How can I know if I'm Bi-polar,I've had other Doctors tell me I was just going through the change of life,but

Question

does B-polar run incycles???

Answer 1

Bi-polar runs in cycles...for children the are rapid cyclers where with in a single day they are high and low many times (high means you are manic and every thing is great when you are low you are depressed) where as adults their cycles run like seasons in the fall/winter they are depressed and in the spring/summer they are manic. There is also intermittent explosive disorder which is a part of bi-polar and it is where those who get so distraught act out in anger and with that they become destructive with property and can get physically violent. If you do not believe what your doctors are saying I suggest you see a psychologist and have a neuropsyche test done to determine it. If you are you may need a mood stabilizer or anti psychotic med depending on your moods, if you are bi-polar and not diagnosed properly you could be treated for just depression and if given an anti depressant it could keep you in a complete state of mania which also is not good.

Answer 2

Well only a Bi-polar can only be truly diagnosed by a Doctor but the symptoms are the same with the change of life I know because I have been through it with the mood swings and all and I know it is not fun but Bi-polar seems more extreme than the change of life. I was lucky that I didn't have the hot flashes and found out that not all women get them. My niece and nephew have Bi-polar and it does require medication to keep it under control and it is noticeable when they don't take the medication.

Answer 3

Folks on here are oversimplifying bipolar disorder - not everyone gets the manic phase, where they are all hyper and all that. If you are bipolar, you may only get the depressed phase with occasional hypomania (just a little bit hyper-no one can tell anything's wrong with you, you're just more upbeat than your base personality, get more done, are friendlier & the life of the party type thing). some people don't get pure mania either, they may get "mixed moods" where you feel depressed, but you are hyper at the same time. And to complicate matters, perimenopause makes bipolar worse, a lot worse, in some cases. And treating bipolar is not easy like someone on here said, it's tough & this condition is usually disabling (like you can't hold down a job-although there are a significant minority of sufferers who can, but usually only with meds).

It is true that you would most likely have developed bipolar as a younger woman, and PMS makes it worse. If you have never had any significant mental health problems before, in my opinion it would not be bipolar.

You really really need to see a psychiatrist and be honest and a woman psychiatrist would be much better. Read up on this website:

bipolarworld.net and click on Dr. Phelp's stuff, go to his website and read up on bipolar and hormones, see what you think.

Answer 4

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder with depression and manic moods; menopause could cause mood swings that look a lot like Bipolar DIsorder. Did you have extreme mood swings before you were at the age of "change of life?" If you didn't, it seems more likely that your moods are related to menopause. I'm not sure what you mean by BIpolar running in cycles, but if you mean you have a depressed mood for a while and then a manic mood for a while, yes, it does work that way for some people with BIpolar DIsorder, some change moods really quickly and it's called "rapid cycling." Other people with Bipolar DIsorder seem to stay one mood or the other for long periods of time. (I work in mental health, I'm not a doctor though.) I have depression, my brother has bipolar disorder and I have been around a lot of people with bipolar disorder. My brother tends to be kind of grumpy all the time but it got better when he started taking Lithium. One friend is manic most of the time, he talks real fast and says a lot of crazy stuf, another friend seems to be depressed a lot. It can be different for different people. Your doctor is probably right, unless you think you had unusual mood swings before you got to the "change."

Answer 5

The doctor that I talked to didn't mention bi-polar, but just wanted to give me prozac! I think the doctors are going mental on us menopausal women. We no longer take orders from them regarding our health & since we are now asking difficult questions, it seems as if they just want us to shut up & go away! Sorry, the only thing that I know about bi-polar is from an old neighbor who was really out there & had a sex addiction & liked to yell mean things at total strangers, then an hour later she would ask you for a cigarette & be nicey-nice!

Answer 6

Bi-Polar has 2 phases. You have a high phase and a low phase. On a high phase u do things u wouldn't normally do, like stay up for 3-4 days, or longer, with no need to sleep, something other people could not see u doing, just something totally absurd or even dangerous. On a low phase, u can't get out of bed, u feel as if u have nothing to live for, u feel worthless, u beat yourself down for nothing at all. Believe me I know, I am Bi-Polar.

Answer 7

You need a doctor to diagnose you,not all us brainiacs on yahoo.I happen to work in the mental health field as a counselor, and if you came to me with that question,which you sort of did, I'd tell you to make an appointment with a psychiatrist and be totally honest with her/him and follow their advise. And unbenownst to Bonnie, bi-polar definitely has cycles. They are the manic phase and the depressed phase. When you're manic, everything seems wonderful and you hang with all your ppl and spend all your money and on and on,etc. When depressed it's hard to even get out of bed, you have no motivation etc. If you think you might be bi-polar, get help now. I have bi-polar and with the proper meds and therapy,I am able to have a 'normal' life. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 8

Going Thur the "change", can make you nutty as hell, insomnia, mood swings, irritability, depression, forget fullness, Bi polar would be easier, they just give you some lithium, for menopause, it's take some hormones (not always safe), or deal with it. Sorry but I'm pretty sure you are going Thur menopause(it would feel so much better to blame everything on a mental problem) And besides, the symptoms of Bi polar show up in your late teens, or early 20's, not in your 40's, thats why your doctors are telling you it's menopause.

Answer 9

The onset of Bi-polar is between the age of 17 and 22 depending on if you are male or female.

Answer 10

When you say does Bipolar run in cycles do you mean that you go through cycles of ups (manic) and downs (depression)? If that is the cycles you are talking about than yes. Sometimes you are very energetic, giddy, happy.... and othe r times you are sad, tired, depressed. Talk to a mental health doctor and tell that person your mental state. Keep a log of your moods and report that to your doctor too.