Bi-polar

[Vidar]

So i was recently diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder.

Thoughts?

[Pitborn]

Hopefully you won't use it as an excuse for a murder spree.

[Vidar]

it wasnt me..its was 'him'

[Itap]

Please elaborate on why you think you were diagnosed with this disorder

[loramin]

I have it. It's annoying, but it hasn't stopped me from having a full life. When I first found out I had it I was pretty depressed, and thought I'd never get a job, a girlfriend, etc. Now I have a six figures job, a beautiful wife, etc. so I'm not bullshitting when I say it won't ruin your life if you don't let it.

I try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, and try never to miss my meds, and when I do I stay pretty middle of the road (not perfectly un-depressed or un-manic, but only ever a bit of each). I still piss my friends and co-workers off sometimes when I let myself get too depressed and/or manic, and I've been known to get speeding tickets and spend too much money when I get hypomanic, but in the last few years I haven't even had those issues (well, I still piss people off sometimes; that part seems inescapable).

If you have any questions about it feel free to ask (here or in PMs).

P.S. And to any psychotherapy skeptics out there, I agree with being skeptical about trying to solve everything with pills, but some people like me really do need them. When I first found out I was bipolar it was because I got so manic I had to be committed to a mental hospital. Trust me, whatever small side effects I get from my pills (and really I have almost none at this point) are a small price to pay for sanity, and thanks to them I've never had another true manic episode.

[Archalen]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I have it. It's annoying, but it hasn't stopped me from having a full life. When I first found out I had it I was pretty depressed, and thought I'd never get a job, a girlfriend, etc. Now I have a six figures job, a beautiful wife, etc. so I'm not bullshitting when I say it won't ruin your life if you don't let it.

I try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, and try never to miss my meds, and when I do I stay pretty middle of the road (not perfectly un-depressed or un-manic, but only ever a bit of each). I still piss my friends and co-workers off sometimes when I let myself get too depressed and/or manic, and I've been known to get speeding tickets and spend too much money when I get hypomanic, but in the last few years I haven't even had those issues (well, I still piss people off sometimes; that part seems inescapable).

If you have any questions about it feel free to ask (here or in PMs).

P.S. And to any psychotherapy skeptics out there, I agree with being skeptical about trying to solve everything with pills, but some people like me really do need them. When I first found out I was bipolar it was because I got so manic I had to be committed to a mental hospital. Trust me, whatever small side effects I get from my pills (and really I have almost none at this point) are a small price to pay for sanity, and thanks to them I've never had another true manic episode.

Yes, I've worked in the mental health field and know a good bit about this. Bipolar takes a different outlook than standard anxiety/depression. With the latter, you can usually recover without medication, although it can be very difficult. With bipolar, you don't just have tired nerves that need rest. The closest case I've seen to coping without medication was a very self-aware sufferer who meditated regularly and was deep into yoga/ martial arts and was regularly engaged with a great therapist. That type of coping can take you far, but not all the way usually with bipolar. Usually better to do that in concert with medication.

[iruinedyourday]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I have it. It's annoying, but it hasn't stopped me from having a full life. When I first found out I had it I was pretty depressed, and thought I'd never get a job, a girlfriend, etc. Now I have a six figures job, a beautiful wife, etc. so I'm not bullshitting when I say it won't ruin your life if you don't let it.

I try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, and try never to miss my meds, and when I do I stay pretty middle of the road (not perfectly un-depressed or un-manic, but only ever a bit of each). I still piss my friends and co-workers off sometimes when I let myself get too depressed and/or manic, and I've been known to get speeding tickets and spend too much money when I get hypomanic, but in the last few years I haven't even had those issues (well, I still piss people off sometimes; that part seems inescapable).

If you have any questions about it feel free to ask (here or in PMs).

P.S. And to any psychotherapy skeptics out there, I agree with being skeptical about trying to solve everything with pills, but some people like me really do need them. When I first found out I was bipolar it was because I got so manic I had to be committed to a mental hospital. Trust me, whatever small side effects I get from my pills (and really I have almost none at this point) are a small price to pay for sanity, and thanks to them I've never had another true manic episode.

Hey I have a question I hope not to offend, since you know so well that you have a bi-polar condition.. when you have mood swings, are you able to be like -oh doh, wait a minuet guys, im just having issues with my bi-polar right now.. ill be ok!

I dont mean to offend! I hope I dont!

[Vidar]

Originally Posted by iruinedyourday [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Hey I have a question I hope not to offend, since you know so well that you have a bi-polar condition.. when you have mood swings, are you able to be like -oh doh, wait a minuet guys, im just having issues with my bi-polar right now.. ill be ok!

I dont mean to offend! I hope I dont!

Honestly, i have been diagnosed for about a month now, so i cant say for sure... that being said who knows how long ive actually had it. In the past ive had 'depression' that i have recognized (ive battled depression for years...not sure, but it probably was part of the bipolar) and forced myself to not isolate myself. Ex. being going to the gym and going to sports bars to watch fights etc. Not all times were successful, as i couldnt always last through the whole night of being around people. That being said, as far as the depression goes, yes i can sometimes tell that i am not 'normal' and i need to force myself to get out of my comfort zone. Meaning getting around people in one way or another and not being the hermit on eq never going outside =\

[loramin]

Originally Posted by iruinedyourday [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Hey I have a question I hope not to offend, since you know so well that you have a bi-polar condition.. when you have mood swings, are you able to be like -oh doh, wait a minuet guys, im just having issues with my bi-polar right now.. ill be ok!

I dont mean to offend! I hope I dont!

For me the answer is sort of yes. I've known I've had it for about a decade now, and at first I was terrible at recognizing when I was getting "out of whack". Over time though, especially after I got some therapy, I became a lot better at recognizing when I was being manic/depressed. For instance, whenever I write a particularly fiery post here on P99 I usually come back a few minutes or a few hours later and go "oh man, I was totally a jerk there and now that I think about it I am feeling rather high energy". On my best days I realize it before I even hit the post button, and I wait a few hours until I'm feeling less passionate.

When that happens, whether it's here or somewhere more important like work, I do try and apologize or edit my post to be less caustic or something. I don't mention the bipolar though: it's human nature to see people with mental illness differently, and I'd rather my co-workers think I'm a jerk sometimes then think of me as crazy.

[Glenzig_]

u crazy sonofabitch get away from my children terrorist queer