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bipolar 2

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Q: What are the chances of a child being bipolar (type 2) if one parent is but not the other?
Also, do you know how early (at what age) signs of it would be apparent? My mother said looking back there were signs but that she didn’t know what it was -ie: I was a very moody child.

A: While the risk is higher than the general population or if neither parent had bipolar disorder, I know of no study that actually gives a numerical percentage of increase in risk. In general, it remains far less than 50-50.

It would not necessarily help you, anyway. Your child is going to grow up with challenges, as do all children. They are also lucky that you are watching out for their health and functioning.

As for definite signs, symptoms can show up anywhere from around age 4 to age 30, and although there are many signs that bipolar disorder has gone unrecognized in children for a number of years, the reason this occurred was that there are a number of explanations that can address the symptoms that arise. Moodiness can mean nutritional, allergic, environmental problems as well as mental health issues. Behavior problems are often better addressed with increasing the parents’ & teachers skills in managing them.

If you look at your child and just seeing the potential for a bipolar problem will prevent you from seeing the positive things that they accomplish and the love you can share. Be aware of the risk, but also that it’s less than 50-50. You’ve got a lot of things to help teach your child, and only perhaps will one of them be how to manage a bipolar condition.

Q: I was diagnosed with bipolar type 2, why is my doctor giving me a drug that’s used for for Bipolar 1?
Just wondering if maybe now he believes I am more severe than he ( and other psychiatrists) originally thought. The drug is Abilify & I also take 6 mg a day of Klonopin. What do you think?

A: most psych drugs are not used specifically for one condition but for many…..you should ask your doc if he believes your condition is more severe…..don.t be intimidated or scared to ask……bipolar is alotta trial in error many times as it has been for me…….

Q: How would you feel if you spent 6 1/2 years being considered slow, stupid, retarded, bipolar?
And other things that insult who you are. Being harrassed, made fun of, used for sadistic laughter, constantly being mistreated, and abandoned by your loved ones?

A: Hurt….abandoned….really ticked if it wasn’t so.

Q: whats the difference between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2?
whats the difference between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2?

A: I’m not sure. I haven’t learned a whole lot about the differences. Personally I believe the differences between the two are very slight. They both come out of different stages of depression from chemical imbalances. But the reason they are different is because the type of depression. Which means the depression is different so the mood swings are different. One of them for sure represents a bipolar disorder from someone suffering from Major Depression. The other bipolar disorder must represent someone suffering from Manic Depression. Check this website and scroll down to the article “When Depression is Just One Side of the Coin” It talks about exactly what your looking for.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_signs_types_diagnosis_treatment.htm

On that page you can also see a list of all the different types of depression. I often suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) During the Fall and Winter. The colder seasons feel a lot more lonely then normal. A Bipolar disorder to understand simply is mood swings that come out of depression. So like I said above depending on the depression you have; the mood swings will be different. Bipolar, meaning that at one moment our brains are actually not depressed and the next we are lacking serotonin and dopamine levels from the imbalance going on. The dopamine levels are related to Manic Depression. Manic Depression can be inherited, It can also be caused by using certain drugs like Methamphetamines or Cocaine. People with ADD/ADHD often suffer from Manic Depression. There Bipolar disorder is a unique mood swing that comes out of hyperactivity. dopamine is the molecule in the brain that helps us concentrate and focus on things. It is also one of the biggest parts of the brains natural reward system. For example, Our brains produce the most dopamine during eating or sex. We feel pleasure to these things because our brains use a high ammount of dopamine to let us know these things are good.

Q: I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder, what should i expect?
I know the basics about the condition, but nothing further other than what i’ve experienced. can it lead to a complete loss of self control even in ‘morally testing’ situations?

A: You can expect to take drugs every day for as long as you are bi-polar. Even if you don’t like the way you feel when you take them, take them EVERY DAY as directed by your physician.

