Bi-polar mental disorder

[polarbear6]

Since this is about mental illness i thought this belongs in Health & fitness section.I don't wanted to post this in OT cause i needed better and quality response.So correct me if i am wrong, I will make a topic in the appropriate thread.

So my psychiatrist concluded today that i have it. I don't actually know what it is. can any one throw some light at it. Am i mad ??. Am i a freak ??

he wanted to suggest me some medicines but i fought up with him and called him a b*stard( Actually this happened a long time ago and at that time i didn't knew what it is and thought he was calling me a lunatic ). so i am planning on going to a different guy this time.

Will the medicines he suggest have any side effects ?( middle ones no problem ).

If it helps i am 17 i was diagnosed about this disease when i was 15.

Some of the symptoms i observed are listed below (i have been observing these symptoms from 15th Bday )

1) extreme sleeplessness, I go two days to one day without sleep, sometimes i only sleep for 3 hours ~ 4 hours.
2)Highly irritable, this my friends ,family, relatives have observed and sometimes even me.
3) i feel highly energetic sometimes when i am in good mood. I work twice as hard when compared to the usual time in those periods.
4) sometimes there is a increase in my efficiency (Which i wish would stay 😉 ). i studied a 800 pages book in just 8 hours and got 71% in a test on it. Which is a very standard and hard test .(that text was prescribed for two years and i didn't attend any lectures on it. )
5) I find myself extremely talkative. i am like chatting for 6 hours daily and 45 minutes of phone chat(its eating up all my time) and i am getting pissed off when some one hangs up the phone or logs off. lately I have been dying for friendship
6)Over confidence, Well these days iam not preparing for exams at all, I am feeling like this is pretty easy and abusing all my friends who ask me to shut down my pc and study (lost two of my closest friends because of that Naveen and Aditya)

Sorry for the long post please reply soon i am very worried.

Main points:
1)Am i mad ?
2)Am a freak? is this a rear disease ?
3)How did i get it ?
4)Will the tablets the doctors suggest have any adverse effect or side affects on me owing to my age ?
5) how long is the recovery time as i have a big exam coming up next year which could potentially change my life.
6) As iam going to a new psychiatrist and i dont have the prescription from the old one. how should i convince him about this.
7) Is treatment necessary or will this wear off ( am i over reacting ? )

 

[BeauJangles]

You aren't mad and you certainly aren't a freak. My father and my step-sister bother suffer from severe bi-polar disorder. Scientists believe that genetic factors play a huge role in your risk for being bi-polar.

The impact of the drugs you take depends on how severe your illness is. The more severe, the more drastic the treatment will be. Side effects are varied, but you have to remember that the drugs prescribed for bi-polar treatment are serious, serious drugs. My father has improved immeasurably since he began taking them, but they have had their impact on his life.

There is no recovery time. The disease will come and go throughout the rest of your life. This isn't a case of the flu or an infection -- it never will go away.

If you are visiting a new mental healthcare professional, I would recommend discussing your diagnosis and probably giving your new doc your old doc's contact info so they can discuss how best to treat you.

Treatment is not necessary. You will not die from being bi-polar. If, however, you are as badly affected as my family is, I would highly encourage you to stay in treatment. My father ruined his marriage with my mother, ruined his relationship with me, and destroyed nearly every friendship he ever had before he chose to seek treatment. My step-sister refuses treatment to this day and has thus far alienated nearly every member of her family. She is divorcing her husband after she drove him away and she basically has no friends. Treatment is optional, but if you care about your family I would recommend seeking, and staying with, the treatment options presented to you.

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It's an awful, awful disease and I hope that you can get the treatment you need. The symptoms you describe (sudden, acute focus on a single thing, the desire to suddenly talk for hours on end, having enormous amounts of energy and feeling great and then suddenly feeling awful, alone and depressed, etc) are all symptoms I'm familiar with through my family.

 

[Falloutboy]

you really should talk to your psychiatrist about it, but my mom is non medicated BiPolar and the best way i can describe it from the outsider looking in, her highs (when she is in a good mood) are really good, fun person to be around, but her lows are really damn low, and there is very little middle ground. medication basically will even the two out, but unfortionally which is why my mom refuses to medicate (even though the lows have basically destroyed her life) is that it takes the extreme Highs as well as the lows away.

