Am I bipolar? No stupied answers please!!!!?!
Question: Hello I am 27 years old. I have always had problems with depression. I have been in the hospital 2 times, the last time I was 22 and they wanted me to think that it was post pardom depression. I know it is not because here I am almost 6 years later. and I still have big problem with well, alot of things. I can be happy one minute then ready to bite your head off the next. Everyone always ask me whats wrong. it makes me even madder. to me there is nothing wrong.I do not see what everyone else sees. i have really high days and very low days. But most of the time it has to be more of the anger things. But I really do not relize it or until I really think about it. Or I have hurt someone. (feelings that is). Any input would be great unless you are being negative.
Answers: Hello I am 27 years old. I have always had problems with depression. I have been in the hospital 2 times, the last time I was 22 and they wanted me to think that it was post pardom depression. I know it is not because here I am almost 6 years later. and I still have big problem with well, alot of things. I can be happy one minute then ready to bite your head off the next. Everyone always ask me whats wrong. it makes me even madder. to me there is nothing wrong.I do not see what everyone else sees. i have really high days and very low days. But most of the time it has to be more of the anger things. But I really do not relize it or until I really think about it. Or I have hurt someone. (feelings that is). Any input would be great unless you are being negative.
Go to www.dbsalliance.org and take the free on-line questionnaire.
Then take your responses (which you print out) to your Primary Physician and have a long talk with them about getting you a referral to both a Shrink and Therapist for help.
You can also locate support groups in your area that are peer lead that are for people who are chronically depressed or have been or think they may be bi-polar.
sorry i can not help as i am just like that myself.
hope you get some answers you are looking for.
( have been for 3 years )
are you biploar..only a pyschiatrist can answer that. you need to have blood work done (could be thyroid or another problem). there are several websites and books that detail biploar people/symptoms etc.
A lot of people make this mistake with Bipolar disorder. It isn't as you said, where you're "happy one minute then ready to bite your head off the next." Bipolar disorder does contain both extremes of mood, but the switches don't happen that quickly.
You also aren't mentioning any symptoms outside of the general knowledge of bipolar disorder, so it makes me think that you're just hoping so hard to figure out what is wrong and you've fallen on bipolar disorder and stuck with it.
I can't diagnose you here, so I could be wrong. With what you've given me, though, I'm not in the least bit convinced that you're bipolar. Also, postpartum depression doesn't really have a timestamp. 6 years seems a bit extreme, you're right, but it's also known that women who have previously suffered from depression tend to suffer much longer with postpartum than those who haven't. They could've been wrong, but the absolute worst thing you can do is not listen to a professional about your mental health. You don't have the capacity to diagnose yourself, they have years and years and YEARS of training.
I hope things improve. Do go talk to a psychologist (not a regular old doctor) about this.
My daughter, 30, is bi-polar. She was just unlivable until she got on some meds that actually helped her. Other meds did not. Its a very difficult illness to treat. I'm wondering if they gave you meds in the hospital and what they were. We found that conseling wasnt really helpful. She just had to keep trying meds til she found the right ones. I sure hope you can do that.
I am bi-polar and I can relate to some of the things you are saying - especially the anger issues stuff. However its not all that easy to diagnose bi-polar and it requires the expertise of a psychiatrist.
And if they do diagnose you with bi-polar keep in mind that they will want to medicate you and the bad side of the medication is that nearly all of them are weight gaining. If you end up going down that track keep a note of the drug lamictal - its probably the least likely to give side effects and it is used as a mood stabiliser.
I hope for your sake that you don't have bi-polar but I think its worth checking out with a shrink.
Good luck
There are many more symptoms to diagnosing someone with bipolar. You can't just list symptoms and bingo you have your answer. It doesn't work like that. Those symptoms could be because of many different things, but you do have a history of depression. I understand how you feel because I feel like this too at times. My best advice is to go an see someone who has the knowledge and expertise to diagnose and treat you. And, you will know then if you have bipolar. Just be careful about who you choose to see. Finding a therapist is like finding a new pair of shoes. Not all them fit the exact same way. Good luck!
bipolar people can have rapid mood swings it is called rapid cycling. I have bipolar and I rapid cycle. The drug trileptal does not cause weight gain. Also I have children and the drug and the disorder does not take away from raising a family it just at times makes it more challenging than for the average person. I would say that you should see a psychologist who can than get you in to see a psychiatrist who can prescribe something, if needed, and diagnose you. It make take more than one visit to find the person who works best for you.
Have you seen a doctor lately? Are you still taking medication? Talk to a doctor if you think you need help.
It doesn't make that much difference if you have Bipolar or regular depression, that's really up to your doctor, and you need to tell him or her if you think the medication is helping or not.
I have been diagnosed with Major Depression and Dysthymic Disorder, sometimes I think I have Bipolar, sometimes I think I have OCD, ADD or some kind of dissociative disorder. It doesn't matter really, because the medication I take helps me and I can function pretty well most of the time.
My brother has a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder.