bipolar disorder and panic attacks??

Question

i'm just wondering if you're more likely to have the severe panic attacks while in a manic phase or depressive state? and why?? and how do you know if you're TRULY bipolar or just a moody person in general?? the tests say has there ever been a time when you felt more energetic and stuff than other times and i know that i have depression issues, but when do you know what is too much??...i'm really shy about the subject....i've had several people around me tell me they thought i was bipolar, but i don't go around calling people at two in the morning and spending all my money and that kind of thing so i don't know....anyone got any pointers??

Answer 1

You don't need to be doing the really weird stuff to have a bipolar problem. I am bipolar, and I overreact to almost everything. For instance, tonight, I was on a high, until my BF said he was leaving town until Tuesday night. Because we always spend Sunday and Monday evenings together, I was totally ticked. I flew off the handle at him, and now we aren't speaking at all.

As for the panic attacks, it doesn't seem to matter for me. I can be on a high, or a low, and they happen with similar frequency and severity.

You may want to go to a mental health clinic near you. They are the only ones who can give you an accurate diagnosis. My parents ignored the symptoms, and by the time they realized there was a problem, I was trying to kill myself. Please, go get some help. It will make a huge difference.

Good luck. I've been there, and I know how it feels.

Answer 2

Most people don't spend all of their money on strange stuff and don't call people at 2am. I am Bipolar and have been on medications for it for 15 years not. Bipolar Disorder is classified by the swinging of moods from High euphoric moods where nothing can go wrong. The world could stop tomorrow and you still wouldn't care because for you it will still be there. Then there are the manic lows where nothing can go right. The world will end tomorrow and you are in a depression so deep that you don't know how you will ever get out of it. Nothing will ever go right again. Your house no matter how much you clean it never looks clean and you just want to sleep to avoid having to deal with the world and then here comes that manic high again riding in so fast that you cannot stop no matter what you do. The only way to find out if you are truly Bipolar is to go to a Psychiatrist for an evaluation and some testing. If he feels that you are they will put you on some medications to control the mood swings and make you feel somewhat better. It will take four to six weeks for it to get completely into your system so you have to be patient. There is no cure for Bipolar Disorder so once you are on the meds you will have to stay on them for the rest of your life to stay well and not get sick again. Just remember daily to take you meds it is the only thing that can help you. Good luck and God Bless

Answer 3

Bipolar people are not "set off" by one word as has been said in these answers. They have a brain chemical imbalance that can cause mania or depression at a given time. Medication can help. Panic attacks are related to brain chemicals and therefore can be helped with medication as well. If you are bipolar (and only a psychiatrist can determine that) do not take an ssri as these are known to bring on manic episodes. Another antidepressant might work better for your panic attacks like wellbutrin. Definitely see a psych tho, you're going too much on hearsay about the disorder. A doctor will get to the root of the problem be it bipolar or just panic attacks.

Answer 4

You know there are 2 tipes of bipolar disorders. Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2, in one of them the person is manic and depressive and in the other one the person is hipomanis and depressive. The difference between hipomania and mania is that hipomanic attacks are not as strong as manic attacks there smoother. When you get a manic attack you don´t necessarily have to spend a lot of miney or make phone calls at 2 A.M. Instead you may speak really fast and without stopping, you may not think of the consecuences of your action for example you get sooo euphoric that you could climb to a roof top and not realize you might fall. Have you seen the movie Mr. Jones with Richard Gere, well he´s bipolar. If oyu think you might be bipolar go a clinitian and get the necessary med´s because if you are and you don´t controll it it will get worst, not only the manic fases but the depression ones to.

Answer 5

I've had panic attacks in BOTH states, with equal frequency. There's something about the weakened state of the mind during mania and depression that seems to make panic attacks really problematic. Bipolar disorder is like being perched on a swing, and you go forward into mania, and backward into depression, with not rhyme or reason. Sometimes the motion of the swing is more shallow, so you may get more depressed and less manic, or vice versa. Sometimes the swing moves faster, too, so you move through the mod cycles more rapidly.
Yeah, you may get PMS, or get really upset if a relative dies, but bipolar sufferers tend to get depressed with no obvious cause whatsoever. And normal people may be really panicked when their ex starts stalking them, or enjoy random conversations with strangers at conventions, but manicky people do these things for no reason at all.
Mania isn't just spending too much, or being too happy. It can also look a lot like schizophrenia, with paranoia and hallucinations. That's how it is for me, and euphoria has nothing to do with it sometimes. When I'm manic, I am usually scared to death!
And depression can be just lack of interest in things, excessive fatigue, loss of appetite, inability to maintain concentration, easy upset over normally minor daily setbacks (like parking tickets and such). You don't need to be crying all the time, eating whole quarts of cookie dough ice cream every night, or hiding in bed for says at a time without taking a shower.

