Anxiety And Bi-polar The Differences?

[samtheman]

Whats the differences, I mean certainly with my anxiety I can be up and down like a yo yo, I mean I can feel great for a couple of days then the next just wake up and feel anxious and down for no reason,

I understand if you have bi-polar you can have highs then downs, with my anxiety anyway even on a good day I'm never that high, sure I can be happy but never ellated type of thing.

[happyone]

Hi Sam,
I have bi polar but I am not the best judge as I am still getting to grips with it.
I have days where I am low to very low. Before treatment for bi polar, I would sink low enough to contemplate ending it all.
I have days where I am fine, just ordinary nothing spectacular.
Then I have days where I feel really really irritable and angry. I am constantly moving, my head races, I believe I can do anything I put my mind to, everyone around me feels like an intrusion. These I have been told are my 'high' days. Before treatment, I would I am ashamed to admit, be violent on occassion, physically or verbally. Or I would do silly things like sleep in a lay by on a lonely country road at night.
Highs aren't always overly happy, the shrink explained it to me as over activity in the brain.
Hope this is of help. I believe I am at the milder end of bi polar. Some people have really really marked fluctuations in mood ranging from suicidal to grandiose beliefs.

Happyone

[samc100]

I don't know how 'generic' this is but I was told by someone who suffers with bi-polar that when on a high it is the most amazing feeling and you always want to stay like that as it is such a unique feeling - regardless of how you treat others. The downs are the other side to the high and are made worse cos' you know you are not that high and you want that high back which makes you feel worse because you can't get it back.

[happyone]

It's not like that for me Sam. I wish it were. I don't get the highs like that, I get overactive, irritable, edgy, twitchy, do everything fast, agree to crazy things like white water rafting.
However, when down, it seems like an awful far far way to get back to being happy. However, my happy is just normal. Maybe a bit high, but I have been like that all my life so it doesn't feel any different to me.

Happyone

[yorkylover]

Hello,I dont htink you have bipolar.My brother has bipolar.He has very big highs,and when he is low he very low.He spends alot of money when he is high,and he is buzzing.when low he gets deeply depressed,agitated,nasty and suicidel.At this moment he is in hospital as he took an overdose yesterday.Hes is in a bad way.

[sarah1984]

Ellen-sorry to hear about your brother. My thoughts are with you and your family.