Another post about bipolar. Could use some help.

[Modestaustin811]

I am a tried and true hypochondriac.

You name it, I thought I had it.

Cancers, weird crazy diseases, heart attacks, strokes, I've had it all.

2016 I had a lot of stability in my life. For the first time in a long time I didn't worry about my health. I had no anxiety, I was free. That all came to an end this past april when I was going through a stressful postgrad, I started having panic attacks again. Then I started getting serious ibs symptoms. THEN my girlfriend left me because of all this. I couldn't sleep more than a few hours, I was also looking for a job in my field, finally found a job in my field, and here I am today.

My mental health is not great at the moment. Somedays I'm okay, but for the most part i'm terrified that I have bipolar. I either feel restless, and have a lot of nervous energy. Or I feel this sinking hollow feeling in my stomach. I feel low, I don't want to get out of bed. I never hate myself, or contemplate suicide, i just feel bad physical feelings, and I feel like crying.

I'm terrified I'm going to have to put on an array of medications. I won't be able to get a great paying job. I'll never be independant. I'll have to move in back with my mother. They'll have to start giving me ECT treatments because my brain is so far gone. I'll become a recluse, a failure.

My family won't understand. I'll be a story of "what could have been"

I"m terrified of this. I can see it all happening. I don't know what to do. I'm scared. This is unlike any health scare I've had before because I undoubtedly am dealing with some sort of depression. I'm starting to get my thoughts that made me lose a lot of weight in the past, like maybe if I go on a very restricted diet it'll make me feel better. I have noticed that my poo has been very loose lately, and floats every time. I've read this is a symptom of malabsorption. I have gotten a blood test though recently and everything was cool. I don't know. I just can't deal with the uncertainty of all this.

Also, I should add that I had really horrible reaction to Zoloft a couple years ago, and I want to do this without medication. I have some strong opinions on them, and I'm happy if they help you. BUt it's really not an option for me. I got better for a long time without them, and I hope I can do it again.

Anyone relate? Thanks for reading this.

[Capercrohnj]

Nervous energy is a symptom of anxiety. I have bipolar II ultra rapid cycling and it's really nothing to be scared about. I was diagnosed when antidepressants made me hypomanic (a lesser form of mania without psychosis). I have had jobs (I'm currently on disability for severe Crohn's not bipolar) and live independently. If you were to have bipolar II (Probably not and l'm sure you don't have bipolar I) they'd never put you on antidepressants alone as they cause hypomania (basically a hyper feeling). I'm currently psych med free except for low dose trazodone which I take for sleeping. ECT is only used in very severe depression that other treatments haven't helped.

As far as IBS I would recommend looking into a low FODMAPS elimination diet as it is helpful in regulating symptoms and discovering what your trigger foods are. I personally ate a modified FODMAPS for a few years for my IBS and Crohn's before I had my colon removed (because of crohn's not ibs) and it helped.

[Modestaustin811]

Nervous energy is a symptom of anxiety. I have bipolar II ultra rapid cycling and it's really nothing to be scared about. I was diagnosed when antidepressants made me hypomanic (a lesser form of mania without psychosis). I have had jobs (I'm currently on disability for severe Crohn's not bipolar) and live independently. If you were to have bipolar II (Probably not and l'm sure you don't have bipolar I) they'd never put you on antidepressants alone as they cause hypomania (basically a hyper feeling). I'm currently psych med free except for low dose trazodone which I take for sleeping. ECT is only used in very severe depression that other treatments haven't helped.
helped.

When you say a hyper feeling, what do you mean exactly?

What kind of symptoms did you get during your hypomanic states?

I keep thinking I have hypomania when I just feel relatively okay. I do get kind of an energized feeling, but I don't do anything reckless. I'm not obviously outward happy. I don't have trouble getting sleep (more so I wake up too early). I don't particularly motivated either, I just feel not that bad. Still bad, but not that bad.

The depression attacks last much shorter, but their awful when they're there. Ugh. I know you say it's nothing to worry about, but I can't help but worry about it!

[Capercrohnj]

For my hypomania is lots of energy, mind won't stop racing, highly motivated to do stuff and very productive (I do my best work during these times), can barely sleep. I talk a lot and fast. It's not a happy feeling though. I don't get reckless but I am more impulsive with spending money, etc.

[MyNameIsTerry]

For my hypomania is lots of energy, mind won't stop racing, highly motivated to do stuff and very productive (I do my best work during these times), can barely sleep. I talk a lot and fast. It's not a happy feeling though. I don't get reckless but I am more impulsive with spending money, etc.

I've been down the bipolar route in my anxiety. One of the big problems I think is that there are many overlaps. For instance, talking a lot = nervousness/anxious, racing thoughts = anxiety/obsessive cycles, etc. I have agitation in my anxiety, since starting a med, and for some time I wondered whether it was some mild mania. I also had cycling mood swings which is what put me onto bipolar in the first place.

So, it's quite difficult to know what it's like to be bipolar when you're not. The media only report about the extreme swings so we get that image of manic episodes with psychosis or delusion but fail to see people with such as bipolar II which is less intense.

Then we have the similiar non bipolar mood disorders that are less impacting than bipolar II.

I gave up in the end. Luckily, with the help of a few people on here, I managed to trace my issues back to a med. And high strength Omega 3 really has stopped the depressive swings for me. I still get the agitation episodes though but I've put that down to the SNRI I am on messing with my adrenaline levels.

How have you found your bipolar symptoms differ to anxiety, if you don't mind me asking?

---------- Post added at 05:12 ---------- Previous post was at 05:06 ----------


I'm terrified I'm going to have to put on an array of medications. I won't be able to get a great paying job. I'll never be independant. I'll have to move in back with my mother. They'll have to start giving me ECT treatments because my brain is so far gone. I'll become a recluse, a failure.

My family won't understand. I'll be a story of "what could have been"

Whether you are is something that a doctor needs to investigate, although we see fear of mental health disorders in anxiety too. OCD has a common theme about fear of schizophrenia but it can be any really.

But we tend to get fed by the nedia about this condition. It's dramatised as the person having psychosis or delusional episodes baracading themsemles in their house out of paranoia. Just like schizophrenia, the media reach for the extremes to sell their wares to us.

For an example of how successful you can be with bipolar, look at Stephen Fry, a well known bipolar celebrity overhere. He's the current president of MIND, probably the biggest mental health charity in the UK, a writer of books, TV presenter, comedian, etc and a very intelligent man!

Being bipolar doesn't have to mean what you fear, Caperchrohnj can tell you that!