I think I may be Bipolar.?

Question

Since I was 18 (am now nearly 30) I have had either really really bad depression and anger or really really high and weirdly happiness. In my mad phase I am angry, irritable, I want to bite people for no reason and I bite mo own skin and leave teeth marks. I am on antidepressants, and stronger ones now (got the stronger ones today). If I mention Bipolar to doctor's they shrug it off and just say am depressed.Believe me this is not JUST depression, this is ruining my life for nearly 10 years now. I am thinking of writing down my symptoms for my pyschiatrist and am wondering if any people on here are Bipolar and have similar symptoms?? What should I tell them at the hospital etc..?

Answer 1

Well, my grandmother was bipolar, so is my uncle and my aunt, and my mom was diagnosed depressive but she had some episodes of anger ... I have one little cousin, he is 12 and he is showing episodes of severe depression and anger.
I haven't been diagnosed bipolar but I am being treated for depression and I have showed also some symptoms of anger. This is not the end of the world, is only that you brain needs help because your body is not producing the right amount of chemicals you need to regulate your mood swings. I am not implying that is like a day in the park, the opposite, it is hard specially because this is a problem that is usually diagnosed incorrectly. I would advice you to seek help, and do not take a no for an answer, after all, nobody knows what is going on with your body better than you, even if they have a PhD. and you dont'. Look for a good doctor who is willing to listen and help you. Writing down your feelings, like a journal ,is a good idea, that way you can identify what makes you feel like crawling or what makes you snap. So don't get discouraged. I have found that meditation helps me when I am too stressed out, so I take my time I go to my room, close the door and make some respiratory exercises to help me calm down while I am listening some relaxing music, and when I am depressed I try to be with people so it's easier not to let myself drift into sadness. I bought this program from the Midwest Center, it is for Anxiety and Depression, and it has worked wonders for me. So let me tell you, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your life, just don't take a no for an answer, if you think there is somethin wrong with you and your doctor is not paying attention to what you say, then the best thing you can do to get better is to change your doctor.
I hope you get better. You are a valuable person, remember that when you feel sad. Reach out, you are not alone, and the most important thing, you don't have to fight this alone.

Answer 2

I have suspected bipolar. Feel free to email me, I will try to do what I can to help you. Are you in the UK? If so, I know the system here quite well.

Firstly, I do think you might be underestimating depression. So many people call themselves 'depressed', when they're just a bit upset. Depression DOES ruin lives, for whole lifetimes if it's not treated correctly.

You may be bipolar. I can't diagnose you, and you can't diagnose yourself. There are other illnesses with symptoms like these, and they need to be considered too.

Writing down your symptoms for your psychiatrist is a VERY good idea. I can't guarantee what s/he will say.

Make an appointment with your psychiatrist. Tell them that you've been diagnosed with depression but that your mood has a significant 'up'-swing, too. Give them your list of symptoms (DON'T look at lists of symptoms on the internet, because that will affect what you say. Just write down how you feel and what you do when your mood is up).

Good luck! If it is bipolar, it's treatable, so maybe you can begin to get some relevant help and real treatment.

WARNING: Your new antidepressants might induce a manic state. If you start feeling majorly like you do in your 'up' mood, if you feel out of control, stop taking them and call your psychiatrist immediately.

Answer 3

You cant be bipolar but you can "have" it. Dont label!! lol ok well typically when you give someone who has bipolar antidepressants they will get manic. I have been diagnosed with bipolar and my docs took me off antidepressants because I stopped sleeping. I want to bite too when I get so angry. Do you have talk therapy? Let your doc know what is up stating all the things you wrote here. The thing that has worked the best for me is lithium and something to help me sleep. If you let your doc know everything then they will be able to figure out what would work best for you. Just start by saying hey I think I might have bp and let the convo roll from there. It sucks to get angry all the time and you shouldnt have to deal with that alone. So call you doc let him know what is going on.

Answer 4

Just because you have depression, it doesn't make you bipolar. Depression can be treated with antidepressant drugs, which are recommended for people who go into depressions so deep that they cease to be functional.
I have a friend and a cousin who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. What I can tell you stems from their experience. The important cue to bipolar disorder is the presence of chronic (long-lasting) manic phases. A person will sleep very little during that time and make up grand schemes and plans that they will see clearly, but don't seem to make sense to anybody else. The person will tend to become very talkative and enthusiastic about communicating this idea, although the people around them will most likely simply not get it. My friend became threatening in this phase and somebody ended calling the police. That's when he was diagnosed and hospitalized.
If it turns out you are bipolar, don't lose hope. While it is a serious condition, there have been considerable advances in treatment. Both my cousin and my friend have been prescribed lithium-based drugs and both are living normal lives now, safe from having to follow a therapist to assess progress from time to time.

