Sometimes when I'm feeling "okay" (as compared to when I'm *very* depressed), I can have a very rapid mood swing, sometimes triggered by the slightest thing or even by nothing at all. I'll go from being relatively good to angry or horribly depressed in a matter of seconds. I've always read that manic depressives/bipolars go into a mania when they're not depressed, which makes them hyperactive, have grandiose ideas, etc. I've never really experienced that, when I'm okay - I'm really just.... mediocre. Are these sudden changes of mood common of regular depression?
199060
being biplor and having other personality disorders has a lot more characteristics than just random mood swings\nif you already say you have depression, then i'm sure you are just in the "regular depression" like you say you are.\nhowever, it may all be just hormones, other stuff..being sad doesn't necessarily mean you are depressed, unless you have of course been diagnosed.
21187
YES. Anger is often a key component of Bipolar Disorder. I have worked with many teens with bipolar and they all had problems with rage and or self-destructive behavior. Occasionally rage and psychosis manifest similarly. You should check with your therapist to see if he can put you on anti-psychotics/mood stabilizers such as Seroquel.
400748
Far fewer people are bipolar than you may think...\n\nOK, so it's a mood disorder and a serious mental illness. It has a strong genetic component, but appears to be triggered environmentally. There are no diagnostic tests for it, just psychiatric evaluation. Most sufferers are not diagnosed until middle age, and it takes an average of around 8-10 years to get a correct diagnosis. Historically, figures suggested it affects about 0.8% of the population at some point, which makes it about half as common as schizophrenia. In recent years, bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. As with ADHD, this fad may well pass with time, although for the moment many celebrities appear to be 'popularising' it.\n\nIt is characterised by episodes of severe clinical depression and mania or hypomania (for definitions of those, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_diagnostic_criteria_for_bipolar_disorder ). The extreme end of mania often turns into psychosis, complete with hallucinations and delusions. During manic phases, the person's judgement and perception of reality is severely compromised, leading to risky actions with potentially damaging consequences (financially, sexually and relationship-wise). Untreated, episodes generally worsen over time due to an effect known as kindling. Untreated Bipolar sufferers are at a very high risk of suicide: 20-25% attempt it, and 15% succeed.\n\nThe cycles in bipolar disorder are much longer than people generally believe. Anyone whose mood changes from minute to minute is very unlikely to be bipolar. Bipolar 1 is characterised by mood episodes lasting many months, while Bipolar 2 has episodes in the region of weeks to months. Rapid and ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder is rare, and cycles last days to weeks.\n\nThere are many drugs available to treat the symptoms of bipolar (there is no cure). These are either anti-convulsants or anti-psychotics (personally I take both), and the most well known of these is Lithium. Most patients will go through a number of different drugs before finding one that works for them.
172852
Yes you are emotionally unstable, but that also means that you are a normal human being. Everyone has experienced good and bad times and it's completely normal for someone to feel depressed or happy during the transition. You can increase your happiness by changing your way of thinking and lifestyle. Be optimist instead of pesimist. Think positively instead.
225966
There are definite changes in the way the brain works when a person is depressed:\n\n1. Modern brain scans that can look at how 'hard' the brain is working have shown that some areas of the brain (such as at the front) are not working as well as normal.\n\n2. Depressed patients have higher than normal levels of stress hormones.\n\n3. Various chemical systems in the brain may not be working correctly including one known as the serotonin or 5-HT system.\n\nAntidepressants may help to reverse these changes. Unfortunately there is no brain scan or blood test that can be used to diagnose when a person has a depressive illness. The diagnosis can only be made from the symptoms. Generally speaking a diagnosis of depression will be made if a person has a persistently low mood that significantly influences their everyday life and has been present for two weeks or more, and there are also three or four or more other symptoms of depression. \n\nStress can lead to you to feeling 'down' and 'miserable'. What is different about a depressive illness is that these feelings last for weeks or months, rather than days. In addition to feeling low most or all of the time, many other symptoms can occur in depressive illness (though not everybody has every one). These include:\n\n-Being unable to gain pleasure from activities that normally would be pleasurable.\n-Losing interest in normal activities, hobbies and everyday life.\n-Feeling tired all of the time and having no energy.\n-Difficulty sleeping or waking early in the morning (though some feel that they can't get out of bed and 'face the world').\n-Having a poor appetite, no interest in food and losing weight (though some people overeat and put on weight - 'comfort eating').\n-Losing interest in sex.\n-Finding it difficult to concentrate and think straight.\n-Feeling restless, tense and anxious.\n-Being irritable.\n-Losing self-confidence.\n-Avoiding other people.\n-Finding it harder than usual to make decisions.\n-Feeling useless and inadequate - 'a waste of space'.\n-Feeling guilty about who you are and what you have done.\n-Feeling hopeless - that nothing will make things better.\n-Thinking about suicide - this is very common. If you feel this way, talk to somebody about it. If you think somebody else might be thinking this way, ask them about it - IT WILL NOT MAKE THEM MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE.\n\nWhat causes depression?\n\n-We do not fully understand the causes of depression.\n-Genes or early life experiences may make some people vulnerable.\n-Stressful life events, such as losing a job or a relationship ending, may trigger an episode of depression.\n-Depression can be triggered by some physical illnesses, drug treatments and recreational drugs.