Q: What exactly is Bipolar 2 like for you?
I have bipolar 2, and so does my sister and my mom, I know what it is, but I would like to hear from people who have it how they handle it, and what it’s like for them, I’m a 13 year old female if that matters

A: My untreated bipolar 2 disorder meant that I was always either very depressed or very “up” (it never felt like mania to me) and that I would bounce back and forth between the two extremes sometimes several times a day. I was never emotionally stable.

I have been on medication for this for many years and now live a happy, regular life. I don’t want to kill myself and I don’t scream at everyone around me. I can sit and watch an entire television show without having to jump up and try to paint a room in one hour.

Life is good! I wish you the best…

Q: with bipolar diseaes duz it cause u 2 lie?
ok i have a friend that lies 2 me n stuff but she also has bipolar stuff….so w/ bipolar duz it caus u 2 lie?

A: yes it can, but what does that have to do with respiratory diseases?

Q: I’ve been taking 150mg per day of Lamictal for bipolar 2. How do I wean myself off of it?
I know it needs to be done slowly, but how slow?

A: If you are on medication for Bipolar disorder, do NOT wean yourself off of it. You might think you don’t need it, but that’s just the medicine working. If your physician is switching you to another medication, then he/she will tell you how to manage the change. My wife voluntarily took herself off of Depokote several years ago, and our lives have been a living hell since. There is a reason you take that stuff, don’t blow it.

Q: I have epilepsy and Bipolar 2 and on SSDI but I want to goto school and further my education.?
I don’t know how to go about paying for it since I have a limited income. I know of financial aid but are there any grants out there?

A: Consider bursaries, loans, scholarships that kind of stuff. The school you’re interested in will have a financial office where you can inform yourself of this stuff.

Q: My aunt (dads sister) and 2 cousin all have bipolar disorder. What is the likelihood that will have it?
Im 17 right now, and it started showing signs in their late teens early 20’s. I pretty worried.
Btw, both cousins are female, and I am as well.

A: Bipolar disorder is very often misdiagnosed because the signs are so vague, and the instance that someone starts to act up they are diagnosed.

The thing with bipolar disorder- the docter is a quack, whoever diagnosed them. You start showing signs when you are a small child.
It’s very unlikely, you cannot just pick it up out of no where.

Q: how will alcohol affect a person with bipolar 2 disorder?
i am bipolar 2 patient. Yesterday i had 1 bottle of beer. i had a very shallow sleep and in my sleep, i felt something unusual and tried to investigate that. then i became conscious and i began to think why i tried to do that. please help me… is it because of the alcohol i had?

A: Stop mixing alcohol and drugs! That is lethal. You got lucky this time.

Talk to your doctor about this very soon and stop drinking.

Q: Is there increasing evidence that treatment-resistant depression is actually type 2 bipolar disorder, because?
. . . the mania phase of type 2 bipolar disorder is much less severe (called hypomania, not full-blown mania), and a phase of hypomania may not even be seen as any type of disorder but rather be simply seen as the person being more “active”, “energetic”, or “hyper” than other people.

A: No, that is not a widely recognized theory I have ever heard about. I am not familiar with any evidence that treatment resistant depression would necessarily be bipolar disorder either. If such evidence exists, it is very obscure and not well supported.

You are right that type 2 Bipolar Affective Disorder involves hypomania rather than mania, but the critical piece is that the hypomania is still a clinical impairment. If there was depression, but no clinically significant mania or hypomania issues, the diagnosis would be depression, not bipolar. Remember that depression is not usually constant, but present in depressive episodes, which wax and wane over time. It also does not always manifest in the same way in the same people, so some could appear “high energy” while still being depressed (although this would not be the more stereotypical presentation, of course).

Q: What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 BiPolar disorder?

A: It’s a little more specific than mania vs. hypomania. Bipolar I includes both manic phases as well as major depressive episodes. Bipolar II can almost be viewed as less intense. The highs are not as high and the lows are not as low. So Bipolar II does include hypomania but it also means that the depression does not necessarily meet criteria for a Major Depressive Episode but is still depression.

