I am not trying to be facetious or smart-assed with this question, but lately I have been having some very intense mood-swings to the point of crying for no apparent reason.
I did a little reading and have decided I may have become hypoglycemic due to the low-carb diet I am on, and my penchant for Chablis, so I plan to control both a little better and see if that fixes me.
The reason for the subject is because even though she was never diagnosed officially, I think my mother may have had bi-polar disorder. There would be times when I would visit her, when I wouldn’t recognize the person she had become because her personality changed to the point where she became non-communicative and would just sit and stare at nothing. Other times she would be happy to the point of singing or joking. She never seemed to find a “middle ground”. I realize this could also be manic depressive behavior, but since I’m no psychiatrist, I wanted to post the question here for your insights.
…they are one and the same thing. (I checked with an ER doc). I was just under the impression that bi-polar had to be controlled with meds whereas M-D did not. In other words, I thought you could function with one but not with the other.
If you start finding messages in your house like “grocery list”… It might be your other self attempting to get through to you.
Especially if they’re old and you don’t remember writing them, that’s deffinately bi-polar.
Besides, you’re mistaking bipolar disorder for dissociative identity disorder (MPD).
Your mother may have had some kind of disorder. She may have exhibited some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. But frankly, unless she was professionally evaluated, there’s no way of knowing for sure.
Same goes for you. You’re trying to see if maybe your mom had something, which would explain your own recent mood swings, right? Before you start thinking you have a disorder of some sort, take a look at your life of late-- any stress-inducing incidents? Anything been on your mind a lot lately? Has anything else in your life coincided with the onset of your symptoms? Because it’s a lot better to take a look at the more simpler explanations and eliminate those, rather than jump to conclusions.
Don’t know if that was directed at me, but believe me, I don’t think it’s funny one bit, Kipper.
AudreyK, thanks for your comments. I have been having relationship problems of late, and we are trying to work those out, but my SO is the one who brought up the mood swings and they had been throwing us both way off kilter. She never knew what to expect from one day to the next. I have been taking St. John’s Wort to “balance” myself a bit, but after 2 years they seem to have stopped working. If it comes to it, my doc said he’s write a scrip for some Zoloft.
If you think your mom has bipolar, she needs to see a Psychiatrist. More often than not bipolar can be controlled with medication. She can most likely function normally again if that is the propblem. Bipolar does not mean she has two different identities. That is something else.
She may just be depressed. Whatever it is, it sounds like a doctor visit is in order.
By the way, if she does have bipolar, keep an eye on yourself. It runs in families.
If you think you have bipolar disorder, you should see a psychiatrist, not a general practitioner. If you are bipolar, taking an antidepressant alone could send you into mania. Drugs like lithium or anticonvulsants are used to stabilize mood first. Of course, mood swings can be a part of major depressive disorder or a host of other illnesses, either mental or physical. Please see a psychiatrist Quasimodem.
You may find the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) website helpful. This is the old Depressive Manic depressive Association (DMDA). The site has lots of information about mood disorders. Be sure to check out the message boards.
anecdotal - the people I’ve known who were diagnosed as bi-polar knew that something was wrong, but couldn’t quite place it (and often mis-recognized it as depression).
If it is relatively easy for you to see a professional for evaluation - I’d highly recommend doing so.
I would say definitely see a mental health professional to be evaluated. However, you should also be aware that it can be difficult to get an accurate daignosis.
A very good friend of mine - my college girlfriend, who I am still in touch with - is bipolar (which is just another name for manic-depressive). She had the problem in college, and it was obvious to me - but it took her more than 10 years after she first saw a psychiatrist about it before she got a correct diagnosis and effective treatment. (She now has it under control, mostly, and is working in mental health herself.) From what she tells me about her mother, it seems she is bipolar as well, but she has always refused to see a doctor about it and won’t admit she heas a problem.
A caveat: I generally don’t nitpick, particularly when psychological states are involved, but BPD and manic depression aren’t really the same thing.
There are several differnt flavours of BPD and they don’t all entail a depressive component. As a result one may receive the diagnosis of BP without ever having been depressed. Manic depression, at least to me, refers to those types of BPD with a depressive component.
That out of the way if you’re experiencing/symptoms or are concerned about your general psychological state, it’s a good idea to see someone. But, big but here, it’s not always a good idea to listen to them. I’m particularly referring to the Zoloft commment above. Though in some cases psychopharmacology works astonishingly well, it’s not a blanket solution. Furthermore, a script may quell your desire to go to France for a bijillion dollar shopping spree, but it mightn’t be the best treatment for day-to-day maintenence.
