Bipolar Mood Disorder - thoughts anyone?

[Meeely2]

Hi all

i have been self diagnosing (oh god i hear you say) before i go to my councellor tomorrow. Someone sent me a link on Bipolar Mood Disorder and I am now convinced its a possibilty. Has anyone any experience of this suffered from it, know someone who does?

I know I don't have PND as i have felt like this since i was young I also know that AD's helped so there was clearly some sort of imbalance there which the AD's balanced out. I am just totally irrational at times, overwhelmed by anger and prone to lash out. When I am feeling normal (like now) it's hard to describe how I feel when I am not normal if you get me.

My kids have started to say, "no shouting mummy" or "no screaming mummy" when they see me start to errupt and it breaks my heart that I am putting them through this.

Like I say I am seeing a councellor tomorrow, so hopefully thats a step in the right direction....but are they qualified to look out for more deep rooted issues?

Your symptoms sound like depression to me. it is normal to have up and down times with depression.

Bipolar is characterised by extreme mood swings. It is a very serious condition. Do you have manic periods where you feel invincible and on top of the world? During these periods do thoughts crush in on top of each other because your mind is racing and new ideas keep coming? Do you then crash down into the depths of depression? That is how bipolar usually exhibits itself.

If you really think bipolar is a possiblity then your counsellor may help but you really need to see a GP who should refer you to a pshchiatrist. You will probably need drugs as well as therapy.

Fish oils can help mood swings (whether or not its diagnosable bi-polar)

It doesn't necessarily mean Bipolar, could be depression alone.

With Bipolar you may have very manic moments with rapid speech, inability to sleep for DAYS at a time and feeling generally hyper followed by low feeling and lethargy.

The shouting and yelling can be anxiety related so antidepressants that deal with anxiety may help with that.

A counsellor may probe quite deply but equally they may just offer a sympathtic ear - depends what their title is. Is it a GP referral.
Do you think there are deeper issues? Gave you much idea what they may be even if you don't know what to do about them?

Thanks guys

Artichokes, yeah i read the extremes of moods bit - I don't have the crashing of thoughts on top of each other, but i do have highs - feel like i'm fab, i talk too fast, i drink too much, i spend a fortune on internet shopping....I then go to the depths of despair, everyone hates me, kids are doing stuff on purpose to make me angry (taking too long to put their shoes, they are only 2.7yo), dh hates me, i'm fat...I also constantly want to disappear, i don;t have any thoughts of self harming or of suicide but i do think about 'wouldn't it be good if i got ill or if i got run over and i could go into hosp for a bit' - does that make sense? It's like i'm crying out for attention (i'm 31 for gods sake!).

Anyway, i guess the councellor will know if he dealing with something more that depression....

Thanks for your words.

newlife - yes i think i have deeper issues, it's not PND, but like you say i think it's depression. I went on AD's which really helped, I'm now off them (I ran out and decided to go cold turkey), but i know i'm not 'fixed' hence i want to look into things further with a councellor. I'm not as bad as i was before i went on them (this is helped by my kids being a year older and easier to manage), but i am scared of how far i may go one day in one of my episodes.

\link{http://www.cassmd.com/library/fish.oil.bipolar.study.html\fish oils and bipolar" Loads out there if you type fish oils and bipolar into google. I get the impression there are a number of clinical trials as well.

Perhaps google 'rapid cycling bipolar' fish oils as well.

try again

thanks gess, very informative.

I second the omega oils..i take falx/linseeed and being life style hygenic is a big help

interesting you mention wanting to disappear...I get that but it is a depression thing too

if you do have bipolar tendencies there are risks in taking certain anti depressants as they can ping you into mania

Hi
just caught your thread.
I can totally identify with some of the behaviour you describe. Yet, never taken ADs or been diagnosed anything else than struggling-to-get-it-all-right-modern-mum/wife/woman/whatever else they expect you to be.

I've just gotten to understand bipolar and the symptoms range from very mild (my case and most people I guess) to extremes where you litterally can't function.

Please go to my thread "hyper manic episode" a few lines below this one.
The reality of this illness can be absolutely devastating as you will read.
One of my closest friend who'd been in denial just experienced it by going cold turkey and stopping ADs. One month in mental hospital because she completely lost it and went into what they call rapid cycling. It's crushing to see it happen.
Do get help if you feel borderline, because with some guidance from a good doctor and acceptance of the condition, there is no reason to go over the edge so dramatically.
Hope you feel better soon.

I can also vouch for omega supplement. They do seem to work as a preventive measure.

it is a very potentially volatile illness and life events eg stress, relationships etc etc can trigger depression or mania

it is possible to pass yourself off as normal (i think lol) so do not despair if you get a diagnosis but having said that it is pretty hard to diagnose...lots of people are never diagnosed or go through years without one

life hygiene is worth doing anyway as follows

cut stimulants and depressants like caffeine and alcohol and any street drugs, check over count meds for caffeine gurana etc

get enough (but not too much) sleep

keep a routine in your life

avoid stress

eat lots of fresh fruit and veg and supplement with omega 3s

check out hormone balance and iron levels and thyroid function

and very important get lots of exercise preferably outside..eg walking

couldn' agree more zippit. As far as I understand, good life hygiene seems the only way to ward off extreme relapses.

