Bipolar got you or a friend?

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    • Bipolar got you or a friend?

      I wanted to post this to maybe band together some of the bros affected by bipolar disorder, be it you or someone close, it can a pain in the ass. You don't have to but it would be cool if you could share your story here and I'd love to start a group (any thoughts on that would be good too).

      *brofist*, Widge

    • Nope, split personality would be multiple personality disorder, or dissociative identity disorder (two names for the same thing). Bipolar is a mood disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. This causes depressive (or low) "episodes" that can be just as bad as any other depression and lead to suicide, it also causes manic (or high) "episodes" that can lead to huge spending sprees or believing oneself to be god! I would like to mention at this point that not all sufferers of bipolar experience such extremes as this, none the less, it's a bummer sometimes. By the way, *dragon brofist* :D.

      Widge

    • I haven't been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but I do know that I have slight symptoms. I've gotten help for panic disorder and depression already, though. It simply goes like this...

      During summer and winter I go BONKERS. I'm really active and I find a bunch of new hobbies, bunch of new friends and in general, I have a great time. I also drink a lot and I end up in a lot of crazy situations (even when sober), like getting into fights with strangers and hurting the people close to me. Also I'm sexually frustrated pretty much all the time, which means that when this freaky period ends, I end up dumping a few people. And now it's fall (or when it's spring. God it's the prettiest but at the same time the most terrible season of the year for me), I'm feeling a bit better now, but not a long while back I used to wake up in a catatonic state every single morning and getting out of bed was a struggle. It's like there's a switch in my head that goes on and off in cycles. I have a new medicine now so the transition from being over active to being depressed is not as great as let's say last year.

    • In response to sillysoul, that does sound like bipolar, but to be sure check with a psychiatrist, btw what's the new medicine? In response to potatopirate, first of all i know how you feel about the 'be positive' thing, deserves a facepalm every time. However, i highly recommend just looking at your signature now and then, it's working wonders for me right now. when you say 'i have that' do you mean same as sillysoul?

    • Widge: I've gone to three different psychiatrists and so far talking to an outsider makes me even more depressed for some reason. Bipolarity is pretty difficult to diagnose too if it's not extreme; my symptoms aren't in a sense that I still, somehow have my life in control. Oh, and I've used fenlafaxine for almost 6 months now. It certainly suits me better than Escitalopram, that I used to take before that.

      potatopirate: If you have clinical depression like me and nothing seems to work, you should consider talking about medication with your doctor or with a psychiatrist. I've had so many people tell me that anti-depressants are bullshit and that depression is just something that you cause to yourself with your negative-thinking. But the truth is that I would've probably killed myself already if I hadn't gotten help medically, or at least I would've flunked school big time.

    • Sorry soul if i depressed you further, wasn't my intention i promise. The reason i started this thread is cos i was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar about 2 or 3 years ago and wanted to talk to other sufferers and maybe help out some people if i could, if I'm ever unhelpful i apologize but don't take it personally, most likely i wasn't trying to upset anyone and hey, I'm only human, I make mistakes. BTW, theoretically, if you WERE bipolar, venlafaxine wouldn't do you any good really, it would make you manic and stuff. On the other hand, if its anxiety and depression then that's good that you've found the right meds for you.

    • Widge: Nah, maybe I sounded a bit like it but you didn't upset me at all! I'm having a pretty good phase in here actually :)

      What's helped me a lot is to have some order in my life. I try to go to sleep early and wake up early and even though some may think it's weird, I take a couple of hours in the morning to clean our apartment. Hoovering and wiping surfaces while listening to music puts me in such a great mood! On the other hand, I know that drinking is a big no no, but I really can't help it once in a while. Sometimes I end screwing up my relationships and doing crazy shit while I'm drunk, so I do hope I could limit my drinking even a bit. That needs a lot of will power and atm I have none :P

    • Talking about flunking. I'm a senior and I am failing most of my classes. I am in classes that I should not be in right now, but have to take to get my credits. I have only gone to see a therapist, but that does not work. I really do not want to be on anymore medications. I have already a couple of pills I have to take everyday.