 

[polarbear6]

@beaujangles yup our family has also lost much, but there is only a other guy in my family who has the same issue( don't know how he is related to me, i think he is my father's sister's son) he had to be a IAS officer( a highly regarded job in India ) but know he doesn't even has a job, he doesn't even has a degree. In my case i ruined half of my education already with totally low grades( I used to get always A- to A+, but these days i am hardly getting a C). I wish i wouldn't have fought with that medico 🙁

@falloutboy well in my case its the other way around. I am the one who has this complaint and its my mom who is suffering 🙁. I probably lost some 25 friends in the last 2 years. People almost stopped talking to me these days and my old friends simply hung up on me as soon as they see my number( I fought with them for no reason )

Now to think about it I really talked a lot of crap in OT and pissed a lot of people there 🙁, A few even quoted that i am a pervert 🙁

 

[Titan]

Remember there are no scientific metrics to diagnose your condition like a blood test. It comes from his experience and training so don't hesitate to find another opinion.

My mom was bad bipolar. Like run down the street naked kind. She has settled down with heavy medication.

I might be, but I think I have anxiety instead, different story. I burned out bad a few years back, refused to be medicated and in 1.5 years was back to normal.

Try more exercise and fish oil supplements with a high amount of EPA. I just stick with that and I'm good. Also try st john's wort tea.

Any good psychiatrist will admit that if they medicate you, first try it is a 50/50 shot. Then it is trial and error for them to get you better. They say the drugs now are much better tools then they used to have. But I refuse because I don't want someone monkeying with my head chemically.

Either way your body is made of chemicals. I prefer to use the ones from food, tea, and fish oil. You may need a good lifestyle change. If you can't, meds may help.

Another alternative is if you're open to scientology. But that's a big if.

Just throwing all this out there. Take with a can of salt.

 

[polarbear6]

Originally posted by: Titan


My mom was bad bipolar. Like run down the street naked kind. She has settled down with heavy medication.


Either way your body is made of chemicals. I prefer to use the ones from food, tea, and fish oil. You may need a good lifestyle change. If you can't, meds may help.

Well my father's mother and my mother's mother are that type too. Although my mother's mother is less violent but i still remember my fathers mother. i was young at that time, she opened the door stripped naked and ran to the neighbors house. At that time i found that funny but now i feel that god is punishing me for laughing at her 🙁

fish oil and the tea and stuff are hard to find here in India. As there are very super markets in the part where i live and they only stock basic goods. I am a strict vegetarian too.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: ganesh1
@beaujangles yup our family has also lost much, but there is only a other guy in my family who has the same issue( don't know how he is related to me, i think he is my father's sister's son) he had to be a IAS officer( a highly regarded job in India ) but know he doesn't even has a job, he doesn't even has a degree. In my case i ruined half of my education already with totally low grades( I used to get always A- to A+, but these days i am hardly getting a C). I wish i wouldn't have fought with that medico 🙁

@falloutboy well in my case its the other way around. I am the one who has this complaint and its my mom who is suffering 🙁. I probably lost some 25 friends in the last 2 years. People almost stopped talking to me these days and my old friends simply hung up on me as soon as they see my number( I fought with them for no reason )

Now to think about it I really talked a lot of crap in OT and pissed a lot of people there 🙁, A few even quoted that i am a pervert 🙁

It's okay man, everyone makes mistakes and growing up isn't easy. Things like bi-polar disorder make it even harder. My mom is actually a therapist and I can ask her about a few books to educate you on the disease, if you're interested.

Keep your head above water and try to sort this stuff out. Finding the right treatment can be an excruciatingly difficult process, but the gain far outweighs the difficulty. Don't let your whole life go down the drain because of a disease.