Answer 5

The reason that many psychiatrists shrug off the Bioplar comments is because many people with psychiatric diagnoses tend to escalate their symptoms.

A mood diary might be a good thing. Still, moments of elevated mood do not indicate Bipolar disorder. There is cyclical depression as well.

A diagnosis of Bipolar disorder requires periods of mania or hypomania. There are specific requirements for these states to be diagnosed. If the therapist or psychiatrist has not made this determination, then you are unlikely to receive that diagnosis.

So, how crazy do you get? That is what needs to be determined to make a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder.

Answer 6

I think a regular doctor will just shrug it off. This is what psychiatrists are for. My son was seeing a family practitioner for his depression. He also had a very bad temper, kicking holes in the wall, pulling out bushes in my yard in anger, but his doctor said he didn't have bipolar. He did send us to a psychiatrist and was put on extremely strong meds that made him fall asleep while sitting up, so we took him off those. His psychiatrist also said my son was not bipolar at the time, but it didn't mean that he wouldn't get it sometime in the future. Unfortunately, my son is now an adult and thinks he doesn't need to be on meds. He still has very bad anger problems and honestly it's much more peaceful at home now that he's moved out. But for you, go ahead and write down your symptoms.. the highs and lows are definitely one of the signs of bipolar, but your doctor is the one to diagnosis this for you.

For the people who don't know what bipolar is.. it's another word for manic depressive.

Answer 7

HI...im Bi Polar...
For starters change your GP...if they are not listening to your symptons then get a second opinion as soon as possible.

There should be a local mental health clinic in your area...find it and try and make an appointment without being refered by your Gp...if they ask why tell them about your GPs lack of interest

I have cycles of deep depression and then really manic days and then calm days..then down days...etc etc..you get the picture..so it could be you are a form of Bi Polar too (there are a few)
The biting sounds like behaiour problems..but im not doctor so dont take my word for it...and these can be a part of depression...i scratch myself and make fists with my hands until my hands really really hurt when im on a realllly irritable down/up day...

Best advice is tell anyone who will listen to you...help is out there honest! Ive been this way for 20 years now but diagnosed for 1 year...explains a lot of things ive done in my life..lol!

good luck and all the best.

Answer 8

Yes, by all means, see a psychiatrist. I have bipolar disorder too.

Most psychiatrists are "ho hum" sort of people and don't spend a great deal of time with patients -- but they will sit still long enough to listen to symptoms. A therapist to work along with the psychiatrist is always helpful.

If you go to your local mental health clinic, they will usually do an "intake" interview/assessment, and assign you a therapist who they feel would be best to help deal with your issues.

I hope it works out. Your symptoms (irritable manic-like, weirdly happy and totally depressed) could be bipolar disorder, but then, you really need to talk with a professional for good, solid help. Treating your SYMPTOMS is actually more important than putting a label on yourself (but it's nice to know).

There is a lot of helpful information on line for those of us with these issues... All the best!

Answer 9

Before you see a doctor, go to a library or a bookstore and find a copy of the DSM-IV manual. This is a giant book that could stop a freight truck, however there are literally hundreds of psychological conditions with symptoms that are similar to bi-polar disorder.

It really helps to fully identify your symptoms and what you think might be your condition in order to determine the best treatment for you. Psychologists aren't Dr. House and they can't tell by looking at your runny nose that you have a cold.

Answer 10

Taken from wikipedia.org

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition defined as recurrent episodes of significant disturbance in mood. These disturbances can occur on a spectrum that ranges from debilitating depression to unbridled mania. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder typically experience fluid states of mania, hypomania or what is referred to as a mixed state in conjunction with depressive episodes. These clinical states typically alternate with a normal range of mood. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia, with both bipolar I and bipolar II potentially presenting with rapid cycling.

Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder include: persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation and/or hopelessness, disturbances in sleep and appetite, fatigue and loss of interest in usually enjoyed activities, problems concentrating, loneliness, self-loathing, apathy or indifference, depersonalization, loss of interest in sexual activity, shyness or social anxiety, irritability, chronic pain (with or without a known cause), lack of motivation, and morbid/suicidal ideation.

Yes, I think you should seek a therapist's help as phyctriciast only give you medications. Speak to someone about this too, maybe they can help you seek a therapist. You maybe have Bipolar type 2 but I'm not sure.

Hope this helped!