Bipolar???

Question

it all started 5 months ago with my aunt dying, i started picking fights with my friends and family. I only like hanging out with 2 of my friends. I have been really depressed and I don't know what to do. I easily cry and can't seem to get any rest. I make everything seem worse then what it really is. A month ago my boyfriend broke up with me and it got worse. Could I have bipolar disorder?

Answer 1

Bipolar disorder is one of the most difficult mental conditions to diagnose. Even professionals don't always get it right, but you might consider seeing one anyway.

That said, in order to be Bipolar you need to have manic highs (where you feel like you can take on the world, have huge ideas, spend money, etc.) as well as depressive lows.

Answer 2

It is always a possibility and I am not a professional. I would love to say it sounds like you are not and all of this is just brought on because of your aunt. HOWEVER, bipolar is a gene that is carried for years and often needs a TRIGGER EVENT. For some people it is abuse, puberty, the death of a loved one, a really bad break up, and they now know BIRTH can be the trigger. My advice to you is to see a bipolar specialist. I assume you have experienced mild highs (hypomania) or full blown highs (mania) to suspect this. No matter how long they lasted, the pattern of UP AND DOWN has been present for you to question if Bipolar is present. There is no such thing as a textbook case. Everyone is different. Some people cycle so rapidly, they pull a complete mania to depression cycle inside of 10 minutes. Some are more traditional bipolars. Go have all the tests to rule it out. Thyroid, hormones, neurology, all of it. Sleep study, diabetes. You name it. Get a thourough family history together. Set up appointments now. Get the despression under control and make sure you voice every concern. Never take a medication without knowing the risks and benefits first. You have rights and use them. Be active in your treatment. It is a partnership. Be up to date on the newest treatments. Your doctor (psychiatrist) should be too. Always get a second opinion. Psychotherapy is a must do as well. I wish you well! Feel free to email me.

Answer 3

I would say go to a psychiatrist. I went to two, they uncovered bipolar and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)... You might be either borderline or PTSD, but it could just be grieving. It's only been 5 months and you obviously had a strong bond with your aunt. If you are using drugs or drinking, STOP. I self-medicated with both to escape my illnesses for so long that I didn't know I even had anything wrong. Of course, that's not everyone's problem.

If you have a lot of days where 2-4 hours of sleep puts you on top of the world, fully (over)energized, aggressive to the point of screaming or literally bashing something (or someone; hopefully not?), impulsive in eating or spending or drugging/drinking, random reckless driving for the thrill of it, or anything that many people consider "over the top," that is textbook mania. That's me most of the time. I don't worry about those sleepless nights because I am always fine the next day... Unless I am having a depression day.

Depression for me is this: unable to move/hit snooze on alarm clock because I just don't want to, unenergized, gloomy, doomed feeling, snappy, unhappy, at extremes it can be suicidal. This is lately the rare mood for me. I am manic phase most of the time.

Watch your moods and keep a diary noting your moods and what changes them or how often. Then bring it to a professional. It will work. That's why they charge so much!!! ;-)

Answer 4

Well you have gone through some tough times in the last five months. When you loose a loved one you go through different stages of grief. Look them up and read about the stages of the grieving process. The things you are doing is probably part of your grieving. Even the break up could be like a death to you. So you have been stressed and it can make you lash out. Find some articles on grieving and try to see a Dr. if you can. Talk about how you feel to a friend. Cry when you feel like crying and write what your feeling. That is what I did when my brother died 6 months ago and I still write. I started writing poetry and in a journal. It has saved me from insanity. I still cry but I am finding ways to cope. The best thing I realized is that I can't change any thing that has happened. I can try and help others from my experience but I can't let my past pull me under into a tunnel. I was headed there but I am doing better. You do some research and see a Dr. if you can. I pray a lot too. That has been my strength on the days I couldn't even get out of bed. And it hurt to breathe. God answers prayers. I'll say a prayer for you. Bless you and good luck. Your days will be brighter. When one door closes others will open.