 

[polarbear6]

Originally posted by: BeauJangles

Originally posted by: ganesh1
@beaujangles yup our family has also lost much, but there is only a other guy in my family who has the same issue( don't know how he is related to me, i think he is my father's sister's son) he had to be a IAS officer( a highly regarded job in India ) but know he doesn't even has a job, he doesn't even has a degree. In my case i ruined half of my education already with totally low grades( I used to get always A- to A+, but these days i am hardly getting a C). I wish i wouldn't have fought with that medico 🙁

@falloutboy well in my case its the other way around. I am the one who has this complaint and its my mom who is suffering 🙁. I probably lost some 25 friends in the last 2 years. People almost stopped talking to me these days and my old friends simply hung up on me as soon as they see my number( I fought with them for no reason )

Now to think about it I really talked a lot of crap in OT and pissed a lot of people there 🙁, A few even quoted that i am a pervert 🙁

It's okay man, everyone makes mistakes and growing up isn't easy. Things like bi-polar disorder make it even harder. My mom is actually a therapist and I can ask her about a few books to educate you on the disease, if you're interested.

Keep your head above water and try to sort this stuff out. Finding the right treatment can be an excruciatingly difficult process, but the gain far outweighs the difficulty. Don't let your whole life go down the drain because of a disease.

Thanks a lot for the support. i really appreciate it. i would love to read them if they are e books or can be downloaded or can be accesed over the net or if it is convenient for you to give me.

Thanks a lot for the support :X love u.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Alrighty, so there are a few things you should know. First of all, you have to be willing to research and understand that bipolar disorder CAN be a fairly serious condition. The symptoms you describe are those of full-blown mania. These are often times some the symptoms that bipolar patients really like - little need for sleep, great clarity, hyperproductivity, sociability, etc. However, as the mania gets worse, it also comes with the irritability, the impulsiveness, anger, etc. These things really affect the lives of others around you as well as yourself.

There are some things that you can do about it. Often times, talking to a therapist and getting on medication helps a great deal. You can be treated with a broad range of medications from anti-anxiety meds (SSRIs usually) to lithium to anti-psychotics. However this has to be determined by a licensed professional and he/she will do what they think is in your best interests. You're gonna have to be patient with this process, which I understand will be hard, but keep in mind it's for the betterment and the stability of your overall life (job, relationships, mood). Bipolar is probably one of the hardest things to have because everybody thinks you're just being a jerk. While this is sometimes the case, it is often time something that is caused by imbalances in neurotransmitters and such. Try the treatment at the very least. It can't hurt to at least try, right? There's a book I read by a PhD in psychology who had the disorder. I'll find the title and post it. It was really interesting and it may help you. Best of luck, man, and if you have any questions, I'm sure we'd be glad to answer them.

 

[polarbear6]

Another thing i am hyper addicted to games. I remember the first time i played vice city. I still remember it like yesterday, i played it on and on for 1 and half days continuously without any sleep.

The one thing that i really want to get rid off first is the games. They are ruining my time. I sincerely hope that gets cured first 🙁. there is not a single day , where i have not opened ATOT in the last 4 months.
Yup i booked a appointment with my psychiatrist for today. I will post the medicines he prescribed as i am mostly worried about the side effects

 

[Falloutboy]

lol well the gaming and addicted to the internet is prolly a seperate problem 😛 that just takes self control

 

[interchange]

Sounds like your psychiatrist is basing his diagnosis on episodes of hypomania or mixed episodes (which are usually more productive than destructive). Bipolar disorder is a relatively common mood disorder, and can often be managed effectively with pharmacotherapy. At its worst, people can have significant psychosis during episodes, cycle extremely rapidly between up and down, and be highly destructive. However, most people aren't like that. Some have episodes that are spread apart by years.

 

[polarbear6]

Originally posted by: interchange
Sounds like your psychiatrist is basing his diagnosis on episodes of hypomania or mixed episodes (which are usually more productive than destructive). Bipolar disorder is a relatively common mood disorder, and can often be managed effectively with pharmacotherapy. At its worst, people can have significant psychosis during episodes, cycle extremely rapidly between up and down, and be highly destructive. However, most people aren't like that. Some have episodes that are spread apart by years.

How long do these episodes last ?? cause i feel it last for 4 days to 5 days with a gap of some 10 days max and 2 days min.