One of the things worth noting about BPD is that it’s more of a condition than an illness. That’s to say you don’t take pills and get over it. Thus one of the things to be learned is how to recognize and deal/cope with your symptoms. One way to do this is to keep a mood journal (Daily entries of how you felt and what brought it on. Also, include any meds you’re taking). Yeah it sounds hokey but it’s a big help, both for you and whoever’s treating you. It gives you the chance to look back and evaluate your state in its entirty, not just the big parts.
This advice comes by way these people’s research. There’s loads of stuff on this page that could be of help however, just cause you match a profile doesn’t mean that you have the disorder. DO NOT SELF DIAGNOSE. Additionally, there’s a woman by the name of Kay Redfield-Jamision who’s done alot with BPD. She wrote a memoir An Unquiet Mind is more or less required reading in the BPD circle.
ummmm Bipolar Disorder is just the DSMV term for manic depression. There is no “difference.” There are two types of BPD, type 1 and 2. The difference is typically related to the style of mania. BP1 mania is the type you hear about - Wild spending sprees, risk taking, etc. BP2 mania is hypomania- fast speech and thoughts, and irritablility. Lately, SSRI’s have been contraindicated for BPD because they are believed to set off rapid cycling. Typical meds for BPD are mood stabilizers like Depakote, Lamictal, Neurontin, and as a last resort Lithium.
Quasi, if it’ll put your mind at ease, maybe you should go get evaluated by a psychiatrist. Can’t hurt, right? I mean, at the worst they’ll confirm something you already suspect.
I hope things work out for the best, with both your health and your relationship.
I’ll chime in here as well.
I believe bipolar disorder is the clinical term for manic-depression.
Bipolar disorder is one of several illnesses that are classified as affective or mood disorders.
American psychiatrists use the criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders to diagnose bipolar disorder, that has been approved by the American Psychological Association: http://www.psychologynet.org/dsm.html
(Internationally, psychiatrists consult the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) manual, approved by the World Health Organization.)
As a person trying to manage her bipolar disorder,
I recommend Joy Ikelman’s excellent web site for laypeople: http://www.frii.com/~parrot/bip.html
Her web site has been around since 1996.
Psychiastrists will review your behaviors and family history with you. First consultations are usually at least an hour in length.
They may prescribe medications based on your reportings and then observe how you respond to them.
Anti-depressants taken alone often expose mania in people with undiagnosed manic-depression.
Anti-manic (or the new FDA approved anti-convulsant) medications can keep mania tamped down for many people.
But beyond medication the most significant factor in your life is the acceptance and support of your family and friends.
If your family can’t accept your diagnosis, try to find some friends or a group whose regard for your well-being is more important than their own fear of mental illness.
All heath advocates recommend beyond medication and support from significant others, maintaining a balanced schedule with regular bedtimes and a healthy diet and exercise.
Medication is not a cure-all for manic-depression.
Your questions are brave and I applaud that you are asking questions and not trying to hide your difficulties in substance abuse or other addictions. Many people with bipolar disorder have substance abuse problems they have accrued while trying to self-medicate their mood swings.
Lotta reading to do, and a lot of good and caring advice, and I am very grateful. Working in a hospital environment, I see many patients who suffer from depression, some with suicidal ideations. Fortunately, I don’t have those, but I can sure see how unresolved depression can make someone suidical.
We don’t currently have a psychiatrist attached to our hospital, but my HMO will cover the expense, and I plan to start the ball rolling Monday to get to feeling better.
Oddly enough, as I write, there are tears in my eyes - but for another reason entirely.
It sounds like part of what’s going on for you may be that you are worried. Talking to a therapist whose judgement you trust might help relieve that secondary stress.
This is scary to admit on a bulletin board, but I have Bi-polar. Previous comments are correct that anti-depressants cause mania. They make me wild
Anti-convulsants work for me. I hold down a job 40 hr. a week, have friends and generally appear perfectly normal.
I have had it since I was about 15, but was only diagnosed 7 years ago ( I am 53), after many years of seeing psychologists psychiatrists and gp’s. They always said I was depressed and game me an anti-depressant. I certainly came out of depression . . . wildly. They thought that was my cure. Then they gave me narcotics to calm me down. I was addicted to them 16 years.
My suicide attempt 7 years ago and, subsequent hospitalization, turned my life around. I was correctly diagnosed and put on Lithium because it was the only thing I tolerated at the time. WOW! It worked. I was “normal”. I am now on Neurontin, Seroquel and Lamictal. I feel even better. No narcotics and a balanced life. I can hardly believe the miracle.
Often working with a psychologist helps, too. It did help me, but now I don’t need to go any more.
Just thought you would like to hear from one who has been there.
