Hi I hope this is an ok place to introduce myself . If not can someone please correct me.

My name is melanie, I was dx'd with biploar disorder 5 years ago. I've been focusing on getting the bipolar stable, but I now realize it's time to address the ADD if I want to be successful in returning to school/work.

I knew nothing about ADD until a few years ago when a friend of mine mentioned she had it. I read a couple of books on ADD to learn more about what she was dealing with , when I realized I was reading about myself :eek:

I alway figured the ADD symptoms were just bipolar symptoms but I have since learned not all people with bp have these symptoms.

I've taken a few online ADD screening tests, I score high on all of them...I even had my husband go over the questions and he agreed with my answers.

I haven't sought a diagnoses or treatment for ADD, because I had heard all stimulants and meds for ADD would make me manic. I have since learned that's not necessarily the case.

I just need to gather the courage to mention this to my doc.

Anyway sorry for long intro. This forum seems friendly and supportive.
I look forward to reading more of your posts.

melanie

Welcome to the forums, Melanie. I look forward to seeing more of you :)

Hi Melanie, and welcome to the ADD Forums :) Having one disorder is a challenge...having more than one can certainly complicate things, if not make life very VERY challenging. Its great to see you posting an introduction here, and I think you'll find the ADD Forums to be filled with friendly, compassionate and knowledgeable people.

I look forward to reading more posts of yours.

Thank you both Andi and Andrew for your kind welcome. :)

Welcome Melanie. It's great to have a fellow Canadian on board. We make every group that much better! :)

Welcome, Melanie and, if you can focus long enough :p, read my post of a couple of days ago:
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23417

It might give you hope. More than a decade of successful treatment for bipolar, and I'm just now needing help for ADD. But, the drugs are working great!

You are right that comorbidity for these two disorders is rather high. I, too, can not always tell the difference between the two. I look at it as a dysfunctional brain in general that's resulted in a set of symptoms that encompasses both disorders.

Welcome to the forums. Keep on postin'.

Welcome Melanie. It's great to have a fellow Canadian on board. We make every group that much better! :)

Hi Scuro and thanks. Have to say, I can't disagree with you.
;)

Hi Barb,

Thank you for the links. I read both and found your story to be very inspiring. :)

You are the first bipolar person I have met who is doing so well on an anti-depressant alone, without a mood stabilizer. Most of us go quite high on an anti-d on it's own. I found this to be very interesting.

Thanks again for sharing.

melanie :)

Welcome to the forums. Keep on postin'.

Thanks averity, you seem like a lovely bunch. I plan on doing just that.
:)

You are the first bipolar person I have met who is doing so well on an anti-depressant alone, without a mood stabilizer. Most of us go quite high on an anti-d on it's own. I found this to be very interesting.

I don't remember where or what I explained about that, but it was certainly a concern.

I actually took Depakote for a couple of years but stopped it to have kids (it causes birth defects at a pretty high rate). After my second child, I considered going back on it, but discussed it with my doc. We decided that I'd pretty much gotten the hypomania under control (most of my problems were with depression anyway).

I think it's fascinating that I seem to not need a stabilizer. I do occasionally get too revved up, but never out of control. I'm thinking the pregnancy hormones and so forth actually changed my chemistry a bit.

Hope you're feeling better!