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bipolar disorder

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
hey

just out of interest what are the symptoms of bipolar disorder(manic depression as it used to be known)

any input welcome

thank you

hyper ness:hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Signs and symptoms
    Bipolar disorder is characterized by an alternating pattern of emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). The intensity of the associated signs and symptoms varies. Bipolar disorder can range from a mild condition to a severe condition, and there may be periods of normal behavior.

    Manic phase
    For many people, signs and symptoms in the manic phase may include:

    Feelings of euphoria, extreme optimism and inflated self-esteem
    Rapid speech, racing thoughts, agitation and increased physical activity
    Poor judgment
    Recklessness or taking chances not normally taken
    Difficulty sleeping
    Tendency to be easily distracted
    Inability to concentrate
    Aggressive behavior
    Depressive phase
    In the depressive phase, signs and symptoms include:

    Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt or hopelessness
    Disturbances in sleep and appetite
    Fatigue and loss of interest in daily activities
    Problems concentrating
    Irritability
    Chronic pain without a known cause
    Recurring thoughts of suicide


    Link includes:
    Signs and symptoms
    Causes
    Risk factors
    When to seek medical advice
    Screening and diagnosis
    Complications
    Treatment
    Self-care
    Coping skills

    From the Mayo Clinic
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    From the siteif you havent already looked. From the BBC health site From Rethink (mental health charity)

    Hope they help.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ta muchly

    :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    sorry if that was really random last night-just one of my friends reckons i have it so thought id look at the symptoms-i mean i know i go up and down at times but i dot resckon i have it though i did scare my friends when i said i could fly but felt so indestructable that it was possible but never got to prove it-anyway going hyper so ill let you make your own minds up-anyone know anything/had any experiences of people with bipolar

    cheers muchly

    hyper

    :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :wave: :wave: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lot and lotd of theose symptoms sound like me. Though the difference is, I bring the feelings on myself through my actions!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    VinylVicky wrote: »
    Lot and lotd of theose symptoms sound like me. Though the difference is, I bring the feelings on myself through my actions!

    pretty much. Symptoms like those listed happen to everyone, the difference is that they is usually a cause for it when people who aren't bipolar feel those emotions and their reaction is usually in a reasonable proportion to the cause.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pretty much. Symptoms like those listed happen to everyone, the difference is that they is usually a cause for it when people who aren't bipolar feel those emotions and their reaction is usually in a reasonable proportion to the cause.

    thing is i believe the reason my friends went for the bipolar diagnosis straight away is cos i couldnt explain why i either felt down or up it just happened and happened very quickly-i also think the whole i can fly thing didnt help that much especially when i said i was going to prove it as i felt so indestructable at the time-now on the way down so know its not possible
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wouldnt have thought thinking you could fly was a symptom of mania-more like psychosis! And if you've got friends round you im sure you'd soon know about it if you were psychotic coz they'd probably take you to a police station or hospital!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote: »
    I wouldnt have thought thinking you could fly was a symptom of mania-more like psychosis! And if you've got friends round you im sure you'd soon know about it if you were psychotic coz they'd probably take you to a police station or hospital!

    hmm maybe apparently they did get quite scared and been talking about me behind my back as their "worried"-i dont know just have to wait and see-does anyone know anyone with bipolar?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Rubberskin-i dont know him,he's a user on here though.
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    Kermit too.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks anyone know what its like to live with bipolar
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote: »
    Rubberskin-i dont know him,he's a user on here though.

    You called :)

    The best thing HP would be to get yourself to your GP for a check up. Be as honest and truthful as you can about your situation(s).

    I can't really add to the sypmtons/conditions as that's already been quite fully covered. I don't know if anyone said anything about paranoia. I suffered from that for a while and it was one of the most distressing times of my life. Not being able to tell reality from the what your brain's making up is fucking awful.

    A lot of people also don't realise they're bi-polar. When i'm hyper i don't. I just feel so good, and alive and sort of indestructible. Been told that i'm quite scary when like that as i can't be talked to and won't listen.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    RubberSkin wrote: »
    A lot of people also don't realise they're bi-polar. When i'm hyper i don't. I just feel so good, and alive and sort of indestructible. Been told that i'm quite scary when like that as i can't be talked to and won't listen.

    when ive been on highs thats how i feel and my friends have been scared bout what im going to do-and the way i speak apparently changes as i just constantly chatter abpout nothing and at high speed.

    thanks rubberskin-how do you manage your bipolar?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I do and i don't if you see what i mean. Like a lot of people with metal problems i'm bad, the drugs make me feel better then i stop taking the drugs because i'm feeling better then go back to feeling bad. Having someone around to make sure you take your medication helps a lot.

