Do I have bipolar?

[user1485102013]

This is not really an AIBU but I've just had a fucking horrible realisation.

I have days where I feel excited and full of new ideas and plans. Everything feels right and I'll obsess over the new idea/plan and research the hell out of it.

Then the week after I'll be like why was I so excited about that and won't look at it again. When I'm not in the excited phase I'm just a bit lost and feel down.

I take 100mg of Sertraline for anxiety buy now I'm thinking there's more to it

that sounds fairly normal, to be honest.

It would be very irresponsible for anyone to give a diagnosis on mumsnet. See your GP

It could be the anti D's that are pushing you into hypo mania, but real mania you'd be doing crazy out of character style stuff. Could just be that you're a really creative person. Not a bad thing.

Best thing to do, keep a mood journal and then go to your GP.

You sound like me.
The week I'm ovulating I'm super enthusiastic about everything the the week after that I couldn't care less about it.

I'm quite similar but it doesn't bother me. I've never thought I was bipolar just full of big dreams but basically lazy

Fredorrika full of big dreams but lazy sums me up perfectly

It's reassuring to know that I might be 'normal' but will still see my GP. I love the highs obviously but the lows just make me feel shit and like I can't be bothered with life.

See a GO if you're worried. It foes sound like a normal mood range though. Also everyone's more excited by a new idea, then when the reality of putting it into place comes around it suddenly seems less appealing!

Read about, and find a GP who understands, cyclothymia - it's a 'mild' form of bipolar.

"If you have cyclothymia, you'll have periods of low mood followed by periods of euphoria and excitement, when you don't need much sleep.

"The periods of low mood don't last long enough and aren't severe enough to merit a diagnosis of clinical depression, but they'll probably interfere with your ability to function on a day-to-day basis.

"Mood swings will be fairly frequent, as well as persistent – you'll have no more than two symptom-free months in a row."

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cyclothymia/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Do you ever actually actively do anything that could be construed as dangerous/irresponsible/out of character?

Sounds more like an ADHD thing to me.

It sounds within the bounds of normal to me. IMO a disorder is something that has a significant impact on your life, whether practical or emotional. E.g. If you had an idea for a business that you would set up, so you quit your job to do it, then lost interest and didn't do anything.

But do see your GP if you're concerned, especially as meds may cause or mask symptoms

Former mental health nurse and qualified counselor here.

There is nothing in your post to indicate Bipolar, or indeed any other mental illness. What you describe isn't abnormal and is something that a lot of people experience to a greater or lesser extent.

I have Bipolar type 2.

When I'm hypomanic I (for example) paint my entire house in three days, run up thousands on my credit cards, leave jobs or apply for new ones completely out of my league, have risky sex with strangers, stay up all night to alphabetise my bookshelves. And so on.

When I'm depressed (which is much more often) I barely leave the house and often attempt suicide (6 attempts in two years).

Honestly, you sound pretty normal. Talk to your GP if you're worried though.

I'm a mental health nurse. Sounds extremely unlikely that you have bipolar disorder. You need to talk to your GP if you have any concerns about your health however.

It is normal to experience fluctuations in mood and to feel more excited about life some days than others.

Many of the celebrities who report they have it do not, they have normal fluctuations in mood.

True mania as part of bipolar disorder is a terrible thing to live with. I have worked with patients who have spent tens of thousands of pounds in a matter of days, contracted HIV through unprotected sex, given all their possessions away, walked naked through the snow and got frostbite.

I'm not qualified to diagnose you
A couple of psychologists have put a label on me, ( they said they had to to treat me ) neither label fitted and while I accept I have mental health issues occasionally, I do not accept either of the labels.
Normal is over rated
Find your own way to be happy and productive, you are not alone and there's help and support out there if you want it.
Good luck xx

I also have Bipolar type 2. I'm more like @EssieTregowan in that I do risky behaviours and promise too much to too many people. I make grand plans and go at a hundred miles per hour. It's a great feeling, but also causes destruction (spending money I don't have, sleeping with strangers etc). I also get very irritable and feel that everyone is going too slow compared to my super speed. Also notice little things like individual flowers on the ground or a particular branch on a tree... Very strange tbh!

I would go to the GP if I were you, but I am not sure you have bipolar from what you describe.