apparently Coolio has a reality TV show on the oxygen channel. I feel like shit but at least Im not Coolio.

That's fucking funny. But when "all you got for dinner is a can o' corn" you gots to eat.

Hang on and wait for it to come back around. It's just your turn pal.

[commish13]

I am having a really down moment tonight and this blows. I'm as low as Ive been in awhile, but for anyone who feels the same way now or in the future apparently Coolio has a reality TV show on the oxygen channel. I feel like shit but at least Im not Coolio.

But you're a mod on RF.net dammit! Buck up son and take the bull of life by the horns and spit in its asshole! You're the president of the United States for fuck's sake!