    I take citalopram for depression/panic attacks/anxiety.(it took me a long time to find the right anti-D) Diazepam when and where i need it. Been on and off lithium for ages, but i really hate that drug. Had a few courses of ECT in my time, helped a bit but it's a bit scary. I was on an anti epilepsy drug for a while(it also helps with mood swings), can't remember it's name, but it started to intefer with my HIV meds so had to come off it. In fact i can't take a lot of drugs for bi-polar or depression because of the way some of HIV medication works.

    I don't do counselling and stuff like that. Tried it several times but I'm one of the peeps it just doesn't seem to work for, but that's not to say i don't believe in counselling/psychotherapy etc. I've seen it work wonders on people, it's just not for me.

    All in all i just seem to stumble along doing the best i can. I often won't post on here for a day or two when i'm hyper, for the best i think :) which is why i might disappear for a bit.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my dad was diagnosed with bi polar a few months ago, he gets really hyper and happy, feels like he is indestructable and then it suddenly disappears and he hits rock bottom and gets all depressed and suicidal, it took ages for me to understand how to deal with it and stuff and it takes alot out of you always watching out for him and stuff but his medication makes him alot easier to handle, if you do suffer from bi polar i would recommend that you get your friends to do some reading up on it so that they can understand what you are going through and also how they can help you when you are either on the high or lows... it really helps understanding what it is all about and how you can help!! :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think everyone suffers from emotion fluxuations are some stage in their lives but going to the extremes would be quite a scary experience imo.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    I think everyone suffers from emotion fluxuations are some stage in their lives but going to the extremes would be quite a scary experience imo.

    :yes: I get this alot as well. However, I've had problems with this for several years so for me it's probably just mood swings and nothing to worry about.
    I don't do counselling and stuff like that. Tried it several times but I'm one of the peeps it just doesn't seem to work for, but that's not to say i don't believe in counselling/psychotherapy etc. I've seen it work wonders on people, it's just not for me.

    A friend of mine said the same thing to me yesterday I think (she suffers from depression) and says that CBT is better for her.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks-im really sorry about all the questions just trying to get an idea of the condition and i dont know sorry-just feel odd sorry
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no need to feel sorry, everyone has had problems at some stage in the life and this i think is the best place to talk because everyone can help out and talk to each other about stuff and get it out and sort it out with people who have had similar problems!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i dont know if im making something out of nothing though and i dont want to waste peoples time and im so confused and dont know where i am
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No need to be sorry poppet. I think the best thing you can do is go along to your GP, have a chat with him/her about how you're feelig, mood swings (both high an low), anything that's bothering you at the mo. He/she will, if they see fit, refer you to a psychiatrist/psychiatric team for a proper diagnosis and if necessary a course of treatment.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    RubberSkin wrote: »
    No need to be sorry poppet. I think the best thing you can do is go along to your GP, have a chat with him/her about how you're feelig, mood swings (both high an low), anything that's bothering you at the mo. He/she will, if they see fit, refer you to a psychiatrist/psychiatric team for a proper diagnosis and if necessary a course of treatment.

    ^^^^^^^^ :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What Rubberskin said.

    Going slightly OT, but what os the difference between counselling & CBT?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I 'think' that counselling addresses your problems, past and present where as CBT confronts how you feel and think about think from the idea that your thoughts/feelings are making you ill. I don't know for sure but from the link below that's what it seems to be.

    CBT
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks Rubberskin.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeah maybe-went to see my counselloer today (self harm etc etc) and i had already mentioned to her about being higher than a kite last week and a few of the other times and she started speaking about it today and said that she reckons i have a mild form of bipolar heading towards more severe-she reckons i dont need medical help with it yet though so im not sure i believe her-anyway sorry to go on
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    eh? how can it be mild heading towards severe? thats one extreme to the other! And if it is severe then why wait and delay treatment?
    I thik though there has to be more than one definate episode of mania within a certain amount of time for them to start diagnosing etc etc.

    there is something called bipolar 2 disorder, where you have 'hypomania', which is basically a less severe mania that what bipolar 1 experiences.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote: »
    eh? how can it be mild heading towards severe? thats one extreme to the other! And if it is severe then why wait and delay treatment?
    I thik though there has to be more than one definate episode of mania within a certain amount of time for them to start diagnosing etc etc.

    there is something called bipolar 2 disorder, where you have 'hypomania', which is basically a less severe mania that what bipolar 1 experiences.

    i dont know i dont believe it i cant sorry
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