What is bipolar?

get to know your "bipolar self" so that when you feel a manic episode coming you can controle it somewhat.

what saved my husband (also bi polar) and i was God, and just accepting that you're manic an to just go with it till it passes. fighting it just makes you tired.

good luck

- simone

the epileptic meds are to stabilize your brain waves (i'm on them too)

Mn. How interesting. But I thought issues like schizophrenia were more from a disfunctioning brain than from an 'anticonscience.' I know mental medecine (not drugs, but..you know...anti-drug ) can help people, but I thougth perhaps that was more for people who had personality disorders and such. Less about hallucinations and more about the personality......

is bipolar disorder diagnosed only when depression/mania episodes are long-lasting (each episode is longer than several weeks)? What about a constant change between these episodes , when it is a matter of several days?

My pill pushing doctor never mentioned there were different types of bipolar disorder. I have more depression than ups, but I do sometimes have the manic episodes. Although, the depression seems to heavily outweigh the manic parts.

My new doctor does not want to increase my seroquel dosage because I already have recall problems. I have been doing REALLY well up until this past week - the depression has been seeping back in and staying longer. It figures.....I just wrote a damn book on how well I was doing. Seems it may need a sequel.

Is it sometimes common to wish the entire planet explodes with everyone on it??? Or is it just me?

i think at least if it is just sometimes then yes. Haha

oh garsh I am thinking more and more lately that I could be bipolar. I have had at least 2 people mention it to me...but I dunno!

*to the research-mobile!* though i do not want to get caught up in ' maybe I have this!' again likeI often do. XD

Hi, I was just looking at this thread and other threads saw that a lot of you mentioned (well at least one person) being more creative during hypermanic/manic phases. As I am kind of suspecting of being bipolar (I've posted a thread about that in the forum) I was wondering if anyone could describe this 'creatvity' for me. I have always been very creative and write poems and prose since I was a child - I have also been trying to finish my novel I have been writing on for almost 5 years.

The thing I was wondering about is if you tend to start things but never finish them? I've noticed that I tend to start things (i think that i tend to be more creative during depressed and manic phases) but am unable to finish them - such as my novel. I know exactly how the story is going to end, what should happen in between but I don't seem to be able to finish/don't have the pacience to write it out.

Do you experience that too?

averity05 wrote:I've been looking up as much as possible about bipolar and I fear that I have it.

I just don't know, because I meet several item's on the manic criteria, but I don't meet one requirement for the depressive state. Is this possible? Please let me know.

I know in the manic state someone can be irritated and have increased self-esteam. It also cause increased happiness and can invole risk taking.

I know that the depressive state of bipolar is very similar to "clinical depression", which involves hoplessness, guilt, and possibly wanting to commit suicide.

That's all I can contribute for now.

My psychotherapist, social worker and psychiatrist have all told me that in order to be diagnosed bipolar you need at least ( but not limited to) one manic episode in your lifetime.

Depressive states for me for the most part are slim and few... I've only had one major depressive episode the rest have been moderate. I don't usually know I am in a depression until I'm screened because I always considered the major depressive episode depression and the moderate episodes my normal.