Bipolar Disorder

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Just wondering if anyone here battles bipolar disorder and what kind of medicines they take. How long did it take to get a diagnosis? Were you first diagnosed as having depression mistakenly? What are your symptoms like - what caused you to seek help?

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

Bipolar disorder nearly killed me. This website saved my life,
http://www.truehope.com/
I don't like to go into great detail about my bipolar on a public forum, but if you have questions, you can pm me.

 

[ducklite]

My son is Dx with bi-polar. Like the above poster, I don't really like to go further into the whole history of it publicly, but feel free to PM me. I will say that he wasn't Dx with depression first.

He takes Risperdol, Wellbutrin, and Topamax.

Anne

 

[HOGFAN]

not me but niece(25) . the doctors say hers was always "there" but only came to the front when her parents divorced when she was 16. she started having issues that at first they dismissed as reaction to the divorce. when her father moved to Australia and she went to visit him she had a meltdown that required hospitalization. her dad lived in a highrise, the hospital would not release her to him until he moved to ground level, said she would be a jumper. she now lives here and is on meds and disability. she is able to work parttime but her mental state is still very fragile.

 

[mrsv98]

My Step-father has been dx as bo-polar for 25 years. He is on permanent disability becaus ehe cannot function in a "regular" structured work environment. It is a constant battle, his docs are always tweaking his meds and he still gets depressed every winter (he also has SAD).

I would be lying if I said all he did was take some meds and he was fine. It is a day to day illness but he is pretty stable and non-suicidal. His case is pretty severe and was left untreated for at least 10 years so my best advice is to get help immediately. Good luck.

 

[momof2inPA]

The only people, adults, I have known with bi-polar disorder have been pretty obviously bi-polar, even to a casual observer. When they are manic, they go absolutely overboard with everything. When they are on a low, they are suicidal. I'm not sure the diagnosis "bi-polar" means the same thing it used to. Some act like it means "mood swings." If a psychological diagnosis can change definition, what good is it?

 

[ducklite]

The only people, adults, I have known with bi-polar disorder have been pretty obviously bi-polar, even to a casual observer. When they are manic, they go absolutely overboard with everything. When they are on a low, they are suicidal. I'm not sure the diagnosis "bi-polar" means the same thing it used to. Some act like it means "mood swings." If a psychological diagnosis can change definition, what good is it?

Not all people are unable to function. My son went through some bad spots, but we've got his meds tweaked well enough now for him to be stable enough to work 25-35 hours a week (he'd go f/t if he could get it) in a job dealing with the public that he really likes.

There's more to medication with a bi-polar person as well. Keeping a stable routine, eating well, and getting enough sleep are also very important.

Anne

 

[JerseyJanice]

I work part time for a psychiatrist who treats many patients with this disorder and can tell you some general information.

Bi-polar disorder is primarily a chemical imbalance that effects emotions.

Generally, an untreated patient goes into a severe state of either mania or depression that causes them to be nearly "forced" into getting help.

In a manic state, the patient often does outrageously self-destructive things. They might not sleep or eat for days. They can become extremely paranoid.

In the depressive state, the patient becomes extremely depressed. They might sleep for days. They become despondent to the point of being suicidal.

Since the disorder is tied to chemical balance, achieving and maintaining the proper level of the right medication is generally the first course of treatment. However, everyone's body chemistry is different, and it can be difficult to find the right medications and dosing for some people.

Things can happen to people, too, where the medication they were on (for years in many cases) stops working. A major life crisis such as a death in the family, a divorce, being fired, and so forth can set off a manic or depressive episode.

Depending on the case, the doctor may prescribe psychotherapy in addition to medication. In severe cases, electrotherapy can be prescribed too.

It's a lifelong struggle for people who have the disorder and their families. Please don't dispair, though! There are many, many people who are diagnosed with the disorder and do extremely well on drug therapy, as long as the right chemical balance is maintained.

I would suggest meeting with your family physician to discuss your concerns. If he/she thinks it sounds like bi-polar, the patient should be referred to a psychiatrist.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Thanks for the info.

DW Lauri's brother has bipolar disorder. I was quite obvious in him. His swings between manic and depressive were huge, yet he wasn't diagnosed until a year ago. They would just tell him he was depressed and give him the latest in antidepressants.

Now the doctor is looking at this with Lauri since they said that bipolar runs closely through siblings. Out of the 3 siblings in her family, Lauri and the above brother are very similar in many ways so it wouldn't shock me.

Lauri was just curious because she has often wondered this herself because she sees the changes in her personality from being on the top of the world, nothing will stop her, she can do anything and sleep and safety be damned to not wanting to get out of bed in the morning and crying. Just not anywhere near the extreme her brother is.

She's taken antidepressants sporatically through her adult life, most recently for the past 6 yrs to, as the doctors put it, help her cope with her illness and the pain she is going through. She tells them about the seriously low, lows and at first they just wrote it off to depression brought on from dealing with a debilitating illness for years. Seems like the antidepressants they gave her though would quit being effective after a few months.

She did mention to her doctor last time that her older brother was recently dx bipolar and he seemed very interested in that. He told Lauri he was going to let her go a few more weeks with adding a third antidepressant to her schedule (as if the 28 pills the woman takes daily isn't enough ) and if he can't see marked improvement in her, he is going to start treating her for bipolar and she how that works.

I just hope it will put an end to the helplessness she feels at times. You feel so helpless yourself when you just have no idea what to do for them to make it better. Especially when there really isn't anything in your control to do. You can only say "It will be okay" so many times when you know deep in your heart it isn't okay.

 

[Forevryoung]

I'm bipolar- sometimes things are very difficult but I've been lucky so far.

I live on my own. I am graduating from a ranked university in May with amazing grades. I have been president of two student organizations (one focuses on Mental Illness and Stigma). I am going to grad school in the fall. As long as I continue to take care of myself, I will be ok.

Remember that a diagnosis just labels a current situation. It doesnt change who you are or what you want in life-

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Remember that a diagnosis just labels a current situation. It doesnt change who you are or what you want in life-

I'm sure she will be okay if it ends up that this is what the problem is. She is very much like her older brother and if he can be the highest ranking executive in a major japanese electronics manufacturing company, while opening his own business and made enough to retire at 50 while severly bipolar - I think Lauri can hold up to

Thanks for sharing your story!