Bi-polar Depression?!

Bi-polar Depression?

Are you Bi-polar? How do you handle it? Are you on meds? How does it affect your life?

I was correctly diagnosed with Bipolar 2 disorder about 5 years ago, before that I was always told that I was just depressed. I read up on depression, but didn't know anything about Bipolar 2. I didn't fit into the Bipolar 1 category, so I didn't even consider Bipolar disorder. When I was finally diagnosed, I realized that I had really had this since I was about 13, it just was never handled properly. I lived my life feeling like I was constantly going crazy. I would go through periods of severe depression, then I would become very agitated and angry for no reason. I suffered from panic attacks and would talk a mile a minute and not realize it (my friend pointed this out to me whenever it happened). When I was finally diagnosed I was prescribed Lamictal. It has been a saving grace! It was hard at first adjusting to it and finding the correct dosage, but I am doing so well at the dose I'm at. My husband has noticed a difference in me (we met before I started on medication). I can handle info that before would have made me upset, I can actually talk about what's going on instead of feeling like I had so much insane energy going on inside. I can talk myself through panic attacks when they happen, although they rarely happen anymore. I have never let my diagnosis get in the way of my professional life, although it has ruined relationships in the past. Most people that know me professional would never have guessed that I had this. I am so thankful that there is medication for this. Without it I'm sure that I would be in a mental ward by now, I was so unstable.