Sometimes I would like to talk to other people with bipolar disorder.  They understand what it is like to live with this disorder, understand the medications used to treat it, and can help support each other while we are having a hard time getting through an episode.
211660
I'm actually doing a project/report on bipolar disorder
569600
Part of the problem with people with untreated bi-polar disorder is that the manic episodes are often so great feeling (lots of energy, creativity, etc.) that they don't WANT treatment. That's if they even recognize it as such. As not only the parent of a child with Bi polar Disorder, but also a patient with it, I understand that, yet I know that the crash that always follows is not worth it...to me.  \n\nWithout the person accepting their problem, regardless of what it is (mental health issue or otherwise), there's no way to get them to seek treatment. \n\nWhile it's good of you to be supportive, there comes a point where self-preservation for you must come first...at least until the person accepts the situations and takes action.  This is especially true if you suffer from depressive symptoms yourself.  I find when I'm around depressed people, my own depression worsens or kicks in. \n\nGood luck in coping with this. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.
519359
Let me explain bipolar to you, ( i am) when people say extreme high, its not just laughing, its spending tons of money(that you don't have) sleeping around, doing and saying things you would never do,talking fast, Taking on tons of extra work that no other normal human being could handle. Drugs, alcohol, hearing voices, seeing things, thinking your god.  Having grandiose ideas..you get the point.  The lows are so low that you can't get out of bed, you can't eat,talk,take your meds you get very (i mean very) angry at the people closest to you, you feel your life is worth nothing.    Then theres the anxiety thats almost crippling.  Its not a fun disorder.  It has to be diagnosed by a doctor and that can take many years and many misdiagnosis.  Please remember that I've only mentioned my experiances, everybody experiances it differently but there are usually alot of us that experiance some of the same things
246935
With bipolar disorder, you alternate between episodes of depression and mania. In between, you may return completely to normal or have some remaining symptoms. The extreme mood changes may come on sudThe cause of bipolar disorder is not well understood, although evidence suggests that the disorder runs in families. 3 Your living environment and family situation may also play a role in the disorder. Episodes of depression and mania may be caused by a problem with certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. denly or appear more slowly.Almost all people who have bipolar disorder need medication. However, counseling is also important to help you cope with work and relationship struggles related to your illness.Bipolar disorder cannot be prevented. However, there are ways to help manage or prevent mood changes.\n\nThe first and most important preventive measure is to make sure your child takes his or her medications as directed. Bipolar disorder is a long-term condition and generally requires lifelong treatment with medications. However, about 1 in 3 adults remains completely free of symptoms of bipolar disorder just by taking mood-stabilizing medicines, such as carbamazepine, divalproex, or lithium. 8 (There are no statistics available for children.) \n\nReducing stress, getting regular sleep and exercise, and maintaining a daily routine may help prevent mood swings and can help with the symptoms of depression and mania.
351609
People use bipolar as an excuse to be mean and hateful.....Maybe she's just a nasty woman.....I would not go near her.....and I would probally yell back at the old bat.....Don't let anyone treat you bad......fat & pregnant or not.....dont let em treat you bad......
166233
My experiences with those who have bipolar disorder differ from what you describe; however, the symptoms of the disorder vary with the individual and to the extent of the episodes that the person experiences. I cannot tell you whether your friend is bipolar, and it is highly unlikely that anyone here can. What I do suggest however is that you read the information at the following links to determine whether your friend displays the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. (I included a variety from which to choose.)\n\nIf she does meet the criteria, you will have to approach her with the concerns that you have. I cannot tell you how to broach the subject with her as I do not know her, but I do know that you should stress that you care about her well-being and that you are in no way judging her. Many of those who are suffering from a psychiatric illness refuse treatment because they fear that a positive diagnosis will stigmatize them. She will need to be assured by you and those close to her that this will not be the case.\n\nhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/bipolarmenu.cfm\nhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm\nhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bipolardisorder.html\nhttp://www.bipolar.com/\nhttp://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc66.html\nhttp://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/bipolar.htm\nhttp://www.bpkids.org/site/PageServer\nhttp://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/bipolar.html\nhttp://www.dbsalliance.org/
348171
Considering a majority of people (close to 75%) are diagnosed WRONG, the medical community is now learning that environment, drug and alcohol experimenting and hormones (if you were diagnosed before 20 years of age) are triggering bipolar symptoms. Just because you have symptoms, and not 100% honest with a therapist, doctors will diagnosis bipolar.\nIf you have a family history, you can learn the behavior from that person, but not necessarily inherit the gene. The medical community is doing more research on that. \nBipolar is one of the most misdiagnosed of mental disorders, but one of the most social acceptable. What ever you do or learn, YOU are responsible for your own thoughts and actions and don't let anybody else tell you otherwise. You are not alone, you aren't the only one who may think the way you do.\nI learned that through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and a 12 step program. 20 years lost to being mentally ill and all it was (for me) it that I was an alcoholic with puberty growing up in a "not so good" environment. I am now off all medication, dealing with life on life's terms and feeling better than I had ever imagined possible. 20 years of being told never, and today I have made it reality.\nDon't waste 20 years! Get into CBT with a therapist and be 100% honest with them about your thoughts and behaviors. If you are a true bipolar or not, this therapy will make a world of difference in your life.
