*Anxiety confused with Bipolar Disorder?*

Hello my name is Rafael *mod edit*. I have studied 2 semesters of psychology and I am going through problems with my girlfriend. She was diagnosed with anxiety at a young age. She had a really rough childhood and I believe that is the reason for her problems. She is known for having extreme mood swings and I am always struggling with that I have always had a doubt in my head if she goes thru manic stages. When she gets angry and her temper rises she turns into a different person and actually scares me. She does have panic attacks thats why her problems or what goes through her head confuses me. She does indeed have love to go shopping and to have sex but doesn't care of the problems that come with it. She is extremely talkative and loves to talk about herself her self esteem is extremely elevated but, she is very pretty. When she gets irritated which is very easily she clenches her fist and toes she turns into someone else please help thank you <3

Lots of things sound like Bipolar that aren't. Borderline Personality Disorder is fairly similar. Those symptoms do sound like bipolar to me but I'm no doctor. It certainly could be but she'd have to go to a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. Hopefully you can be a helpful part of her support system especially since you said she's very pretty
-Mood Swings
-Anxiety/Panic Attacks
-Rough Childhood (Family history of mental illness?)
-Personality/Mood Changes
-Shopping Sprees (Compulsive)
-Overconfidence (delusions of grandeur?)
-Irritable

Just a hunch.... the elevated self esteem may be a facade due to whatever mental illness she's experiencing. But I'm just a layperson here.

You cannot cure her. But you can learn how to support her, if she does decide to get diagnosed by a professional.

Do not take her actions or words personally. If she's truly mentally ill, it's the illness talking, and not her true self. In the meantime, you can learn ways to support her or help her help herself if you truly do care about her.

Chino25 wrote:Hello my name is Rafael *mod edit*. I have studied 2 semesters of psychology and I am going through problems with my girlfriend. She was diagnosed with anxiety at a young age. She had a really rough childhood and I believe that is the reason for her problems. She is known for having extreme mood swings and I am always struggling with that I have always had a doubt in my head if she goes thru manic stages. When she gets angry and her temper rises she turns into a different person and actually scares me. She does have panic attacks thats why her problems or what goes through her head confuses me. She does indeed have love to go shopping and to have sex but doesn't care of the problems that come with it. She is extremely talkative and loves to talk about herself her self esteem is extremely elevated but, she is very pretty. When she gets irritated which is very easily she clenches her fist and toes she turns into someone else please help thank you <3

Hi Rafael! I have a diagnosis of anxiety and I totally understand your girlfriend. I have anxiety since I am really young. Highs and lows between depression and being euphoric. I have a high anxiety and depressive mods in some times of the year. I have those symptoms but what I have to tell you is that when you have a rough childhood it gives you scars in yourself. Anxiety have some things that can be related with Bipolar Disorder. But I guess she needs to go to a therapist or a psychiatrist to understand what happens with her. When I'm anxious I'm depressive and I have the same symptoms as a depressive episode of bipolar but I guess that's normal and then when my anxiety stops I get really happy because I'm free of those feelings and I get really euphoric and I just want to go out and I feel really confident about myself in a way that I feel like I'm better than anyone, I have a power in myself that I can flirt with everyone because I love myself and everyone will want me. It sounds like a maniac episode but as my therapist never diagnosed me with bipolar I just have serious problems with anxiety. I had in those last 2 weeks an episode of anxiety and I thought I was dying. I started with Xanax like I used to do when I was young and I just relaxed... Now I'm feeling really happy or better because I feel more relaxed. You should talk to her to see what she feels and say that she needs help to see what's going through. I hope she gets well!