What's it like to be Bipolar?

Hi. I don't think i've posted on this forum before. I have schizophrenia, so i mostly post on that forum. Anyways, i'm just interested to learn more about other mental conditions, like bipolar disorder. I've done some of my own research on it, so i know the symptoms and such, but i was wondering if there is a general feelings involved in Bipolar. What i mean is, with schizophrenia, i feel a lot like i am not really here and like everything is a dream. I feel like it's hard to know whats real and whats not real and a lot of the time, i dont have any emotions. Also, i'm real paranoid and untrusting of most anyone, so i generally feel like i hate people and i want to be as far away from them as possible. so i'm just interetsted if people with bipolar experience anything like that.

Also, I know that people with Bipolar can experience some delusions and hallucinations when they are really manic or depressed. I'm just curious if psychosis in bipolar is similar to that in schizophrenia. What kinds of hallucinations/delusions have you had? I've talked to a few bipolar people and they said they sometimes heard a voice calling their name. Is that common in bipolar disorder,?to hear voices calling your name? I've never heard any of my voices call my name. Usually they say things that make no sense, comment on what im doing, talk in other languages, criticise me, or scream as if they are being murdered.

thanks for the input.

-Becka

The only hallucinations I have experienced thus far are hearing voices. They don't call my name, but generally tell me to do something or tell me not to do something. I also see people that aren't there.

Bipolar is mostly a condition that affects the mood. The bipolar is often very happy or very sad. Hearing voices and/or having wild ideas can also be present. I'm polar, alcoholic, and have ADHD. So, one can have multipe problems. I had/have many wild ideas, but no voices. Some of my wild ideas have helped me. Some of my ideas led me to a listing in Who's Who in Science because of the research I did in astronomy.
Jim S

i'm bipolar, obsessive compulsive, ADHD.

bipolar affects my life the most out of those three.
it is debilitating and i am unable to work at the moment.

i'm currently 19 years old and live alone. i have Bipolar 1 with rapid cycling. i was first diagnosed with all of the above when i was about eight.

I can go through mood cycles in just one day.. from manic to suicidal.. and then back up. i never know how long each high/low will last for..

when i am experiencing mania, i feel invincible, like some sort of god. euphoria flows through me and i feel a surge of energy and agitation.. my risk taking goes through the roof and i tend to abuse drugs and alcohol to the extreme, in perhaps a subconscious effort to self medicate?

when i'm depressed, i cry for hours and feel as though i have a hole in my chest that is growing and growing. all i can think about is suicide when i'm in this state.

NO ONE IN MY LIFE UNDERSTANDS. i feel completely isolated.

think im actually schizaffectiv... i dunno

think most of my 'symptoms' arent so important cuz i know other people tell me about their own problems and well theres not many people i know who dont get seriously depressed. mostly people seem depresed, but sometimes i see people getting extremely excited over silly things - i feel as if im just more in touch with myself and more ready to admit the suffering we all face. perhaps my emotions are not so intense/noticeable as my grandiose delusions, the only way i actually realized i actually had a definite problem.

I'm bipolar 2, and I have had hallucinations, heard a voice inside my head screaming obscenities at me, etc. I was reading on a Bipolar information site where someone describes it as "having Jesus and Lucifer inside." This seems very true, at least for me. Bipolar has debilitated me to the point that I feel incapable of anything, and the suicidal thoughts are rampid. No one understands and no one cares to... or at least thats what it seems like for me.

Im Bipolar with anxiety disorder and when I'm manic its like my brain can process too much information and all my senses feel more sensitive. When I'm depressed my head feels cloudy and, at its worst, i'll just lie in bed unable to move wishing i wase'nt concious

I have a case of bipolar disorder that comes yearly at this time of year. It comes from the transition from summer break to school. It makes me feel completely alone as if I'm the only person in the school full of students. today on the bus I just started freaking out (in my head so nobody knew) about the fact that I will die some day and I was just so not at peace with it I was terrified of growing up and leaving home and growing old. when I got home I went to my room and couldn't help myself from crying and I felt depressed after that. Then I felt a surge of happiness and exitement and I couldn't wait to get back to school. these highs and lows went on all of today and now I'm sort of neutral. Oh wait here comes a high. It's good to know I'm not alone in the world and people can understand how I feel.

Wow, this is a hard one for me. The hardest part is seperating my dx's. But my primary one is bipolar 1.

It has made my life a rollercoaster of moods, emotions, unstable relationships, jobs, homes, poverty, drs, meds, euphoria to suicidal thoughts.

I am now in a manic state, and it feels like my skins in peeling away and my brain won't stop. My jaws are sore, my muscles tense, my mind races too fast and no thought complete. I want to scream, but it will echo for hours I'm afraid. I'm paranoid, anxious, can't eat, sleep, motivate, concentrate, and won't remember this post later. I will see it and think " I don't remember that at all!!!"

When I get this way I have to try to calm down, but it's virtually impossible so I write, anything, poetry, books, music, I dance, sing, exercise, call someone who excepts it and talk for hours and find myself repeating myself over and over thru the years.

They can't find the right meds for me, and the ones that calm my addict me. Then I have multiple problems.

I come here and know I am not alone, and that someone out there understands, and I try to share to help others thru it.

I surf the net and find games or imfo to make myself feel better.
When I am in psychosis, (which I feel coming on now) I go to the chapel after dark at the hospital and pray. I won't leave til I feel calmer.

I hope this helps someone.

take good care, 9 1/2( on mood scale)