And as you can see i am in India and most probably it was morning over there so its night over here. I was up all night. so i have conclude that this is also a episode. As far as i can remember i have been sleeping properly in the past one month or even till half of February(since i have exams in march). But this is like four days since i have been skipping my night sleep and chatting all night long with my American and my Indian friends.
So i have to conclude this as a episode. so four days .. i will see when it will end 🙁

 

[interchange]

Originally posted by: ganesh1
How long do these episodes last ?? cause i feel it last for 4 days to 5 days with a gap of some 10 days max and 2 days min.

And as you can see i am in India and most probably it was morning over there so its night over here. I was up all night. so i have conclude that this is also a episode. As far as i can remember i have been sleeping properly in the past one month or even till half of February(since i have exams in march). But this is like four days since i have been skipping my night sleep and chatting all night long with my American and my Indian friends.
So i have to conclude this as a episode. so four days .. i will see when it will end 🙁

It depends on the individual. Follow your psychiatrist's recommendations. Good luck to you. Often times, in manic episodes, the person feels they do not need sleep (different from wanting to sleep but being unable to).

 

[polarbear6]

Well after i interacted with my mom about this i came to know that she already knew about this whole thing and i was on medication for the past three years( she used to give me medicines in some secret ways which i cannot tell). She said that i have BPD(bi polar mental disorder). She told me that she gave me Oleanz. I googled for it and came to know that its a antidepressant and is used for patients suffering with BPD(border personality disorder). I never interacted with the doctors directly( i didn't like the concept of seeing a nut house specialist and my parents didn't wanted to offend me). So he must have diagnosed me for BPD. But i see more symptoms of BMD mania.But my mom is telling me that the doctor told her that it is BMD not BPD !!. so why did he give me medicines for BPD ??

So basically i want to know the difference between BPD AND BMD.(note: Some of the symptoms like talktivity and strength are newly acquired after i went to the nut house specialist).

@interchange: yes i don't feel like sleeping in the night 🙁. i have a lot of time to sleep

 

[interchange]

Here's a brief description of the things you've discussed.
Biploar Disorder type I - includes episodes of mania and depression. Cyclic mood disorder that may have psychotic features.
Bipolar Disorder type II - like type I, except with hypomania instead of mania. Basically a less severe mania.
Borderline Personality Disorder - a complex personality disorder with feelings of abandoment, intense relationships, impulsive actions, suicide attempts to garner attention [not generally intended to be successful, but they can still be dangerous], etc.

Only a qualified psychiatrist can diagnose you after a thorough evaluation. Stay calm and follow your psychiatrist's advice. You'll be all right.

Also, Olanzapine is not an antidepressant. Antidepressents are contraindicated in bipolar patients.

 

[Sust]

Originally posted by: interchange
Here's a brief description of the things you've discussed.
Biploar Disorder type I - includes episodes of mania and depression. Cyclic mood disorder that may have psychotic features.
Bipolar Disorder type II - like type I, except with hypomania instead of mania. Basically a less severe mania.
Borderline Personality Disorder - a complex personality disorder with feelings of abandoment, intense relationships, impulsive actions, suicide attempts to garner attention [not generally intended to be successful, but they can still be dangerous], etc.

Only a qualified psychiatrist can diagnose you after a thorough evaluation. Stay calm and follow your psychiatrist's advice. You'll be all right.

Also, Olanzapine is not an antidepressant. Antidepressents are contraindicated in bipolar patients.

Ditto what the above has said.
If you indeed have BP affective disorder then it's probably in your best interest to get that under control pharmacologically sooner rather than later. Some psychiatrists theorize that the more often you have manic episodes, the less responsive you will become to medications.
Of course someone above mentioned a dislike of meds that mess with head, and that might be a possibility for you. However it's impossible to tell over the internet whether or not you need pharmacologic intervention. Go get professional medical help before the legal system forces you to.
Also, dont just close the door on the possibility of medication because you'd be horrified to wake up in a hospital one day after staying up for 4 days without sleep and having run over a pedestrian while speeding in your brand new sports car which set you back $80k.