how can i tell if im bipolar or depressed?

Question

i dont know what is wrong with me but i feel its ruining everything.everyday is a different day when i wake up.somtimes i just wanna lay there and not do anything,not talk,eat,shower.and i just lay ther any really not think about anything and that is most days.i have good friends that help me get out and do somthing.if somthing upsets me i cant eat.who ever im around there emoitions kinda affects me.i also have a problem with meeting and talking 2 people.i get scared and really nervous and start to shake.when im with my boyfriend he gets the wourst of me.within 30 mins,ill be happy,sad,angry,wanna be around him then dont want him in site.then i end up drinking to maybe calm my emotions down but dosnt work in the end cause then i dont care about anything at all.i hav overdosed on pills to go to sleep,and ive cut myself while i was drunk.i was in fostercare and dont know about family history execpt one of my brothers has Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disease.i just wana have a normal life

Answer 1

Chances are that if you're cycling that fast you're not bipolar.

OK, so bipolar'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. Historically, figures suggested it affects about 0.8% of the population at some point, which makes it about half as common as schizophrenia. In recent years, bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. As with ADHD, this fad may well pass with time, although for the moment many celebrities appear to be 'popularising' it.

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 person's 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 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

The best thing you can do if you want a normal life is to get help. Only a trained professional can help you figure out what is going on and find the proper treatment for it. There are many disorders that can seem similar to each other. Such as depression, bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia - many of the symptoms are similar or cross over each other. With the help of a doctor and other supporting staff, you can often discover what the problem is and find a good treatment plan.

As an added note, alcohol is a depressant, even though some people get really happy when they are drunk. It depresses your body and has after effects than do more harm than good. Seek real help, not help at the bottom of a bottle. It isn't uncommon for people with mental disorders to seek to self-medicate with many things - caffine, sleeping pills, alcohol, drugs. But only the help of a professional and possible the correct medication will really help. Good luck.

Answer 3

Bipolar sister, are you still awake? This is one of the symptoms, extreme sleeping, or lack of, spending money like it will never run out, being euphoric, then really depressed i.e, 'peaks and valleys' extreme mood swings, yeah, looks like you may fit the build. Ask your doctor, for these- Lexapro, Lamictal, Seroquel, and Strattera
I'll explain each medicine for you--each has side affects, but not unbearable, okay? Lexapro is an anti-depressant, Lamictal is used to help stabilize your mood mellow out/eliminate the mood swings, seroquel will help you sleep and not be so obnoxious when you are moody, and Strattera is for attention deficit disorder which runs hand-in-hand with being bipolar, and will help you to focus throughout the day. Each has mild side affects but you have to keep taking them so they'll help you. You will feel the difference and you will feel better. SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST AND GET YOUR BLOODWORK DONE as with any medication. Oh, and go to therapy at least once a week. Right now, I am at a peak, I have been off my meds for a few months, it happens, and I can feel the difference, I feel horrible. But do get help because you will feel better, with just that alone. and you can email me if you want to. Oh yeah, don't cut, it will make you feel worse of course after you do it. And for the comment about borderline personality disorder, right on the money cause i suffer from that too. But it's all treatable. First stop beating yourself up and go get help, that will make you feel better instantly and your BF, hang on tight to him, appologize, and help him understand, don't keep hurting him especially if you can see it.

Answer 4

From what you have said l think you are very depressed. If you had Bipolar you experience amazing highs where you can do just about anything, then crash and suffer the deepest lows where you cannot do anything.
Its good that you have some good friends as you need people around who are willing to support you. You need to get some help see your GP and they can help you find the help you need.
Maybe you need medication and some counselling might be of some help.
Take it from me drinking will not help it only makes things worse as it is a depressant and when you are already depressed it drags you down further.
Get some help and l promise you that it is possible to have a "normal" life.
Take Care

Answer 5

It's hard to make a diagnosis without seeing you or knowing your full history.

However, multiple mood swings within one day, a history of self harm, and drinking to try and regulate your emotions, social problems and a history of foster care, would suggest to me that you have borderline personality disorder.

You should go and see a doctor for a 'proper' diagnosis, and to see what can be done to help you. You can get a normal life...but you may need some help along the way.

Good luck

Answer 6

I definitely advise you to see a psychologist and psychiatrist immeditately. Cutting yourself is extremely dangerous and you seem to be getting more and more depressed, confused, anxious, and angry. I've been wanting to get into psychology as a major in college and I would love to talk more about this with you. I've read lots of books on psychology and know people in my family who have Schizoaffective Disorder which is Schizophrenia with a mood disorder such as Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety with Panic Attacks and and I can tell you what I know and you can ask your psychologist about it. I've had to be extremely educated about it and am naturally a nurturer. However, I am not a doctor and I do not have the diagnostic criteria to guess your diagnosis like a doctor would. Make sure your legal guardian goes with you to your doctor appt to discuss their views about you too. Ask for a "Diagnostic Questionaire" which will ask you questions like "Do you have racing thoughts?" and etc. Your assigned psychologist should ask you lots of questions to determine your proper diagnosis. If you have any more questions, I'll be more than glad to help. :-) Even if your psychologist tells you you have a mental illness(es) remember "Where there's a will there's a way". I have someone in my family who was in a psychiatric hospital severely ill and in for 3 months and had a strong will to get in control of her life and she is IN CONTROL of her life now. Where there's a will there's a way. My heart goes out to you, and I know that "If you really want something bad enough, you can get it". God bless you. +

