Bipolar or what?

Okay, it's a long time since I've posted here on the forum, but here goes...

I've struggled a lot the last two years, and I'm finally in some sort of positive "treatment".
Some time ago I was diagnosed with Asperger's, and stress-related/induced depression.
Now we've found out that the AS is probably wrong, and it's some kind of social/general anxiety and OCD.

The thing is just...
I've also been having pretty noticable moodswings the last 1½ years. I'll try to describe them the best I can:
It's a cycle of 6-9 days
I get one up and one down in this matter of time.
My downs are very noticable depression - I can't go to school (I'm 18), I'm suicidal, and I just feel overall horrible. This lasts for about 2-3 days, depending on the amounts of stress I'm under. But they're there, even if I'm on vacation or something with no stress.
My ups are probably less noticable - because I seem like an eager, bubbly teenager.
I start a lot of projects (drawings, paintings, novels and so on) and I sleep less (it's not like I only sleep 1 hour, but I would say 5 hours, where I normally would sleep 8-10).
I feel energetic and happy for the first day or two, and then it turns to a more negative energy where I'm still energetic, but kind of "angry" - I'm pushing myself to work on these projects, and I feel like a loser if I don't. This lasts for about a day, and then in the next 24 hours, I'll crash down into depression.

BUT NOW.
I asked my psychiatrist about this.
And she says it can't be bipolar.
Her reasons are:

My cycles are far too short - Bipolar ups and downs last for way longer.
My "mania" is nowhere near mania - not even hypomanic (I asked, because I knew you only get hypomanic when you're bipolar II, but she said hypomania is very noticable and you do a lot of stupid stuff).

This leaves be a bit confused, because from what I've read, there are both rapid-cycling, and hypomania shouldn't be as "bad" as she describes.


Anyone got any ideas? (I'm not looking for a diagnosis, I'm just a bit confused)

Well, you're 18. Its probably either common mood swings that a lot of people get, or anxiety related. Your shrink would know better than any of us, but I would say shes right. A manic episode needs to last at least a week for it to even qualify. It doesn't really sound likes it's causing you significant impairment like it does most bipolars. Research mania a bit, and figure out what it's all about. I'm on my phone right now or else I'd help you out.

But whatever you do, don't go looking for a diagnosis. I know you said you arent, but im emphasizing it. Bipolar disorder requires lifelong medication and its really no fun. It has ruined many lives, mine included. If you're truly bipolar, the diagnosis will come to you.

When i was really young i developed schizophrenia. it started with seeing sea creatures in my room and my room changing the way it looked. progressed to numbers at 10 or 11, then my behavior started to become erratic at 12-13. then in high school I started having religious hallucinations like demons and the like. at 17 i was demonstrating all of the features of Paranoid Schizophrenia. But when i was high up in my moods, i was high in my mood. Now my mood stays about the same all the time, but i have psychotic episodes. at one point i was afraid to sleep in my bed because the demons would attack me, and then it progressed to Shadows, and now im leveled out. took a while though, and i still have episodes, but im much better now.

Larana wrote:er.
My "mania" is nowhere near mania - not even hypomanic (I asked, because I knew you only get hypomanic when you're bipolar II, but she said hypomania is very noticable and you do a lot of stupid stuff).

She is right about this. Even though hypomania is "less than" mania, it's still very noticeable and disrupts one's life. During my hypomanias I made a complete fool out of myself constantly and I look back at it and cringe at things I've done and said. My behaviour was so outrageous and not like me at all, and I did have to be hospitalized at one point for it. So, she is right, hypomania is not just good or hyper mood, it is a noticeable disturbance in one's behaviour.

I'd agree with Sociobid, to not go looking for a diagnosis of BP. Getting a correct diagnosis can take a really long time, I know it has for me. One key thing for me was to stop looking for one, but just let the doctor look at my behaviour and reactions to medication objectively, and eventually I got the diagnosis and thus, the right treatment. I will also say to research it a bit more, so you can get an idea of what hypo/mania is and how long the episodes last in typical Bipolar, etc.

- EGD.

People on the autism spectrum have very often mood swings who can be also part of autism.
The connections and differences between the autism spectrum and bipolar are still not 100% clear.
Tony Attwood, a well known expert in Asperger's Syndrom sees moodswings together with aspergers in most cases as part of the asperger syndrome.

If you are not sure about bipolar go see an bipolar expert and bring all the diagnostic reports with you.

It's actually not true that episodes have to last at least a week. I know there was at least one poster on here with ultraradian (within a day) cycling, and my episodes, while they have lasted the "normal" lengths of time (weeks to months), they are more commonly around 3-6 days. Also, my sleep doesn't get below 4 hours a night most of the time, even while manic (I usually need 9 or 10 hours to feel rested).

That being said, the ups do sound a little on the mild side (at least from your description) and like there could be other factors to consider... If it is a sort of BP, maybe it's closer to cyclothymia?

Thanks for all your replies!

Just to get it straight - It's not because I believe I'm bipolar - I was just wondering about those two things, so I'm glad you posted some useful feedback - sometimes it's more "believeable" when it's from someone who actually has the illness.

This has made another question pop up:

There's is a thing called unipolar depression (?)... Is it like bipolar, but without mania? Because that would seem to fit me better. The depressions are just as crippling, but where a bipolar's mania is, there's just "normality"?
Any inputs?

As far as I know unipolar depression isn't related to Bipolar, it just means it's regular depression, or major depressive disorder. Unipolar depression can be just as crippling as bipolar depression.

- EGD.

Oh, okay ^^

So there isn't .. like a "middle" thing?

Larana wrote:So there isn't .. like a "middle" thing?

Well there are some disorders who have to do with mood swings, not just Bipolar.

There is Bipolar I (depression and mania), Bipolar II (depression and hypomania), cyclothymia (milder form of bipolar disorder if you will), Borderline Personality Disorder (a personality disorder who goes along with an unstable mood) and also in autism spectrum disorders there is very often found problems with so called "emotional dysregualation". Emotional dysregulation can also occour in PTSD or ADHD.

If you are not a clear cut case it'll mostly depend on the shrink how he/she will interpret your symptoms and what the other symptoms are you have in addition to it.

My personal opinion to it:
Psychiatry is not an exact sience, important is, what helps you to deal with your symptoms and a lot in psychiatry is a matter of interpretation. It helps to see disorders as a way to interpret your problems and don't take the term itself too serious, a lot more important are your problems and how you deal with them and not that much how you call them.