Answer 5

Diagnosis is only established after an intensive evaluation by a trained professional. I am Bi-polar and these r but few of the symptoms I have experienced. But I can best describe it by saying that most times I feel very up almost high on life and for no reason at other times I'm so depressed I literally can't get out of bed. The world stops or revolves depending on the day and time. Triggers are far and few in between and anxiety can overtake me at a whim. Medications help, writing helps, therapy helps too. But the best is a combination of all together and ur wanting to get better by learning as much about urself and ur disease. See a professional soon before u try to commit suicide as I did many times and who knows it make over take u. The roller coaster is not always fun and games it is serious enough to end ur life if u don't arrest it and try to control it. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 6

This doesn't sound like bipolar disorder, which is a condition that involves periods of mania (high-energy, euphoric (extremely happhy) moods) followed by crashes of debilitating depression. What you're describing is just the depression part, and it sounds like you're still really grieving over the loss of your aunt.

I'd strongly encourage you to see a professional mental health provider -- a counselor or a psychiatrist -- to get some help with this. There are MANY treatments for depression these days, and many of them are extremely effective. They can help you. Make an appointment as soon as possible and that will be the first step towards finally starting to feel better.

Hang in there -- you can get through this!

Answer 7

Factually, medication is not a substitute for nutritional deficiencies, if you have nutritional deficiencies. You may want to get a zinc supplement 25mg a day and not more. You may also want to get a supplement of thiamin mononitrate by Rite Aid brand or Solaray brand (take half every day). And a magnesium supplement taken only before bed (take half the capsule or tablet every other day - not every day). If these don't help in a week you may want to keep a diary to see if you are getting worse or staying the same. Realize a doctor will put you on a drug which may make you worse, is expensive, and will likely come with a warning label, and you'll have to pay for repeat visits. Many people have nutritional deficiencies that are causing their low moods an don't know it - zinc, thiamin, and magnesium are the most common deficiencies due to chemiacal additives in food, poor quality food replacing plant food, and dieting. Stay away from soda, high fructose corn syup, and anything with a long list of chemicals.

Answer 8

First of all, the best place to get a diagnosis is a psychologist or psychiatrist.

No, it does not appear that you have bipolar disorder. As the name implies, your emotions go from one pole (or extreme) to the other. If you were extremely happy and then extremely depressed for no reason, you might be.

You may have depression, but that is unlikely. Clinical depression has symptoms for over 2 years typically. You are just going through a rough time in your life. You can still talk to people and get help, but I do not think that there is anything specifically wrong with your brain.

Clinical depression relates to the amount of a neurotransmitter, Serotonin. In clinically depressed people, they do not have as much of this neurotransmitter, so their brain cannot tell them to be as happy.

Answer 9

Stress and traumatic life events can trigger chemical imbalances. I experienced burn out at work when I was 23, and I was diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder. At 29, a chief of psychiatry diagnosed me "true blue" Bi-Polar (classic, or called BPI - there's also BP2, rapid cyclers,and other "mood disorders").

Since then, I have had a few different labels thrown at me. Best bet is to get a psych evaluation done by a professional psychiatrist.
What manifests now can change over time as well. It's important to be diagnosed properly.

There are sites you can go to on the net which can help you self-diagnose, but p-docs are paid big for their knowledge and treatment of chemical imbalances. I'd check with an expert.

Answer 10

Bipolar, as the name implies, is characterized by two distinct "poles". The depressive state, which you seem to exhibit, and a manic state. Mania is a state of rapid thoughts and compulsive behaviour. It generally lasts about a third the time of the depressive states. A person suffering from true bipolar disorder has a very high suicide rate and should seek psychological and pharmacological help immediately.

Answer 11

I worked in our hospitals mental health unit for 5 years. I doubt you have bipolar disorder, but it sounds very much like you are depressed. If it has been more than a month and you still are having these troubles, find a counselor, it really helps and if all else fails, there is medication that can help as well. I recommend finding a professional to talk to about your issues.