Sincerely,
Elysia

Answer 7

You are stressed and depressed and need to accept reality or you will get worse. The people around you are living double lives and you feel it but can't see it . You may never get a better set of friends but then you may. Do some investigating and learn that people live with many secrets. Drop those expectations and beliefs in life and be real and your brain will be nice to you again

Answer 8

Go see a doctor or a counselor. I think you have Spinocerebellar Degeneration Disease.I watch a TV series which its title is 1 litre of tears. This story is about a normal 15-year old girl who had this disease which cause by nothing. she soon slowly won't be able to walk, talk and eat

Answer 9

This is a very good blog, a beginner’s guide to abnormal psychology.
Short, clear and simple; and you can even post your question and contact the author regarding particular subject you are interested in

http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/

Answer 10

Sara - I think it's great that you're reaching out and trying to get help. That is often times the hardest thing to do with someone in your position. I'm sorry that you're not feeling well and I have some information that may help you out.

Bipolar disorder is a very complex, often misdiagnosed disorder amongst all mental disorders. What's important to understand is that if you do have BPD, it's not your fault. The disorder is prevelant amongst over 2 million people in the world and is the 6th leading cause for disability in the world. The disorder can cause great distress among those afflicted and those living with them. Left untreated, bipolar disorder can be a disabling condition, with a high risk of death through suicide.


Sara - I am not a Dr. but have been diagnosed with BPD. I'll try to give you some info to identify with, that may or may not motivate you to seek professional help.

The difference between bipolar disorder and unipolar disorder (also called major depression) is that bipolar disorder involves both elevated and depressive mood states. The duration and intensity of mood states varies widely among people with the illness. Fluctuating from one mood state to the next is called "cycling". Mood swings can cause impairment or improved functioning depending on their direction (up or down) and severity (mild to severe). There can be changes in one's energy level, sleep pattern, activity level, social rhythms and cognitive functioning. Some people may have difficulty functioning during these times.

in the depressive phase, signs and symptoms include: persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation and/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 of suicide.

The good news is, that this disorder is "very treatable" and you're not as far away from living a normal life as you think. It's certainly not your fault that you feel this way, however, now that you've recognized that you need help, you need to become an active participant and driving force in your recovery.

My first suggestion would be to find a psychiatrist who specializes on mood disorders. It may take you 3 - 4 interviews of different Dr's before you find someone that you are comfortable with. Don't be discouraged, be assertive when it comes to choosing a Dr. that you feel that you can trust and be open with. Once you receive a firm diagnosis, you can immediately start off on a medication management plan. For BPD patients, the first line of defense are mood stabilizers (anticonvulsants), designed to stabilize your moods. In addition, you may be prescribed a combination of meds to manage anxiety, insomnia and varying energy levels. Understand that it may take a few weeks to a month to get the dosage right before you reach the theraputic levels. You'll suffer side effects along the way, but the Dr. will slowely bring you up on the dosage so that they are not so bad. It's important that you remain patient and confident in your Dr. during this process. Once you reach the theraputic level on the meds, you'll be less prone to feeling lethargic and will find it easier to propagate and get past some of the disabling troubles you described.

At the point where your moods are stabilized, it's wise to start participating in psychotherapy. Your Dr. will be able to refer you to a good clinical therapist that specializes in BPD. You'll need to keep in mind, that this is a long term process in managing this illness and medication alone will not bring you to a stable state of mind. The meds will dicipate the mania and depression so that you can focus on understanding how your brain works, building acceptance and recognition. Once you get the full scope of why you are feeling depressed, tired, scared and why you are drinking, taking pills and thinking of suicide, you'll feel better in knowing that you have a better grasp of where they come from and how to deal with them.

Over time, if you put faith into your Dr's, the medication and therapy plans, you'll be a much happier person and live a normal life.

I've been in your shoes and I've been through a lot of pain, lost almost everything (including my mind), before I got help. I really wish that I got help sooner, as I live life to the fullest and look forward to every day!

I am currently taking a combination of 6 different medications (which I'll probably take forever) and attend individual one on one CBT (Cognitive behavior therapy) and Group therapy for substance abuse. I also attend support groups for BPD and do volunteer work with those who are afflicted like you.


I've included a few links that may help in the begining of your research for recovery. One of the things that help made me feel better in the beginning was to educate myself as much as possible. Understanding about the disorder will help answer a lot of the questions you asked us today. I hope you feel better soon.

www.dbsalliance.org (check out the resource and support group sections)
www.crazymeds.org (This will provide a plethora of info on meds, written by people who've actually taken them, there are also many good discussion forums as well).