The majority of people with Bipolar disorder DO NOT have constantly changing moods.
In fact, the mood episodes last weeks and months. You may be manic for 2 months and depressed for 6 months with normal moods in between.
Rapid cycling is rare, even then it usually means 4 episodes per year
NOT EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY!
**Learning post ****
2007-07-24 07:23:01 · 15 answers · asked by riptide_71 5 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Thanks Riptide-I've been thinking how to get this across as well as I am sick of all the overdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder that occurs not just here, but professionally as well. Bipolar II seems particularly overdiagnosed and based on what I consider to be rather poor evaluations and flimsy evidence. Ultradian cycling does occur, but it is rare and most common in children, especially those who were misdiagnosed as ADHD and given stimulants that precipitated the rapid cycling form. Simply being moody and reactive is far from sufficient evidence to warrant the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and careful evaluation and history of clearly distinct EPISODES versus moods is necessary. Unfortunately it's become popular to be Bipolar and that really is a slap to those folks who know what Bipolar really is like. Hang in there and be patient, all fads die out, even those in psychiatry and I've seen a few.
Thanks for posting this!!!
2007-07-24 16:22:25 · answer #1 · answered by Opester 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes, that's true.
I worked in mental health for 20 years. I have seen some Bipolar people suddenly switch from one mood to the other, but I can only think of two incidents of that in 20 years.
Most of the time they are either manic or depressed, or their moods are well controlled and they are just like anybody else.
My brother has Bipolar II, I have at least two friends with Bipolar Disorder. One guy is pretty manicky all the time, always talking a lot and so on. The other seems pretty normal most of the time but she does seem to be a little depressed. My brother used to be kind of irritable a lot, but now his mood is much more controlled since he got on Lithium.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, my cousin has Bipolar. I saw her acting very openly seductive around guys once. The guys seemed to be shocked at her behavior (and she's pretty cute)--it was in a public place. Then later on her mom said "she takes Lithium." Being "hypersexual" can be a symptom of a manic phase.
I have depression. I have had a few times where I seemed to be almost manic, but it only lasted a few hours and my understanding is this didn't qualify as a true manic episode, it usually had more to do with my not getting enough sleep.
Somebody has to have manic symptoms for at least three days in a row (or something like that) for it to truly qualify.
2007-07-25 09:32:17 · answer #2 · answered by majnun99 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thanks for sharing that info for people who don't understand bipolar disorder, it runs in my family. I got lucky and have anxiety disorder, OCD and bipolar. I don't hate it though, it makes me a stronger person in the long run and it's who I am. I also like the answer from the person who said just because your mood changes every ten minutes doesn't mean your bipolar. I have been in the phase i'm in now for about 4 months now. I get crazy thoughts that I have acted on, some have turned out good and some have turned out bad. I am not on medication and I think I really need to be. I have gotten in trouble twice in this phase. I have been to jail and have gotten a ticket and I have never got one and i'm going out and shopping and drinking too much, i'm spending all I have which needs to go to more important stuff but I can't help it. I quit my job earlier too, I really don't need it though, that was a bad decision I made taking that job and I was like why did I do that, it's not a good job. I also got an impulse to move to the beach a couple months ago and like a week after having that thought I just got up and did it, i'm glad I did that too. I'm just sharing SOME of my experiences in this mania episode for people who don't understand also
2007-07-24 15:11:19 · answer #3 · answered by It's MIRANDA!!!! 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
True, although there is a form of bipolar called Ultradian Bipolar Disorder where the moods can flip back and forth several times a day. I think this is more common in children than adults.
2007-07-24 16:55:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wish more people knew this! ive been depressed for years and was recently diagnosed as bipolar. when i told one of my friends that i was bipolar, she didnt believe me! she said being bipolar meant that you had to have crazy mood swings, like laughing in the middle of a crying spell and being really angry the next second. my mom said the same thing. its unbelievable how little most people know about bipolar disorder.
2007-07-25 00:14:36 · answer #5 · answered by sweet_tangerine 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Hi riptide:
Thank you so much for posting this informative statement. It is nice to see someone educate the oublic on Bipolar, as I try to do the same. I have Bipolar 1.
Thank you!
Be safe and be well
2007-07-26 12:30:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think thats the one thing that bothers me most about living with bipolar disorder...
all the people who have "mood-swings" and say, oh I think I'm bipolar...
its like, uh, no, sorry hon, just cause you were happy 10 minutes ago doesn't mean that being sad now makes you bipolar..
2007-07-24 14:31:38 · answer #7 · answered by oxymoroncolleen 2 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Amen, I am so frusterated with people answering every mental health question "um you probably have bipolar" if you know nothing about this disorder other than "moodswings" do some actually research to provide people well thoughtout and helpful answers.
2007-07-24 14:57:04 · answer #8 · answered by 1 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My mom has Bipolar.
2007-07-24 14:27:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
being bipolar i consider it a gift rather than a disorder , i do know that unless your have it you can't comprehend it . and thank you
2007-07-24 14:28:20 · answer #10 · answered by david m 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