Posted by BarbaraCat on August 14, 2002, at 19:05:39
In reply to Re: Bipolar/Unipolar depression - differences?, posted by cybercafe on August 14, 2002, at 15:50:16
I think you can experience only unipolar or more like a majority unipolar, but there *should* be somewhere in your past a manic or hypomanic state to qualify for the bipolar club. That's been me. I've had enough hypomania to recognize it as such, but most of my states have been very unipolar depression. Sometimes they're the typical heavy sodden kind, but sometimes they're black despair mixed with anguished pacing and wailing. This kind I now know as bipolar mixed-states and I can or don't have the hypomania, depending on who knows what. Since taking lithium, I haven't had these wild despairs, but I have had hints of the other dull and dreary kind.
>
> Ugg... grrr... arrrr... i know this is kind of old, but i thought i'd risk replying
>
> just wondering... if you are bipolar how can you experience unipolar depression?
>
>
> > Conducting a little survey here for those interested in how depressions feel for those who are bipolar vs. those who are unipolar.
> >
> > After 25 years thinking I was unipolar come to find out I'm BP2, although I have typical unipolar phases as well. I'm suspecting that 'depression' is a different animal between these two axes. Anyone wanted to take part, maybe we can keep appending to the post and add our names to keep track.
> >
> > BarbaraCat Unipolar: Dragging, heavy, sitting on the couch for hours too exhausted or disinterested to move, don't give a rip. No interest in anything, cynical, sarcastic, critical, sleep alot, feel like I'm moving though mud. Feel flat and grim, no joy, everything is a burden and a struggle. Hate life and myself, quiet despair. Body hurts and feels sick. Energy stagnant.
> >
> > BarbaraCat Bipolar: Desperate, frantic, doom and destruction, insomnia, nightmare quality to everything, frantic pacing, hysterical anguished sobbing, hypersensitive, hyper aware of 'existential pain', being sucked into the void, horrible hopelessness. Feel abandoned, cast out and lost in a hostile universe. Scary, black images of decay and desolation. Falling apart, nerves and brain feel inflamed. Not as much somatic distress as with unipolar. Energy frenzied.
> >
> > So, wanna share? - Barbara
>
>
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:107896
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020814/msgs/116440.html