ADHD or Bipolar?

[LillyF]

Hello, I'm new to this forum. I have a question for those of you who are bipolar and ADHD. For those of you who will tell me to see a shrink, I do have one and I talk to him weekly. What does it feel like? I have racing thoughts constantly. I attribute that to the ADHD. I have mood swings, but they are very fast. I read that bipolar mood swings cycle between weeks or months. I have mood swings throughout the period of one or two weeks or a few days. Sometimes even in one day I will go from happy to depressed or angry.

I will find myself angry for no reason at all. I snap at friends and family at the smallest irritation. This anger will last for hours and at the most a few days. I freaked out ex boyfriend with my moods. He would be confused as to why I was happy one moment and P.O'd the next. Here is think I may not be bipolar: I never have happy manic seeming moments.

The only times I seem manic are when I'm angry. I scream at people, I've punched holes in the wall and I've broken locked door knobs to open them. I threw my car keys at one of my exes when I was angry about scraping my car's bumper. It left a black and blue bruise. I pinned down my 6'1 180 pound ex boyfriend when he called me a b*#$@. I'm a petite girl that can't lift 40 pounds...I shouldn't have the strength to do those things.

Once I calm down a few hours to a day later, I apologize and act like nothing happened. Once my mood has changed I completely forget why I was mad at that person in the first place. It creeps people out how quickly I go from wanting them to die to being their best friend. In a nutshell, I'm asking is it possible to be bipolar and only have dysphoric mania? Or is it possible that I'm just someone with ADHD, depression and anger problems?

[Blueranne]

Yes, it is possible to be bipolar and only have dysphoric hypomanias.

[CheekyMonkey]

If you are bipolar, you could be rapid cycling. Some rapid cyclers can cycle in a week or even a day.

Is your psychiatrist a specialist in ADHD or Bipolar?

[PookDo]

I have often wondered if I was bi polar because I know for a fact my mother is . Both my doctor and wife say no

[CheekyMonkey]

Originally Posted by PookDo

I have often wondered if I was bi polar because I know for a fact my mother is . Both my doctor and wife say no

Stimulants would most likely make you extremely manic if you were bipolar.

[PookDo]

Originally Posted by CheekyMonkey

Stimulants would most likely make you extremely manic if you were bipolar.

My Concerta makes me better so that solves that question

[CheekyMonkey]

Originally Posted by PookDo

My Concerta makes me better so that solves that question

My husband is bipolar and on a low-dose stimulant for a sleep disorder, but he is also on other mood stabilizers to keep him from getting manic.

[PookDo]

about 4 years before I was diagnosed with ADHD I was put on seroquel by a psychiatrist and it knocked my *** out for 10 hours straight

[LillyF]

Originally Posted by CheekyMonkey

Stimulants would most likely make you extremely manic if you were bipolar.

That's the other thing. I take Adderall XR and it never brings out my anger. It makes me feel very euphoric, but it's amphetamine... so that's probably to be expected. I'm not hyperactive, so stimulants don't calm me down in the first place. They just give me the motivation to get off of the couch. Nothing can make me angry when I'm medicated. I'm in a happy cloud or something.

The only new behavior I've noticed on stimulants is that I need constant male attention. I hit on every guy I'm interested in. I want to get back together with my ex (who I scared away with my mood swings) but I found myself flirting with his friend!The flirting got to the point where said friend wouldn't mind having... er... relations with me. I never did that before unless the guy made a move on me first.

To answer the other question asked, my psychiatrist is not any kind of specialist. I told him about my frequent freak outs and he thinks I need anger management. He did tell me that he could refer me to have a psychiatric evaluation in San Antonio if I wanted.

[Loonette]

Originally Posted by LillyF

... I pinned down my 6'1 180 pound ex boyfriend when he called me a b*#$@. ...

As an aside, nobody should EVER call you a "b*#$@". That is abuse, and little wonder it set you off.

I imagine that's just the tip of the iceberg and maybe you had good reason to feel so angry.

I lived on the receiving end of it for 18 years and I know my blood boiled many times and I could have done harm to the abuser, but knew better than to even try: in the early years I lashed back at him a few times when he'd picked on me over and over to where I couldn't take it anymore. He always hurt me back 10x more than what I dished out. I'm 5'7 and 125 lbs. He was 6', 180 lbs, and a weight-lifter.

(Long story: Why I Escaped And From What Did I Escape?)

[Efg21]

After thinking about it I am wondering if I am bipolar as well, or is it just my impulses? I was Diagnosed with ADHD and was prescribed Adderall, I have been taking it and when I am on it my attitude is the biggest change! I feel in control, haven't felt a euphoric feeling yet I do not believe, I feel more relaxed, is it possible that I am bipolar as well? ADHD to me has all my symptoms, I am just wondering if bipolar and ADHD are linked, and would adderall help a person who was bipolar?

[GiGi3]

I have only experienced manic highs from antidepressants. I have experienced depression for years. I had many manic outbursts and crazy acting behavior from antidepressants. I have been told by some docs that I am not depressed that I have ADHD. I take a low dose of Adderall and it gives me energy focus and some motivation and takes away my depression. But after several days of being on Adderall I will eventually lose my cool and blow up. This leads me to believe I am also bipolar.

I have been to several docs and have tried tons of meds. I can never seem to reach the "theraputic" dose of moodstabilizer or antipsychotics - they make me depressed! I can take low doses of moodstabilizers and that seems to work along with the low dose of Adderall.

It's a balancing act. Too much Adderall without a low dose of moodstabilizer is just trouble for me. The Adderall keeps the depression away and the moodstabilizer keeps me from getting too angry.