Bipolar?...?

Question

Sometimes I worry I have bipolar disease. I don't have serious mood swings. I'm happy most of the time, and every once in a while I go into these really sad/depressed moments where I don't want to be around anyone and I just cry. These last for a few days, and then I'm happy again. But when I'm happy I'm not crazy happy, just normal. It's just when I'm sad I get really sad and everything bothers me and makes me cry. I know people with bipolar and their symptoms are a lot more aggressive then mine. But is it possible to have a minor case of bipolar? Or does anyone know what could be wrong? Or is this normal?

thank you

I am 20 years old.
Nothing serious has happened in my life. (no deaths, etc)
I don't know what triggers the sadness, when I get in these moods, everything just makes me sad and irritated.
I never have any manic phases. Only occasional depressive days.

Answer 1

Depending on your age bit of depression can be due to hormonal changes and will ballance out. If you are a young woman or mature woman nearing menopause this could be reason for your mood swings. It would be helpful if you start to mark these times into your calendar and after few months you will see if there is any patern during the month. If you will find it unbearable, visit your family doctor and complain about it. However, I would recommend that you start taking notes, dates etc. so you have something to base your complaint on.

If you would be bi-polar you would suffer extreme mood swings which would definitely interfere with your life.
Good luck.

Even with clinical depression

Answer 2

From my experience (living with bipolar myself), your depression needs to be of-set by a manic state.
As for the frequency everyone is different but I seem to be depressed for a month or two then manic for a month or so. My depression does far outweigh my manic, but usually if I'm not down I'm on my way up. Obviously, medication does help to level me out but apart from on the meds there is no real middle ground.
Very occasionally I am severely depressed but still able to have a laugh with good friends, and by no means is manic happy (I may feel great but I do tend to get aggressive easily and find myself thinking some pretty dark violent thoughts)
No-body here can diagnose you, but it does sound like you suffer bouts of depression. No offence meant but how old are you? This could be explained away as just teenage hormones going crazy. Don't worry I'm only 19 so that was in no way an insult!
Anyways if you really need help find someone to talk weather that be family, a friend, youth worker or counsellor I think that is the only way you will find the answers you need.

Answer 3

Your symptoms are not classic for bipolar. For a bipolar person, even their best days are still depressed ones. Bipolar is a medical condition of the brain where the happy endorphins are not created at all. There are different levels and varieties of bipolar depending on what and how many chemicals are missing from that person but their brain is simply just not creating them so they don't know how to get happy let alone stay happy. Only a psychiatrist who has done research and knows this condition can actually treat a bipolar person because there is so many variables to that condition that the same medications won't work on the same people due to the different chemicals that may not be being created in each individual's brain. They need these chemicals put back into their brains just like a diabetic needs insulin put back into their bodies becasue they have quit creating it. the problem is that there is no testing out there that will tell you just what chemicals are not being created. That is why they need to be treated for it by a psychiatrist who knows mind attitudes and conditions and can see similarities in them and diagnose something for a particular person. The highest high of a bipolar person is still a form of depression. You could have some other type of depression but most likely it isn't bipolar. You could also have a hormone imbalance too which will also create mood swings. It could also just be a simple case of improper rest or not enough rest period for your body at night, like a full 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Unless your body goes into level 5 deep sleep at night, it can't create certain good chemicals that you need to function during the day. One of those is seratonin which the body needs to function well in your muscle area so people that do not get good sleep have aches and pains and that is the reason. Sometimes moods and depression can be caused by not dealing with situations in our lives and letting them go on unattended to for too long a period. This can raise stress levels which pamper depression. Hope that help you out.

Answer 4

The key thing you mentioned is that you don't have serious mood swings. Those with bipolar disorder will have two phases: Mania and Depression. (Some will have phases of feeling normal in between mania and depression).

Here are some characteristics of someone in a manic phase: delusions (some even hallucinate), inability to eat/sleep, delusional self-confidence, sexually promiscuous. Depression: easily fatigued, unable to make decisions, lack of self-confidence or sexual interest, decrease in activities of daily living (brushing your teeth, bathing etc).

Do you have certain thoughts that trigger these episodes of sadness or a history of abuse? Or are you going through a particularly stressful situation? There are so many factors.

Even the most "normal" people will have periods of sadness and this isn't indicative of a pathological condition. If you feel your condition affects your life to the degree that you cannot function normally, then get it checked out by a psychologist/psychiatrist.

Answer 5

Is it happening around the time you get your period, if so, thats what it could be. You did say it only lasts a cuple days, and when your bipolar, it's mood changes that happen several times in one day.

Answer 6

pretty much same as mine, but the difference is the mood swing mine is bad, fist of all what makes you sad and cry? why does it make you sad and cry, have you been through hard times, something bad happened in your life and you cant stop thingking about it, or lack of accomplishments in life, whatever it is just do something about it as quickly as possible so you wont have to worry anymore, and whatever bad memories you have or regrets just forget them "just let them go".......... remember "you sow yourself, you reap yourself"........ no you dont need pills, they can only provide temporary relief.... the best thing you can do is cure your self by "letting go" dont keep it" just "let it go"...

Answer 7

Hey "Luckyella", get your head out of a book and down to real life. Psychology has their "ideas" about mental illness, but it's quite another thing to deal with. Some people just don't fit into the mold that doctors try to squeeze them into. You can't read someone's post and tell them what is wrong with them just from that.

You're a psychology major. But think outside the box. Don't let your ego make you think that you know everything, because you never will.

Answer 8

well, in order to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, your mania would have to last for at least one week straight, where you would be impulsive and extremely up and jumpy...i don't think you have bipolar d/o...you may just be moody...another similar disorder is borderline personality disorder, which is marked by faster mood changes, but you would have to have extreme shifts in mood, like going from telling your friends and family that you hate their living guts, to telling them you love and adore them a short time later...i don't think you have that either....you may want to see a psychologist to see why you get depressed, it's no disorder or serious problem though, and you don't have depression because, you would have to feel depressed for at least 2 weeks at a time...don't worry, i personally think you're just fine :)

Answer 9

my grandma and sister has bipolar. They are crazy one minute then down the next.. you might have depression. You should go to a specialist to be sure.

Answer 10

Bipolar