How do I know if my partner's bipolar?

Question

She's kinda nuts

Answer 1

No Needed to know more

Answer 2

Bipolar disorder is often difficult to recognize and diagnose. It causes a person to have a high level of energy, grandiose thoughts or ideas, and impulsive or reckless behavior. These symptoms may feel good to a person, which may lead to denial that there is a problem.

Another reason bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose is that its symptoms may appear to be part of another illness or attributed to other problems, such as substance abuse, poor school performance, or trouble in the workplace.

Symptoms of mania:

The symptoms of mania, which can last up to three months if untreated, include:
Excessive energy, activity, restlessness, racing thoughts and rapid talking
• Denial that anything is wrong
• Extreme "high" or euphoric feelings — a person may feel "on top of the world" and nothing, including bad news or tragic events, can change this "happiness."
• Easily irritated or distracted
• Decreased need for sleep – an individual may last for days with little or no sleep without feeling tired.
• Unrealistic beliefs in one’s ability and powers — a person may experience feelings of exaggerated confidence or unwarranted optimism. This can lead to overly ambitious work plans and the belief that nothing can stop him or her from accomplishing any task...
• Uncharacteristically poor judgment — a person may make poor decisions which may lead to unrealistic involvement in activities, meetings and deadlines, reckless driving, spending sprees and foolish business ventures.
• Sustained period of behavior that is different from usual — a person may dress and/or act differently than he or she usually does, become a collector of various items, become indifferent to personal grooming, become obsessed with writing, or experience delusions.
• Unusual sexual drive
• Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol or sleeping medications
• Provocative, intrusive or aggressive behavior — a person may become enraged or paranoid if his or her grand ideas are stopped or excessive social plans are refused.

Symptoms of Depression:
Some people experience periods of normal mood and behavior following a manic phase; however, the depressive phase will eventually appear. Symptoms of depression include:
• Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood
• Sleeping too much or too little, middle-of-the-night or early morning waking
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
• Irritability or restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Persistent physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)
• Thoughts of death or suicide, including suicide attempts
• Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless

Answer 3

I've had some nutso partners myself. Bipolar will have her acting very friendly one minute and then WITHOUT WARNING she will fly off the handle and get enraged. If that's what she's doing...then you're probably dead on and she will need reguatory medication.

Answer 4

Usually, an indicator is EXTREME highs and EXTREME lows without much of a "normal" middle ground. Another key would be if she is completely unable to control those extremes. If you're concerned, talk with her about getting counseling. In any case, YOU cannot diagnose it unless you are a trained, licensed physician.

Answer 5

Only her doctor can tell. You cannot diagnose another person. Perhaps you should not be with her if you think she is nuts. That is pretty negative. If you are thinking things like that perhaps she is not the right person for you.

Answer 6

We're all kind of nuts in our own way aren't we? You yourself can't determine this, a Dr. does, no matter what someone says here you're not going to be able to tell yourself if she is or isn't.

Answer 7

Untreated bipolar people have mood swings that goes from one extreme to the other.

Answer 8

First, thanks for caring.
Second, bipolar is not crazy. It is a mood swing from manic to depressed. The cycle time varies. It is treatable. Get her to a psychiatrist.
Maybe she is just nuts about you?

Answer 9

This is how it feels to you -
Mania- she's irritable for no reason, takes offense when none is intended, she has secrets, she goes on wild spending, she has wild grandiose ideas that sound crazy, she won't tell you what she has been doing, she wants lots of sex.
Depression - she's disappears or she cries for no reason or she sleeps all the time or she stares at TV. You can't reach her. what's sex?

Answer 10

http://www.nmha.org/bipolar/public/signs.cfm