258248
That sounds pretty weird that your doctor after only 2 visits would diagnose you with bipolar right away. It's really tricky to diagnose because it's so complex. Bipolar has a lot of similar symptoms as other disorders. The best way to really find out what's wrong with you is to tell your doctor EVERYTHING that you feel. Write stuff down between visits so you don't forget to tell her about some things that may be important. Plus, you might be feeling different when you go see her and not be able to explain how you were feeling inbetween. Communication is SOOO important because there's no other way they can tell what's wrong. As far as meds goes....you've got to be patient because different meds work for different people and the side effects are different from person to person too. It's trial and error and the same thing applies....you HAVE to tell your doctor everything that you're feeling.
351564
Yeah you should check with your doctor.  Bipolar is a very severe illness and you shouldn't ingest anything without knowing what affect it will have on your mood
6216
Another place to "talk" to others is the mental health sanctuary online. \n\nhttp://www.mhsanctuary.com\n\nThey have postings and areas for families of people with various mental health disorders. They have an area of resources for books and materials and a list of counselors as well.\n\nHope that this helps!
160827
See your doctor about adjusting your meds and get a referral to a therapist familiar with your diagnosis. Join a Bi-polar support group. You aren't alone and it may help you to be able ot talk ot paople that understand your feelings. Pick one of your interests or hobbies and join a club or group that meets once a week or so.
513743
Most but, not all people suffering from bi-polar disorder or depression, will try to self medicate at one point or another.  If your husband is reluctant to go get help, maybe you should seek counseling for yourself to learn how to live with somebody living with a disability.
528610
Thanks for asking. It's hard to find someone who is willing to listen to other people problems, especially from a stranger.
207363
I think that you need to talk to your doctor and have him change the type of medication or the dosage because it sounds to me that you are still having manic/depressive episodes. My best friend went through this for months and they found out the medication was conflicting with other meds and they were just not effective. If nothing else get a second opinion!
343199
I am bipolar. I have been on antidepressants for who knows how long. Bipolar is an illness that you don't get rid of. You have to learn how to handle it. You have to learn how to live with it. I am also on Lamictal, but I'm on Resperdol too! I take several medication that are used for depression, but they are also used for seizures too! The lamictal I'm using for my seizures. The resperdol I'm using for my bipolar. The other medication I use for my bipolar (depression) is seroquel. Sometimes you need to take two medications for one medication to work, but never take more than two medications for the same use. When you take more than two med. for the same use they confuse each other. Which can cause more problems with you and your depression. Medicine is not the only thing that is going to help you though. You also have to do some of the work yourself. Actually, you have to do about 65%-70% of it. The medicine just relaxes you and your mind, so that you can hopefully do the other 65%-70%.
411972
Go to the doctor and see if you need to be treated for bipolar disorder.
2506
Understand it as well as possible and then be supportive of treatments. This FAQ's might help you.\n\n1. What is bipolar disorder? \n\nBipolar disorder is a common, recurrent, severe psychiatric illness that affects an individual's mood, behavior and ability to think clearly. It occurs in 1% to 2% of the population in the United States. A variant, called bipolar II disorder, is probably even more common and occurs in up to 3% of the general population in this country. \n\n2. What are the differences between bipolar I and bipolar II disorders? \n\nBipolar I disorder is characterized by episodes of mania that alternate with periods of depression or periods in which individuals have simultaneously occurring manic and depressive symptoms called mixed states. In contrast, bipolar II disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and milder symptoms of mania, called hypomania. Hypomanic episodes typically do not impair an individual's ability to function to the extent that full-blown manic episodes do additionally; hypomanic episodes are not complicated by psychotic symptoms. \n\n3. What is rapid cycling? \n\nThe term rapid cycling was originally coined by David Dunner, M.D., and Ron Fieve, M.D., in the 1970s when they identified a group of individuals who did not respond well to lithium. These patients typically had four or more episodes of mania or depression in the 12-month interval prior to lithium treatment. This definition has been adopted formally by DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.) and specifically means the occurrence of four or more mood episodes within the preceding year. In severe cases, rapid cycling can occur even within a one-day period. \n\n4. At what age does bipolar disorder appear? \n\nBipolar disorder most commonly presents in the late teens and early 20s. Unfortunately, for most individuals, lifelong treatment may be required to prevent recurrent manic and depressive episodes. Equally unfortunate is evidence that the illness often goes undiagnosed and untreated for many years; the longer the illness progresses without treatment, the greater the impairment in an individual's psychological, educational and vocational development. Additionally, untreated bipolar disorder carries a high risk of suicide. \n\n5. Is bipolar disorder genetic? \n\nBipolar disorder, among all psychiatric illnesses, may have the greatest genetic contribution. For instance, if an individual has a parent with bipolar disorder, the chance that the individual's child will have bipolar disorder is about nine-fold greater than in the general population, with the risk rising from about 1% to about 10%. The inheritability of this illness is estimated to be anywhere from 50% to 80%. On the other hand, if a person with bipolar disorder is thinking about having children, there are still good odds that the child will not have bipolar illness. So the genetic determinants of the illness are complicated. \n\n6. How is bipolar disorder treated? \n\nThe cornerstone of treatment is medications that treat acute manic, depressive or mixed episodes, and which, in the long run, attempt to prevent the recurrence of these episodes. Such medications include lithium, divalproex (Depakote) and, more recently, some of the atypical antipsychotics as well as antidepressants. \n\nPsychotherapy plays an important role in improving the course and outcome of this illness in people. In particular, those with bipolar disorder often have strained relationships with loved ones because of their experiences during manic or depressive episodes; psychotherapy can help repair these torn relationships. In addition, psychotherapy can educate people about the signs and symptoms of their illness, how to pay attention to warning signs and how to nip emerging episodes in the bud. Psychotherapy can also help individuals cope with the stress that can sometimes precipitate manic or depressive episodes. \n\n7. What med