Could I really be bipolar?

[Anonmum31]

So my doctor says she thinks I may be bipolar. I am waiting for an appointment with a psychiatrist.

So there are many stupid random things I've done over the years that i realise now might be symptoms of bipolar and I was wondering if anyone can relate?

I've always spent money I don't have, I've never held down a job for long because I would always quit for very silly reasons, the longest job I had was 5 years and if we were not made redundant I probably would have been fired due to a lot of absence and a lot of that absence was because I would go out and get wasted and not want to go in.

I've done things out of anger before, such as crashing into a carpark barrier to get out of the car park and crashing into a ditch because I was so angry and reversed very fast out of anger.

Once, I had just moved to another country and I felt lonely so I just started talking to random people in the street and in bars on my own and I ended up getting myself in a situation where I went back to a guys place and he locked me in his apartment and tried to rape me, thankfully I got away by screaming really loud to the point it freaked him out. I tend to over share a lot to people I don't necessarily know that well.

There are times when I have so much energy I clean the whole house and do way too much, I also can get really fixated on things and get really irritated if someone disturbs me.

I changed my mind about things constantly and my mood is very up and down.

I have and always have had a really high sex drive, I've had sex in a lot of public places and with a lot of different guys, once I even had sex in a bush and down an alley at the back of a club. I get a lot of urges to have sex and when I do I can't shake it until I have sex. I don't know if this is severe enough to be bipolar? Thanks for any feedback/advice

I do t know anything about bipolar but the book I read about autism and adhd diagnosed as an adult reasons yes with me here. I forget the name so I'll look it up and post below.

It's
Strong female character by fern brady

A comedian she lived a dangerous and chaotic lifestyle before diagnosis.

Are these periods of doing "stupid things" interspersed with intense lows?

Have you considered ADHD it sounds very much like that especially with the fixation and impulsive and reckless behaviour. Ask your dr to be referred for screening/assessment.

@HeBeaverandSheBeaver Thank you, I will definitely take a look at that

There's a lot going on there for a psychiatrist to unpack. There might be more than one condition but bipolar is certainly reasonable consideration.

@crackofdoom Yes I have periods where I can't do as much and have low motivation, thoughts of harming myself, thoughts that everyone hates me and wants me to die. I've actually sometimes thought I could hear people bitching about me but I think it has just been in my head

OP I am diagnosed with cyclothymia, which is a milder form of bipolar, although the treatment in my case is the same (lamotrigine). I could have written your post two years ago. The meds have been life-changing for me, good luck!

@ThelmaDinkley Yeah I guess it could also be Adhd, I am currently waiting for an appointment with a psychiatrist at the hospital who will do an assessment to diagnose me

Based on your post and the fact that your doctor believes it's a possibility, then yes.

Seeing a psychiatrist is a good thing, as they will be best placed to make an assessment.

I don't think throwing out ADHD diagnosis on the internet is particularly helpful, but it seems to be a stock answer on MN.

I thought this sounds very much like ADHD .

I'm not an expert, but that does sound quite similar to someone I've split up with who does in fact have galloping bipolar.

(It wasn't exactly the bipolar that caused me to split up with him, more that he would sometimes say things that were misogynistic/ upsetting, but I wasn't allowed to be upset because he "was out of control" at the time he said them, and I was being insufficiently supportive of his condition by being upset. To which I called bullshit).

@boringingoring Thanks for your post, it helps to know there is someone who relates. Glad the meds were a success for you 😊