Can someone tell me about bi polar?

Question

I just came back from a date with a girl I recently met. She was acting different tonight, kind of jittery, talking a lot of rubbish and acting evasive towards me. Last time we spoke she was fine and I really thought we had a connection.
I really like this girl but at the same time I don't know if I could put up with her treating me like crap for no reason.
Should I back off now and forget her?
I haven't felt this way about anyone before and its messing with my head.
Can I have some serious advice please from people who may suffer bi polar or anyone who is involved with a bi polar suffer.

Answer 1

Do you know for sure that she's bipolar? There's no reason for it to be a problem. I'm bipolar (and have been for 25+ years) and I've been married for 20. It's possible to be completely free of symptoms with the right meds. Here's the lowdown.

OK, so it's a mood disorder and a serious mental illness. It has a strong genetic component, but appears to be triggered environmentally. There are no diagnostic tests for it, just psychiatric evaluation. Most sufferers are not diagnosed until middle age, and it takes an average of around 8-10 years to get a correct diagnosis. In recent years bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages.

It is characterised by episodes of severe clinical depression and mania or hypomania (for definitions of those, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_diagnostic_criteria_for_bipolar_disorder The extreme end of mania often turns into psychosis, complete with hallucinations and delusions. During manic phases, the persons judgement and perception of reality is severely compromised, leading to risky actions with potentially damaging consequences (financially, sexually and relationship-wise). Untreated, episodes generally worsen over time due to an effect known as kindling. Untreated Bipolar sufferers are at a very high risk of suicide: 20-25% attempt it, and and 15% succeed.

The cycles in bipolar disorder are much longer than people generally believe. Anyone whose mood changes from minute to minute is very unlikely to be bipolar. Bipolar 1 is characterised by mood episodes lasting many months, while Bipolar 2 has episodes in the region of weeks to months. Rapid and ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder is rare, and cycles last days to weeks.

There are many drugs available to treat the symptoms of bipolar (there is no cure). These are either anti-convulsants or anti-psychotics (personally I take both), and the most well known of these is Lithium. Most patients will go through a number of different drugs before finding one that works for them.

Answer 2

I have Bipolar.

From what you describe she may or may not be bipolar, though. It could be that with time her feelings toward you have cooled and she doesn't know what to say around you. She may just be nervous because deep down she doesn't want to hurt you.

You are right. You shouldn't put up with bad treatment. If she's not sure what she feels for you, move on. You don't deserve to be treated badly.

A person with bipolar disordar has extreme mood swings, but the moods tend to be spaced out over a longer period of time than you seem to describe.

If she were bipolar you would see her as perhaps angry, spending lots of money, talking very fast, not sleeping very much, participating in lots of activities, grandiose ideas and self-estimation, or any combination of these outward symptoms. She would then eventually cycle into depression which would seem opposite: Sleeping more (or less), hopeless outlook, crying, suicidal thoughts, etc. It would take at least a couple of weeks for her to cycle from one extreme to another.

And then there is the question of severity. A mild case will be easier to live with.It takes a special kind of person to be with a bipolar. (I'm married to one). But the fun times are really fun!

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Bi polar is hard to diagnose at an early age.I was told that my son may be bi polar but because he is only 11 they said we would have to give it a few more yrs before we knew for sure. Being bi polar means there is no stable emotion. there is an extreme up and extreme down. there is no in between. she is either very happy or very sad and it can go from one extreme to the other within seconds. I would take her out 2 more times and see what she's like. If you really like her on your 4th or 5th date i would ask her about medical history. i know it doesnt sound right but after all you do need to know what ur getting into. but otherwise if she seems stable the next couple of times ask her what was up with the 2nd time u went out with her. and if she seems the same way next time, you need to call her on it. ask her whats wrong. if she says nothing, explain why ur asking. let her know how you feel. communication is the most important thing in a relationship. tell her flat out what you feel about her then tell her about how you feel when she acts this way. another thing never say you make me feel. cause we are responsible for our own emotions therefor you dont want her to think you are totally blaming her for what you feel like. it will cause her to defend her self. would love to know how this works out. if u take my advice let me know how it works.if she is bi polar she will have to take meds to put the balance between up and down. and then she will have some emotional stability.

Answer 4

Most bi-polar, manic depressives can't help what they say or sometimes do. I was diagnosed with the disorder when I was 17, and my mother has been bi-polar for several years. I'm rather fortunate because I don't need any medication for my condition, I just have to manage my anger. As for my mother, she has to take a variety of different meds every day.

Anyways, let me get to my point. If you like her as much as you say then go for it. If you feel like you can't put up with her then forget about it.

