View Full Version : Do I have Bipolar? What is the manic part like?


blueyemass1979
10-21-04, 03:00 AM
My therapist repeatedly said that I should consider the possibility that I have bipolar. To which I reply, when have I ever been manic or euphoric?

What are your manic episodes like? I can't recall being euphoric in a long, long, long time. It seems like my life has been various shades of depression alleviated by relatively brief periods of calm and well-adjustedness, but never euphoria. The therapist said that the manic side does not have to be as pronounced as the depressed side.

What makes me think she might have a point is that severe emotional frustrations (well, to me) have on numerous ocassions triggered fairly debilitating depressive episodes, which sounds like what I've heard with the stories of bipolar people. What have these episodes been like for you?

rogerj1
10-22-04, 12:21 AM
A mild type of mania might be simply having grandiose thoughts about yourself. Have you had difficulty taking antidepressants? Bipolars respond very poorly to antidepressants and stimulants. Ever taken any meds? Ever considered getting a 2nd opinion? You could try taking this test. http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/addtests/brain_system_checklist.asp

blueyemass1979
10-25-04, 01:05 AM
You could try taking this test. http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/addtests/brain_system_checklist.asp

But that's just an ADD test, right? At least, all it diagnosed me for was ADD, plus a bunch of Dr. Amen jargon about the brain.

ADD Combined Type Not Probable
ADD Inattentive Type Highly Probable
Cingulate System Hyperactivity Highly Probable
Limbic System Hyperactivity Probable
Basal Ganglia Hyperactivity Probable
Temporal Lobe System Probable

A mild type of mania might be simply having grandiose thoughts about yourself. Have you had difficulty taking antidepressants? Bipolars respond very poorly to antidepressants and stimulants.

I did very well on Zoloft the first time I took it, and also did well on Adderall when I was on it, so that would seem like a strike against Bipolar.

I'll have to check on what qualifies as "grandiose thoughts." I feel like I've accomplished stuff in my life, so yes, I do think grandiose thoughts sometimes...but they're more daydreams. I think everyone does that. How could you accomplish anything without overreaching at least a little?

Draga
10-25-04, 02:33 AM
When I am Manic.....I can not stop going..multitasking is a breeze then..but not only does my Go not stop neither does my mind and most of the time..U can not shut me up and I move around a lot...fidegty..etc. and My Moods are on a 24/7 roller coaster of emotion. There are days I can go without sleeping and the euphoria is pretty much comes when my body is worn out but my mind isn't and my mind is still going....of course that is when the most brilliant ideas and answers to hard questions come to light....it's fweaky!

Draga
10-25-04, 02:35 AM
Here is a link to a page in the forum that give two links..One to Online Bipolar test and the other to a symptom page.....http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8801 I hope that helps.

rogerj1
10-27-04, 01:49 AM
You don't sound bipolar to me blue eyes, maybe you should get a 2nd opinion.

With the grandiosity, it's not so much what you think about your accomplishments, it's how inline your opinion is with others. Ask someone you trust if they agree with your assessment. Grandiosity is only a problem if it gets in the way of relationships or effectiveness in work. There is no shortage of successful people in this world who are grandiose to the extreme. On the other hand they may not be that easy to live with. I'm not addressing this to you in particular, Blueeye, just anyone who's drawn to the thread.
Bipolar I is fairly rare yet Bipolar II is more common. This is bipolar without the obvious extremes. It shows up more as someone with a quirky personality or someone perceived as moody. It looks pretty similiar to depression. One of the big differences is how you respond to antidepressants, which is not well if you're bipolar. My wife, who's mildly bipolar, would have horrible reactions.

rogerj1
10-27-04, 02:03 AM
The results don't make sense to me, but I'm definitely not qualified to interpret them.
What doesn't make sense to me is the inattentive ADD/cingulate hyperactivity combo. That would mean you're a overfocused space case who can't stop worrying and obsessing about things. (I have inattentive ADD myself,my mother in law is overfocus. We're very different people.)
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, have someone you trust, who knows you well, take the test for you and see if they come up with the same results.
Why did you stop Zoloft and Adderall?