Am I bi polar?

Hi there.

You could very well be going through very typical teenagedom. However, one of my very best friends of 17 years has bipolar disorder, and the symptoms started to show around age 16-17.

My advice on seeking therapy is this: if your symptoms are affecting the quality of your life, you should at very least see a GP (general physician) who could refer you to a psychologist. Even if it is general teenage angst, and changes, sometimes you still need some extra support. Being a teenager is hard!

Here is a website that might help you in the meantime.
NIMH · Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens (Easy to Read)

Best of luck, dear.

 

What is the duration of these episodes? Do you have weeks/months when you only have the regular ups and downs of life? There's more to a manic episode than feeling happy and it is utterly terrifying.

Be as honest as possible with any doctors and most of them will do their best. I think that only a professional could give you a definite answer. A diagnosis might be useful for obtaining the help that may be required to live with it. Life can be a bitch for everyone, bipolar disorder or not.

 

I would talk to your doctor see if he/she thinks you should get tested. If the test is recommended, it is often a long process. However, in the end, it is well worth it.

 

From what I read, it seems you may have either bipolar II disorder or cyclothymia, but it can be anything.

How long do your episodes usually last? How many do you have in a year? Any mixed (manic and depressive) episodes? How severe do your episodes get? Sorry for all the questions. I myself have rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Do you have any nuclear relatives with history of mental illness? Bipolar disorder can be passed down from parents. Although it's fairly rare, you can also get bipolar disorder from your grandparents.

I hate to rain on the psychologists' parade, but I'd only recommend seeking a diagnosis if you're up to taking medication. I, personally, have never been diagnosed. During a routine checkup, a doctor looked at my records and found that my mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She made me fill out this sheet with questions about suicide and anger, which made me feel very uneasy. She then scheduled an appointment with a psychologist, without even telling me! Even after I canceled the appointment, she felt the need to talk to me about medication. That was the last straw for me. I knew she was talking advantage of me just so she could advertize medication.

Once you're diagnosed with any mental illness (especially one as serious as bipolar disorder), you're set for life. The word "bipolar" will be stamped on you on every college and job application, and you will face terrible discrimination. The stigma on bipolar people is huge. I once told a Spanish teacher about it, and she said "Oh, no! You can't be bipolar. You haven't beaten anyone up!" What really surprised me was that she also taught children with ADHD and autism. I never suspected that.

Unless a diagnosis is so important to you that you're willing to risk all of those things, don't do it. There are plenty of natural ways to treat bipolar disorder, and mood swings in general.

Like everyone else said, live is a bitch. You can have no mental illness at all and still be crazy. It's natural to get mood swings, even if you're not bipolar.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

 

Belle is right
I myself can say i have it but i can control it i think well i used to by self harm and well after time i found that music can really help me more without making myself bleed till i pass out to make myself tired
Sometimes i try to kill myself out of the blue the idea comes to mind and i go like stupid and happy
I think i started to control everything in the end i toke some meds though
But thank god in my country its no such a big deal they would just say im crazy ^^
I think you can control it yourself but at the same time might be part of your teen so dont make a big deal

 

I don't want to refute your experiences, but they may be an anomaly. There is considerable stigma against mental illnesses, yes, but, for instance, I've never had to write about depression on job applications or school ones unless I wanted to. Medication is an option that works for some, but it's not the sole answer or the only effective one. Seeing a psychologist about one's issues isn't a bad thing (Technically, psychologists can't prescribe medication by definition, though psychiatrists can) and can be quite helpful.

 

I hope so. My doctor visits aren't routine, and that doctor was the first doctor I'd seen in nearly 6 years, so my experience may not have been typical. I don't think you have to write about it, but I've heard stories of people with bipolar disorder having the perfect qualifications for a job, only to be turned down for having a mental illness.

I guess just seeing a psychologist would be OK. Even though I never saw the psychologist, much less a psychiatrist, the doctor continued to pressure me about medication (I don't think a doctor who's not a mental health professional legally has the right to pressure any mood stablizing medication on me, either). I hope she was just a bad apple.

If I decide to get diagnosed sometime in the future, I don't want to have that experience again.

 

Yes. Music can help, A LOT. Whenever I feel suicidal, or just plain shitty, I listen to music.

Also, if you have a punching bag, our anything you can kick/punch that won't break, use it. I like to randomly beat up my punching bag whenever I feel manic. It helps!