Answer 5

Well for starters you have to be sure she has it first. Not all people who act like that are bipolar. Drugs could be the problem too. I have bipolar and so does my husband. As long as we take our meds and talk about what is bothering us were fine. Mental disorders are easy to deal with as long as the other person admits they have a problem and they seek treatment. If not then a relationship with them may not be a good one.
Just for info people with bipolar have major highs and Lows. There is no happy medium. It's like they are really happy think they can do anything one minute and then the next minute they are very depressed. There are many different symptoms. But everyone is different. So you need to know for sure that she has it. If she does then talk to her about it and then go from there. But plz don't judge. Only god has that right.

Answer 6

I am not sure if you are saying she is bipolar or you are bipolar? People with bipolar are manic depressive. Which means one minute they are hyper and the next they are down. You never know when you are going to switch or how long one mood will last. Your hyperness can be extremely mad (so mad that you want to hit, break, or throw things) or so hyper that you can't stop talking or moving. Your down can be where you are so depressed you don't want to talk to anyone or walk out your door. You can get so depressed that all you do is sleep or you think of suicide. It is like having two different personalities. The only difference is with bipolar you know you are who you are you just go up and down. You don't hit the medium very often. I am bipolar it is hard to control the high and the low. When some ome makes me very mad I will go to such extreme that I will punch holes in the walls, break dishes, and yell in everyones face. When I get depressed I will take off for hours go where no one can find me, take extra medicine so that I will go to sleep, or lock myself in the bathroom or bedroom. There is about 75% of America that is bipolar. It is that just some of them have not been diagnosed yet. They are afraid to here they have this disease. If everyone would go to see a couselor and find out what causes half of their problems it would probably be bipolar. We could then help with less suicides, but so many just don't want to here they have it. Who knows both of you could be and this is why you are having problems dealing with each other?!!!

Answer 7

From high to low. From euphoria to depression. From recklessness to listlessness. These are the extremes associated with bipolar disorder, which can be a serious and disabling mental illness. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depression or manic-depressive illness — manic behavior is one extreme of this disorder and depression is the other.

Bipolar disorder often begins in adolescence or early adulthood and may persist throughout life. The causes of bipolar disorder are elusive, and there's no cure.

The flares of bipolar disorder may last for weeks or months, causing great disturbances in the lives of those affected, their friends and their families. Left untreated, the condition usually worsens. But bipolar disorder can be managed with medications and other therapies.

Signs and symptoms
Bipolar disorder is characterized by an alternating pattern of emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). The intensity of the associated signs and symptoms varies. Bipolar disorder can range from a mild condition to a severe condition, and there may be periods of normal behavior.

Manic phase
For many people, signs and symptoms in the manic phase may include:

Feelings of euphoria, extreme optimism and inflated self-esteem
Rapid speech, racing thoughts, agitation and increased physical activity
Poor judgment
Recklessness or taking chances not normally taken
Difficulty sleeping
Tendency to be easily distracted
Inability to concentrate
Aggressive behavior
Depressive phase
In the depressive phase, signs and symptoms include:

Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt or hopelessness
Disturbances in sleep and appetite
Fatigue and loss of interest in daily activities
Problems concentrating
Irritability
Chronic pain without a known cause
Recurring thoughts

Answer 8

There are alot of bi-polar people in this world, ALOT! I am one, my father was too. The 'proper' term is (for me) manic depressant bi-polar. I am on medication now, before the doc I medicated myself with natural remedies : ).

Bi-Polar is where wires get crossed in the brain and we go from one extreme to another. It isn't that bad most of the time.

I have a most awesome boyfriend who understands my condition and when we are in public and I start to have a panic attack he will hold me until it passes.

Your friend being bi-polar shouldn't stop you from having a relationship. You just need to be her Rock during the bad times, and trust me when I say the good times are really Good Times.

Answer 9

Everyone thinks Bipolar disorder is a freak thing. Im Bipolar and so is my mom and her mom. Bipolar is an imbalance of chemicals that transfer messages between neurons so sometimes messages get jumbled and you sometimes get "mixed" messages that translate into emotions. Mostly this makes someone act in a way that most people wouldn't normally act in a situation. She wants to talk but she feels about 100 different emotions that are jumbled up not because you guys were on a date but because she can't act accordingly get her on some meds

Answer 10

I have a Niece who has Bi-polar. It is my understanding that it is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It can be treated with meds. The meds do not cure the problem but help to control it. The person with Bi-Polar will have extreme mood changes. When not on their meds. they can become violent.