525203
Not likely to be bipolar. Here's the lowdown, I think you'll find very few of the criteria fit.\n\nOK, so it's a mood disorder and a serious mental illness. It has a strong genetic component, but appears to be triggered environmentally. There are no diagnostic tests for it, just psychiatric evaluation. Most sufferers are not diagnosed until middle age, and it takes an average of around 8-10 years to get a correct diagnosis. Historically, figures suggested it affects about 0.8% of the population at some point, which makes it about half as common as schizophrenia. In recent years, bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. As with ADHD, this fad may well pass with time, although for the moment many celebrities appear to be 'popularising' it.\n\nIt is characterised by episodes of severe clinical depression and mania or hypomania (for definitions of those, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_diagnostic_criteria_for_bipolar_disorder ). The extreme end of mania often turns into psychosis, complete with hallucinations and delusions. During manic phases, the person's judgement and perception of reality is severely compromised, leading to risky actions with potentially damaging consequences (financially, sexually and relationship-wise). Untreated, episodes generally worsen over time due to an effect known as kindling. Untreated Bipolar sufferers are at a very high risk of suicide: 20-25% attempt it, and 15% succeed.\n\nThe cycles in bipolar disorder are much longer than people generally believe. Anyone whose mood changes from minute to minute is very unlikely to be bipolar. Bipolar 1 is characterised by mood episodes lasting many months, while Bipolar 2 has episodes in the region of weeks to months. Rapid and ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder is rare, and cycles last days to weeks.\n\nThere are many drugs available to treat the symptoms of bipolar (there is no cure). These are either anti-convulsants or anti-psychotics (personally I take both), and the most well known of these is Lithium. Most patients will go through a number of different drugs before finding one that works for them.
74126
That's really a personal thing. Everyone is different. I think most do, but not all admit it. How many times in a given time period also depends on when the mood hits them.
3728
Yes, It is perfectly normal, It happens to me a lot. It's where your body needs to move or when you feel really happy/ excited.
36555
Talk to you psychiatrist.  The most notable clinical feature of bipolar disorder is dramatic mood swings.  As compared to an anxiety disorder or depression where your moods will may be impacted by external factors, but will otherwise remain relatively level, in bipolar disorder patients cycle through periods of mania and depression.  But you should really really talk to your psychiatrist - I assure you he or she knows a lot more about it that I do.  Also, antidepressents effect your mood (obviously - that's the whole point), and may be responsible for some or all of you symptoms.  Your doctor may want to try a different anti-depressent or take you off them entirely for a while before deciding on a new diagnosis.\n\nPS. Anti-depressants are a standard treatment for anxiety disorders.
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.
21913
I dated a woman once who was bi-polar.  Every time she went through a depressive stage I would hold her in my arms all night long and tell her everything was going to be ok.  She would tell me about why she was sad and I would stay with her until it was over.  One time I asked her what was wrong and she told me she didn't like her toothbrush.  That was when I realized that she would never be better, that I couldn't take all her pain away, that I was helpless with her problems.\n\nLater, I went into healthcare.  At one point I got one of my MR residents diagnosed as bi-polar (they incorrectly thought he had obsessive compulsive disorder).  When he was manic he would be easily distracted, in the middle of a conversation he would start cleaning his apartment because it was dirty.  He would do this for hours at a time even if there were other more pressing things to do.  When he finally had a depressive episode he would lie in bed and lack the energy to even get up.  The medicine helped but left him feeling like he couldn't experience emotions (it took the highs & lows away).\n\nI remember a third person who was obsessed with germs, when she was in a manic state she would shower dozens of times a day.  She would actually run her books and notebooks through the dishwasher to keep them germ free.\n\nManic Depressive behaviour often looks a lot like OCD, except in OCD people realize what they are doing is silly - they just don't feel comfortable not doing it.  With bipolar they don't realize there is anything wrong with thier behaviour.\n\nIt can be very difficult to live with someone with Bipolar, and it requires a special kind of love.\n\nGood luck with the book :-)\n\nNOTE: manic / depressive cycles are very long, usually weeks or months... shorter cycles (hours or days) are a different disorder.
