Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 19, 2009, at 22:54:48
In reply to Am I bipolar? Someone please....advice, posted by garnet71 on April 19, 2009, at 22:09:20
Oh my gosh, you've been through a lot. I feel like your twin in some ways. I have been through a ton of stress as well in the last year and a half, am 38, and have had new symptoms from that stress (OCD) on top of the old (depression).
You could be experiencing hypomania, but it's hard to tell from your description. Sensuality is not a symptom but doing inappropriate sexual things in public or suddenly having lots of sex definitely is a sign of something being off.
DSM symptoms of hypomania are
A) A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the usual nondepressed mood.
B) During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
1) inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2) decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
3) more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4) flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5) distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
6) increase in goal-directed activity (at work, at school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
7) excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
C) The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic.
D) The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by others.
E) The mood disturbance not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features.
F) The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism)
If you are having an episode of hypomania, then a diagnosis of bipolar II is appropriate.
I think the thinking is that if one is bipolar, aspects of it would've shown up in a modified way at some earlier point in life. psychoeducation.org is a great web site about the so-called "soft signs of bipolarity" (stuff that looks like depression with periods of normality but may actually be bipolar II). There is a good self-test on there that may help you sort all this out.
But--could it be your medications are simply working? Have you had a change in meds?
Like you, I am sometimes afraid that the real problem is I have bipolar II. I can answer "yes" to most of the web site's "soft signs" questionnaire. It's hard to sort out. I am a creative person who does creative things (sounds like you do too)--does that just make me more "melty" sometimes, like you?
Oh dear, I fear I have only confused the issue, in the end. Does this help at all?
Ah heck, let's just go to OASIS.
Yours in scintillation,
Amelia> So if you're bipolar, can you have zero motivation for serious things-like homework-but still feel lots of pleasure and just want to have fun all the time? Is that bipolar? Or just my reaction to stress-like losing my home, losing my health insurance...going bankrupt...Am I falling apart? Soemone please help me. And I've been suddenly craving alcohol.
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> I heard this song tonight, and i felt I was melting... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSh0bLXtFCo
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> Is feeling like you're melting a sign of bipolar? As in sensuality? Well, i feel that way alot -before I had mental health isssues..but haven't had that feeling in a while; ADs really take that away from me... So feeling like you have no motivation and sensual at the same time?
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> I think I need a good PDoc....to keep me in line. I don't know. Maybe this is just how I'm reacting to stress--or is this a sign of bipolar? I mean, at age 37, can bipolar suddenly emerge? I"m so confused...
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poster:Amelia_in_StPaul
thread:891704
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090416/msgs/891712.html