bipolar symptoms?

[wane]

i was just wondering what the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was whether there were any other symptoms than feeling incredibly high and then really low.

[harasgenster]

Hi
There are different illnesses on the bipolar spectrum that have varying symptoms. Cyclothymia is the mildest, then Biploar II then Bipolar I - the one people think of when they think of manic depression.

I find it difficult to distinguish between anxiety and cyclothymia. I have been diagnosed with the latter but feel that all of my symptoms could be caused by various degrees of anxiety.

From what I understand, Bipolar II includes more severe periods of depression than cyclothymia, while Bipolar I is categorised by periods of mania (the other two only include hypomania). Mania can include delusions, psychotic episodes, I believe.

I'm not a psychiatrist though! The only person that can diagnose and treat bipolar spectrum disorders are psychiatrists so if you have any worries it's best to ask a doctor if a referral seems appropriate for you :)

[petercheck]

During a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts on credit cards, or feel rested after sleeping two hours.Depression symptoms may include sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable crying, change in appetite causing weight loss or gain, increased need for sleep, difficulty making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide.These four articles list the symptoms and signs of manic and depressive episodes, danger signals that a person may be thinking about suicide, and the symptoms of childhood bipolar disorder, which is not entirely the same as adult manic depression.

[spiral]

I would post a link to the symptoms but if you are anything like me as soon as you read them you will think you have them all!

If you really are worried you should go to the doctor and list your symptoms and they will say if the diagnosis fits. In my experience if someone if bipolar (not so much cyclothymia) family or friends notice first and ask the person to seek help, has anyone said anything to you?

Have you done anything when you have felt high that is reckless or dangerous or has had a negative consequence? I think that's the main difference between a depressive disorder and a bipolar one...

[harasgenster]

Spiral makes a good point. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder because my Mam literally dragged me to the doctor, went into his office with me and told him about what was going on.

At that point I had massively reduced need for sleep - I was sleeping only three nights a week but couldn't drop off, my brain just wasn't tired. I was writing a play, writing a sitcom, writing a blog, writing reviews...loads of projects...but wasn't washing or doing any housework.

Hypomania is the ability to do many things at once (or feeling like you can) but the inability to look after yourself. I also, before I was on mood stabilisers, used to believe I was capable of more than I was. I'd write in my diary that I was a genius, that I was going to be famous etc. and believed it! Then a week later I'd say I was a failure.

You swing between arrogance and depression. Bipolar spectrum illnesses are often preceded by a prolonged period of major depression, I've been told. I was extremely depressed (quite insane, to be honest) for around six years with little respite before I started swinging around.

In the UK, bipolar disorder can only be diagnosed in late teens onwards as before then mood swings can be caused by puberty and the diagnosis can become confused (unless this has changed...).

I was actually diagnosed with something between cyclothymia and bipolar II because my depression can slip into major depression and I wasn't functional (couldn't hold a job down etc. - cyclothmics are supposed to be functional). It is during these periods of depression that I mess up - make decisions that are bad for me (a couple of months ago I quit my job, thankfully my employers suggested I go part time instead, I would have regretted that decision!) - rather than the periods of optimism. As far as I am aware, hypomania is normally characterised by periods of optimism rather than recklessness, which would be true mania.

Like I say, my illness could be caused by either extreme anxiety or cyclothymia/bipolar II. In fact, different medical professionals have disagreed on this! It's difficult to tell the difference between illnesses from an amateur point of view, though, as the posters above me said. So see a doc!

[FitnessLady02]

Bipolar disorder is often not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends, or even physicians. An early sign of manic-depressive illness may be hypomania -- a state in which the person shows a high level of energy, excessive moodiness or irritability, and impulsive or reckless behavior. Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it. Thus, even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings, the individual often will deny that anything is wrong.