Hi - Anyone know much about bipolar "2"?

Question

I went to a talk on depression this week and asked if there is a milder form of bipolar and they said there is 1 and 2. Bip. 2 is the milder one and the social worker described a little about the difference. I do know quite a lot about psychology for a general trained R.N. but want to know more detail. It seems most therapists, do not know the causes but I have my own thoughts. Can anyone give me some symptoms for a 34yr old intelligent accountant male? NB. He IS a perfectionist and sets a high standard (and I do know that these can contribute to the disorder). Thanks.

Answer 1

Your are right about the psychologists not knowing all of the answers. It is just on the cutting edge of medical sciense now. Hopefully, in the near future there will be good tests and better treatments. For right now, I am afraid it is trial and error

Answer 2

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
Signs of Mania or a Manic Episode

Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity

Inflated self-importance; in some, delusions or hallucinations.

Euphoric mood
Feeling “high”, excessively optimistic, better than ever.

Extreme irritability
Feeling irritable or angry; Behavior that is aggressive, provocative, or intrusive.

Decreased need for sleep
Feeling rested after just a few hours of sleep.

More talkative than usual
Extremely talkative and sociable; pressure to keep talking.

Racing thoughts
Flight of ideas; can't keep up with your own ideas and thoughts.

Distractibility
Inability to concentrate, distracted, restless.

Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation

Extremely energetic; increased productivity; a feeling of high intelligence and creativity.

Risky behavior
Excessive involvement in pleasurable or high risk activities, such as sex, drug or alcohol use, gambling, or spending.

Impaired judgment
Reckless, impulsive, unpredictable; No perception that the mood and behaviors are abnormal.

Also see: Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Its an eye opener.

Answer 3

hello,
i am bipolar too, and the perfectionism and high standards he sets for himself and others are among the symptoms. he is driven, to distraction, to reach these goals of great importance to him. as we know, perfectionism is an unreachable goal, but we drive on harder to reach it. we can go from mania to a depression in a matter of moments... or for longer periods of time. there's no rhyme or reason to the timing of the mood swings. I am/was a "rapid recycler"... I could be laughing and crying at the same time. i would talk loudly and a mile a minute..with a lot of "body english" when manic... when depressive...i'd stay in bed for days. my medications now keep my mood mostly level, no major swinging from one to the other. also, usually the sufferer doesn't have a clue that they are bipolar until it gets to the point of really disrupting their lives. family and friends will notice long before the person. he need not stay in this rat race, in a maze. someone needs to approach him about this. as for the cause, simply brain chemistry not correctly in balance.
good luck to you and your friend.
i hope this helped.