I suffer from this btw

and have been in hospital once but for 3 months and I don't take any meds

but I am a certifiable loon

actually I take back the word suffer

I can't imagine myself any other way so it's probably not the right word...as it makes you what you are

thanks guys, I have to keep a mood diary for my therapist, but so far since appointment haven't had any episodes! maybe cos i think someone is watching i am behaving! One of my DT's has mastered potty training, so was chuffed to bits all weekend.

when u are 'normal' is so easy to shrug off the episodes as 'what everyone goes through'....i felt a bit of a fraud in my appt, i wish in a way i could be followed by a hidden camera so i behaved as i always do, not playing up or behaving differently and someone could catch the actual flash point.

to tell the truth it doesn't sound like bipolar from what you have said

any of these ring a bell

loads of big major plans which seem like brilliant ideas but other people tell you are ridiculous

chatting up blokes/inaapropritae sexual ideas

spending sprees

racing thoughts

arms feeling long

sense of unreality

over confidence

talking too much

which last longer than a brief amount of time

as well as periods of depression

Hi - my sister was diagnosed with bi-polar recently.

TBH we all knew really. Hers started with PND but she then had some other triggers which the psychiatrist said may have contributed but she is the personality type anyway - a huge clue is self diagnosis!

My sister's speech used to change but that was a result of self-medicating (sleeping tabs and ADs) - another clue. She would sort of lose her inhibitions about what she would say - for instance was looking through my wardrobe once in midst of an episode and told me that most of my clothes were horrible (maybe true of course!). Spends lots. Gets fixated on doing something or a project.

The dr told her that the inappropriate sexual behaviour etc doesn't happen to everyone. She has probs sleeping.

She is not yet medicated as is very nervous of the side effects - I will read the info about fish oils and pass it on.

She was only diagnosed in May and is still coming to terms with it really. Xmas and holidays are def triggers for her. She feels like a crap mother and needs to know that her DCs have every toy going at Xmas and that they have outfits for every eventuality on holiday.

i have spending sprees, but not to the point of getting myself in huge debt - i have bargain hunting sprees - will become addicted to ebay for a period of time, will buy a few items of clothing from tesco/asda EVERYTIME i go.....Or i have periods of being obsessed with my appearance - having hair done, sunbeds, nails, buying new makeup.

I don't have frantic thoughts but i do get forgetful, almost airhead like, lose concentration easily.

I am overly sociable at times too - i will replay a recent social gathering in my head and realise i dominated the conversation, laughed too loudly, revealed more about my life that perhaps i should have, etc etc, and then go in a low mood cos i will think everyone is laughing at me.....UP and then DOWN

there are a fair number of variations as to how it affects you there is rapid cycling and a more slow burn..

do you find it difficult to make decisions at times

and to you have times when you don't sleep at all for days and don't feel tired as well as not sleeping and feeling tired on other occasions?

I'm not keen on medication by the way so I am coming from quite a self managing viewpoint..it is a pretty controversial illness treatment wise

I'm not recommending anything other than consulting your gp btw and taking their advice..i mean i don't take medication

saw the doctor first, hence the therapist. Been on AD's which did help, levelled everything off helped me think clearer and see how life could be as a 'normal' person. When i came off ad's although i still have my episodes (angry outburst, screaming fits at kids, man handling kids) i am no longer anxious like i used to be. Not a worrier anymore if you get me.......i thus made the decision myself that i no longer needed the pills but i did need some 'mental' help, at least needed to talk things through.

It was a friend who looked upo bi-polar and when i read it i could relate to quite a few of the symptoms, but they do say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing....am i looking too much into this - should i let my therapist do his job or should i mention it for fear that i am overlooking symptoms thinking they are normal e.g. i never though shopping sprees was a symptom, i thought all women spent too much on shoes!

well shopping sprees are normal

I think you eventually work out for yourself whether it fits or you have a major psychotic episode which suggests it might be the case

but I'm sure people do go through life without those and they also go through life without being diagnosed...

i don't think it is bi-polar at all to be honest - i've hardly ever been unable to sleep excpet when pregs and i needed a wee every hour. I do feel like i could sleep for a hundred years sometimes and other times, wanna disappear very quietly and secretly to a out of the way place and just sit in bed reading, watching tele and sleeping!

I told my therapist that i often crave solitude (for my 30th i was desperate for a weekend away without kids or dh, in a log cabin in scotland, told dh and he sulked for weeks) and i often 'wish' i could have an accident or be ill enough to be admitted to hospital for a bit, so i don;t have anything to do, and someone else can look after me.