I may be bipolar..what next ?

[Colourfulpast1975]

I have been experiencing bout of depressions all my life amongs other things. I have been treated for the last 12 years with depression. I'm on Citalopram 10 at the moment but because the last few weeks have been really hard (I had a big meltdown 3 days ago), I went back to my gp and he is increasing the dose. My best friend and an other friends told me they think I'm bipolar because of the very frequent mood swings I'm experiencing. I looked into it a bit deeper and now I'm really scared because I have a lot of the symptoms describing bipolar disorder.
What is going to happen to me if I'm bipolar. I'm really scared of the future.

[KeemaNaanAndCurryOn]

What happens if you have bipolar? You carry on with your life, same as you do now. You take medications to help stabilise your mood. You look at things like CBT and other therapies that can help you manage your condition and you carry on living, but with more understanding of the condition.

But I'd not get ahead of yourself yet. It takes 13 years to become a consultant psychiatrist and even they can't diagnose by looking at symptoms as explained on line or by simple observation like your friends.

Mood swings can be down to so many things. Hormones, cyclothymia, personality disorder, bipolar, thyroid problems. If you're frequently depressed, the difference between your depressed self and your happy normal self can look like mood swings too.

If you think you can manage the way things are and anti-depressants have worked for you before, keep taking them and ask about talking therapies to help you work through the depression.

If you want to work through possible alternative causes of your moods, then speak to your GP about your concerns and ask if it would be possible to get a referral to a psychiatrist for a proper evaluation. They can do a proper diagnostic interview where they can explore all of the possible causes of your mood swings.

FWIW, I have bipolar and it's not scary, it just is what it is. I take meds for it, I've had therapy and I carry on living my life as normal.

[Colourfulpast1975]

Hi Keema, thank you for your post sorry for my late reply. I have been battling all my life with mood swings change, going from a nice person to a horrible person...I have been taking Citalopram for 11 years but I still have bad episodes so I suspect there is something more.i just wish I didn't have the episode when I'm in state of despair.

[HermioneWeasley]

Speak to your GP, get a referral and take the meds you get prescribed.

Please take your meds. Lots of people take them, feel better, stop taking them and get worse and never really stabilise.

[Graceymac]

Bipolar disorder is more than just mood swings, more than swinging from good to bad moods. To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder you must have had at least one manic episode. Symptoms of which include insomnia, pressured speech, disinhibited behaviour, flight of ideas - or disjointed thinking in which you jump from one subject to another, grandiose ideas and agitation amongst others. It doesn't sound as though this is something you have experienced from what you are saying. As Keema says rather than self diagnosis you should seek professional advice.