325326
Bipolar is when an individual has sudden mood changes...contrary to belief symtoms include more than just being moody and angry. Any behavior changes such as sudden boosts of energy and feeling down one minute to extremely confident the next. I can not say that an individual could be half bipolar but can show the symptoms without actually being diagnosed as bipolar. I suggest researching this subject...You will be surprised by the actual definition ...
270900
The symptoms you describe sound very much like my own before treatment. I am bipolar. I went for years between feeling normal one minute then mad at the world the next. Only occasionally did I become depressed. However, in recent years I was depressed more and more often. The depressive episodes also began to last for longer periods of time. I also had the racing thoughts and such as you describe. In June 2005 I became very depressed and considered suicide. Gradually, the depression eased somewhat but stayed at a low level trough March 2006. The anger raged throughout this depression. I finally had to make a decision. Get some help or find another job. I sought help from my doctor. I am now taking Paxil and Seroquel and doing very well. I'm almost never angry or depressed. Life is pretty good for me now. People seem nicer and more courteous, I know that is perception. They haven't changed. I have. Whether you are bipolar or there is some other mood disorder, it is best to see your doctor or a psychiatrist for diagnoses and treatment. It may not even be anything that serious. But I can tell you that no matter the cause, when you are treated you will feel much, much better about life and yourself.\n\nI have included a link below to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Website. Specifically, the bipolar pages.\n\nI hope this helps you. You may contact me if you like.\n\nSincerely,\nTerry
205512
Bipolar and mania are MILD mental disorders?  I'd like to know how you came up with that definition!\n\nPeople with bipolar are usually aware of when they are depressed, but not necessarily when they are manic, as mania is often experienced as a positive feeling - being ultra happy, feeling invincible etc
403552
It may be if you are having psychotic episodes. You may want to go to a doctor and report this right away. People with bi-polar disorder can hallucinate. It is usually delusions that many people with manic depression suffer from but hallucinations may indeed be part of your illness or it could be that you suffer from Schizo Affective disorder . Maybe something else. You need assessment right away.
154803
no i do not think this is normal , i think you are suffering from it or you wouldn't have asked for help, i belive if we think something is wrong with us it means something is wrong , it may be phisecal or emotional, it depands on your age , and what is going on with you lately in your life , you have to keep as a first step a diary, write each time you feel this mood swing dose not seam right to you, try to follow up and fiend a patern , is it when you woke up ? when you are tyerd , lonely ?\nbored ?\narround your period ?\njust follow up closely what is going on write it doun for a week or a month till you gether enough data to see a patern \ntell your mum that it may be nothing for any one else , but if you feel it is not (you) you feel diffrant so she has to respect that and belive it ..\nyou are your owen best doctor, but you know what ? you are very smart people who detect there moods and paterns are very sensetive people nothing to worry about just learn your patterns , than you have to try to fiend tools in your self to control this swings of moods, like learning yoga or any other method to clear your miend and regain your self composure and keep the nice mood you like and you feel (it is you)\nyes we almost all go through this but the only diffrance is our capabelty to control our moods and learn our owen patterns ... it is a great game you can play with your self teaching your self how to control your mood the more you master that .. i garantee you a happy healthy sucssessful life ...\nstart imediatly to write doun your moods ...\ni am sure you will descover wanders about your self ...\nand remember you live with your self more than you will ever live with any one else learn to befreind your self you are your self best freind ...\nso keep an eye on your best freind , learn what makes you sad or happy what causes this swing of moods and if after some time you think you are not getting any better lets say by august ask your mum to visit a pshico analyist talking with him or her can give you ideas of how to control your moods\ngood luck i am sure you can turn this mood swing to a game of knowing your self ...enjoy the trip
385730
It is also known as Manic Depressive Disorder. You will have extreme depression alternating with an almost euphoric happiness. If your psychiatrist doesn't know what you are experiencing, you need to tell her. It needs to be treated.