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Possible Bipolar

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Grantious, Aug 24, 2012.

  1. Grantious

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    Heya,

    I was diagnosed with Depression a LONG time ago! not giving much thought about the good times I have and feel fantastic which are few and far between! tho one of these times coincided with a psychologist appointment! so i was just saying how good i felt tho i was pretty sure i'm going to pay for it dearly later on , as is my cycle and he nodded and said .. mood instability could be bipolar, but i've always assumed bipolar makes you do manic/odd things when i get into my good mood i'm completely in control though more motivated and start things that i'd never finish, but i've always liked these few days because it felt like a break from my debilitating depression... Then i thought about the words "Mood Stabilizers" and i dont actually want to be treated with them because it seems like i'd be ripped away my small consolation prize LOL! of being happy now and again, i know that's thinking a little ahead.. but i don't know exactly whats happening haha does anyone else have any experience with this stuff?

    xoxo. Grantious
     
  2. Mogget

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    Bipolar is characterized by periods of depression and mania. Mania is more than being happy, it's having a huge amount of energy and little impulse control. Often people experiencing mania will not be happy, but irritable or angry.

    That said, neither I nor anyone else on EC is qualified to diagnose you. This is something to discuss with your therapist or psychiatrist.

    However, on the subject of mood stabilizers, they do not prevent happiness, only mania. Just as antidepressants don't remove your ability to feel sad, medications for bipolar don't remove your ability to feel happy.
     
  3. J Snow

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    I agree with everything Mogget said.

    Mania (often thought of as the "up" phase to being bipolar) is actually not a good thing. It could actually be more destructive than depression stages.

    I had a professor for Drugs and Behavior last year who used to live with a bipolar individual. He said his roommate would bust into his room at 3 AM going on about starting a business together, or trying to convince him to go a road trip right then and there. Its not healthy behavior.
     
  4. BNQ2012

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    See a doctor and talk out your concerns. Generally speaking, a mood stabilizer shouldn't blunt your range of emotions like that. You should still be perfectly capable of feeling normal, happy moods.
     
  5. Next time you get into one of these moods, ask someone (after giving them a list of the features of mania beforehand) what they think. Make sure it's someone you can trust to be completely honest with you. A lot of people who are manic will deny it, saying that they're in complete control. I often don't realise I'm manic until my mother comments on it, and even then, I won't believe it for a while, until it starts having negative effects. There are also things such as mixed episodes, where you're both depressed and manic at the same time, so it can be hard to tell. Oh, and different people experience mania in different ways; there are basic symptoms, but their intensity largely depends on the person displaying them or the type e.g. hypomania.

    It's normal for people experiencing depression to go through periods where they feel happy. That said, no one here really knows you. If your psychiatrist thinks you have bipolar, he probably has other reasons for his diagnosis. Bipolar isn't always a cut and dry diagnosis; my psychiatrist has been trying to figure out if I have depression or bipolar for about two years now. Just recently, after I have shown repeatedly that I seem to have a set back every time after I've been off my meds, he seems positive it's the latter.

    As for what mood stabilizers are like, it will vary from person to person, but for me, it doesn't affect my personality. I can still feel happy, sad, and anything in between. I just don't experience as deep of a depression, or as extreme mania.