Bipolar disorder is a very complicated disease, because it presents in two different, POLAR opposites in its sufferers. There's no cookie-cutter list of symptoms...
Talk to a psychiatrist, and over a few appointments you may get a diagnosis. But I was sick for YEARS before I was correctly diagnosed...

Answer 6

In order to be diagnosed properly u have to be studied by a team of professionals that would agree to categorizing u properly from observance and continual contact. A person with Bipolarism like myself goes through many years of being misdiagnosed even by qualified professionals. It really depends on u to agree if and when u r going through those manic phases and when they r either high or low and if their patterns need to be studied how often do they occur, how long they last and/or whether they r far and in between themselves to categorize u as Bipolar. Take it from me get a professional mental evaluation from a team of experts not just one expert and along with ur conclusions u will be diagnosed properly and correctly. Then starts ur real work how to control ur episodes and they r controllable don't let anyone fool u that they r not. I'm living proof.

Answer 7

Dear Young Sufferer, I developed similar symptoms when I was 14 and did not get to see a Psychiatrist then. I am now 42 and although I am much better in some ways, I have since the age of 20 been seeing a Psychiatrist regularly and been taking anti-psychotic medication since the age of 28. I feel like I was diagnosed late, as a Schizophrenic and Manic Depression sufferer. I wish that I could have got medication earlier, but I must not really blame the doctors as I had been hiding my true face from the world for many years. In other words, I had been putting a brave face on my illness for years and I still do this because it has become a habit which I cannot break from. I know that when we are teenagers we have very fixed and firm ideas about what is right for us and what is not, but you will get over this phase and develop a new dimension to yourself naturally and see the light, and go and see a Psychiatrist. You know, seeing a Psychiatrist is essential if you are suffering with symptoms such as yours? Additionally, after you see the Psychiatrist you can request a brain scan as you will need to get to the bottom of why you have such headaches? I hope you have found this helpful and I really do understand panic attacks, self harm, split mind, feelings of going crazy, unipolar depression, manic depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, fear, guilt, anger, hatred and feeling elated and depressed at the same time (bi-polar symptom). You know, one thing you can do immediately to help your brain chemistry, which is where your problem lies is to take GREEN OLIVES. They are usually found in the supermarket, preserved in brine (salt water), and you need to take 15 green olives, EVERY SINGLE DAY and the way to take them is to take the salt out by putting the 15 green olives in a small bowl of cold water for at least 5 hours, then drain them and CHEW THEM 2 by 2 or whatever until they become like PASTE in your mouth, THEN SWALLOW THIS PASTE. Remember, to do this with 15 green olives, every single day, ok? Note, that it is better to take them during the morning or afternoon and not before you got to sleep. But you must take 15 green olives in the above stated way, each day and continue this treatment, INDEFINITELY. Eventually, after you are ready to start your psychiatric medication, you can continue this olive treatment. You should know that the right psychiatric medication will be very helpful to you. You are not nuts, you have a problem with your brain chemistry and you must believe that for every illness there is a cure. The mental illness journey is a very long one and you need to learn to relax by doing relaxing activites. But try to avoid masturbation and other illicit sex and drugs if they ever come your way. You know that Fear of The Almighty is enough to save us from bad things? Anyway, I wish you well. If you ever need a friend to talk to, who understands what your are going through then you can contact me again. Lots of love and best wishes. Miss Teek.

Answer 8

It is possible that
you have a slight bi-polar but I doubt it. It happens that people live many years before finding out they do .
A friend lived with her husband for years and both she, and her children suffered abuse from him. They were married for over 15 years before his family informed them that it ran in his family and he suffered from bi-polar but would not allow treatment. All of those years he and his family blamed them for everything under the roof that was due to an illness on his part that he refused to recognize. She thankfully divorced him and their children now live with the knowledge they could have the same problem. They how ever say they will be prepared to handle it with medication should it arrive.

It's best to be checked and find out. . However there are several things which can be a problem,
Diet.
chemical imbalance
medication if you are on any
stress
and just plain self conscious about your privacy which sounds like you.
an example is look at the number of people who thought of Bill Gates as a nerd or fruit cake who had little chance of sucess:).

Go though your family's history (both parents ) for any history of Bi-polar. if you feel uncomfortable with out knowing just get checked. After finding pout you are ok go to yuour friends and tell them you are find and it';s them:):) Insist they get an exam on line or soemthing:):).

Answer 9

I have read some litterature about panic attacks. But they allways seem to have a more scientific approach and that is nothing I need in my struggle to survive those horrible panic attacks. This is a "hand on" and very practical book. I felt it was written to me. I am sure that you are going to feel the same.

Joe Barry writes exactly how I think. The examples are perfectly described. And the method is genius. I recommend this book and thanks Joe Barry for writing it. It changes your life

Answer 10

Sometimes when loved ones are trying to help you they give you a label. If you have concerns call a mental health agency or hotline and talk it out with someone. Bipolar is a dangerous thing and causes suicide. I hope you will check this out for your own wellbeing. Good luck to you!