Q: what can u do if your in a deep depression from bipolar 2?
boyfriend dumped out on me, mom doesnt understand, she always yells at me, support group abused me . i have no one to talk to. counselor appt. on tuesday. in physical pain also. mania is the only good mood . it rarely happens. been abused by people my whole life. serious answers only if can relate and understand. also meds dont help with depression.

A: First of all I want to tell you: don’t chase the high of mania. I know it feels great when you’re there, but mania is ALWAYS followed by a big fat depressive episode. Always.
I visit this website every day: www.dailystrength.org. They have plenty of support groups for people with depression, bipolar, bipolar 2, you name it. I find the people there VERY caring and supportive, and I recommend you take a look.
Also, look for these books by Patrick Holford: The Optimum Nutrition Bible, Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, and Natural Highs. These books have saved my life on more than one occasion (I’m also bipolar 2). Three weeks ago I was suicidal, and the advice in these books has helped me immensely once again.
I don’t know what meds you’re taking, if any, but you need to look more into that. There are so many different ones on the market and sometimes it can take a while to find the one that suits you, but it’s worth it once you’ve found it, believe me.
As for your mum, maybe it would be a good idea to get your doctor to talk to you about what people with bipolar experience. Hearing it from a professional might make more of an impact than hearing it from you. That’s how I got through to my husband. Also, if you go to the daily strength website, let her read some of the posts on there. A lot of them might sound whiny to her, but she should at least realise that these symptoms are common to everyone who suffers bp, that you’re not just whinging and looking for sympathy, that you do legitimately need help and that you most definitely need her support. Hell, if you want to, get her to email me at jdramunt@yahoo.com.au and I’ll tell her about everything that I’ve been through for the past twenty years.
Also, you need to establish a support network of your own, in real life, not just online. It doesn’t matter if you have to leave behind all of your current friends or whatever. It is important that you surround yourself with people that have a positive impact on your state of mind, and minimise contact with those who do the opposite (I know that can be hard, but do what you can). If you’re at school, talk to the school nurse, the principal, any teachers you like, whoever you think will listen. Talk with you friends – you’ll quickly find out who your true friends are. Develop strong relationships with your doctors. Find as many positive things as you can to introduce into your life. Read self-help/inspirational books – they really can teach you a lot. Try tai chi, yoga, pilates – any kind of physical activity that makes you feel good. Don’t watch the news, don’t watch scary/depressing movies or read scary/depressing books. Go for comedies. Make sure you spend at least a few minutes each day in the sun. Don’t be tempted by alcohol or illicit drugs – they will make it worse.
There really is a lot you can do – though some days it’s a lot harder than others to find the will to do them. Feel free to email me any time at the email address I gave before. You can ask me anything, tell me anything. I don’t judge, and I’ll always do my best to help.
Take care, ok? xoxo

Q: can bipolar disorder 2 devleop to bipolar disorder 1 if it can how do i know that it has devloped?
i was bipolar disorder 2 without medication , then recently i doignosed serve depression and psychosis is that a sign of devlped disorder

A: Yes, it can. All that is required for the upgraded diagnosis (so to speak) is an actual manic episode. Hypomania can progress to mania. The difference in the two is the severity. Hypomania does not typically include psychotic symptoms and is not as disruptive to a person’s life….not the way mania is…the latter often requires hospitalization to get under control while keeping every body safe. Bipolar depression has a tendency to be very severe and, at least in BP II, very persistent.

If you have bipolar disorder or any kind and want to have any sort of normal life, medication is an absolute must. And this means taking it properly every single day. It requires ongoing monitoring of your condition and most likely frequent med adjustments. I’m not going to sugar coat it…it sucks to need medication to function in a way that resembles “normal”. But, BP is something that can be managed with proper treatment and doesn’t have to dictate your whole life.

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