bipolar 2 symptoms

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Q: Are irrationality and rage typical symptoms of bipolar 2 disorder?
And are bipolar 2 sufferers usually violent?

A: That is not typical for Bipolar 2 but it can be possible. I know that in bipolar you can have what they call “dysphoric manias” which means that you have all the energy and intenseness of emotion but the emotions can be negative (such as rage or dispair) rather than the fun emotions normally experienced with mania. I would assume the same is also possible with the hypomania in Bipolar 2. So usually? No. Possibly? Yes.

Q: Are these Bipolar Symptoms?
Racing Thoughts
Getting 2-3 hours sleep a night and not missing it
Increase in energy
Excessive spending.

Hi i am 21 years old. I started experiencing these symptoms about a month ago. Yesterday i told my GP and she changed my fluoxetine to Citalopram and told me to come back see her in two weeks and see if there is any change. She says getting 2 hours a night isn’t normal.Are these Bipolar Symptoms? Thank you
I am being treated for depression too.

A: They are indeed symptoms and you seem like a classic case.

The majority of bipolar sufferers are misdiagnosed with unipolar at first because they only think something is wrong when they are depressed, and they assume their medication is what’s causing the mania.

Your doctor is right to change your medication and make you wait.

After those two weeks if you’re still feeling manic or still having manic episodes regularly, you will have to participate in a diagnostic questionnaire and some health tests, the tests are to find out if they is anything else wrong that is mimicking the symptoms of bipolar, and the questionnaire is one of the best ways to diagnose bipolar.

As a side note, if you’re in the UK you don’t need to see a psychiatrist to get a diagnosis, your GP is more than qualified to diagnose you, he will then refer you to the local hospitals mental health unit for a more complete diagnosis and some more tests.

Either way, something is going on here.

Nobody can tell you over the computer whether you are bipolar or not, you need to follow your doctors advice.

Q: How to confront a loved who is likely bipolar???
My brother is bi-polar (we believe so based on what we’ve read & family history, etc.). At this point he is in his early 40’s and facing some major stresses in his life (divorce, lost house, moving to another state, child custody issues, money issues, to name only a few). He struggles daily, and has a tough time making any decisions. We are worried for him, he has recently mentioned suicide. The problem that we have is that he has no idea that he shows typical bipolar symptoms. He has seen 2 conselors in the past to get advice, he didn’t trust them, and felt they didn’t know what they were talking about. So how do you approach a loved one with bipolar that is likely to either be offended, defiant or just plain in denial about the potential of him having a “disorder”. Any advice would be helpful, we only want to make some suggestions, and want to guide him in the direction of a specialist. THANKS!

A: I can’t tell you what to do. What I can tell you is a short story. I was in the midst of a very bad, confusing depression a couple years after messing up my life. My brother sat me down and in no uncertain terms told me that I was screwing up my life, something was very wrong, and I needed to get help. He was not argumentative. He did not put a label on what was wrong. He was very clear, direct, and yep, pissed off. It got thru. I saw a doc, was put on anti-depressants, started seeing a therapist, and inevitably went obviously manic for the first time some months later. When it doesn’t impair functioning completely, it’s not easy to know that you have a mental illness. I now take stabilizers and life is normal again. I was 43 when the lecture occurred. I wish it was sooner.

Q: Are these Bipolar symptoms?Can i go to my GP?
Could i go to my local GP with these symptoms?
Hi. My name is Tony and i am 22 years old and live in Glasgow. Over 2 weeks ago now i was discharged from the local psychiatric hospital after a 6 day stay.The Consultant there wrote my diagnosis as recurrent depression or something like that. Before i went into hospital i was on Citalopram 20mg for about 8 months. This treatment has been continued so i still take one tablet of Citalopram in the morning. Anyway, for the past week now i have been having racing thoughts like music and scenes from movies and ideas going around my head a million miles an hour.My talking has been pressured and really fast and i can’t help it.I have been feeling more energetic than usual and i haven’t been needing much sleep.Like i get about 4 hours a night or something. Are these Bipolar symptoms?Can i go to my GP? My Mum was told by her GP on 2007 she had Bipolar.

A: Yes you should certainly see your GP about this, It could be a side-effect of the drug or it may mean that the antidepressants have triggered a manic state.

But yea my advice talk with your Doctor as soon as possible I heard that some people who have a pre-disposition to Bipolar who are taking antidepressants can make them switch.

Q: Racing Thoughts and Insomnia(Bipolar Symptoms).?
Racing Thoughts and Insomnia(Bipolar Symptoms).?
I suffer from clinical depression and have been on fluoxetine for over 5 months now, About a week or so ago i was experiencing really racing thoughts and i couldn’t slow my mind down which was making it very difficult to concentrate on things. Also i was only getting about 1-2 hours of sleep and not really missing it. I didn’t feel tired. Just energised. I went to my GP in Glasgow about this as my friend who used to be a mental health nurse said that it sounded like Bipolar, so i told my GP about the racing thoughts, lack of sleep, energised and so on and my GP just upped my Prozac to 40mg and told me to come back in 3 weeks.Are these symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?Or maybe some other condition?

A: Anti depressants can cause Mania. Increasing the Prozac may make it worse. You need to ask for a referral to a psychiatrist.

Q: Another question about Bipolar symptoms and treatments?
So i have been going back and forth trying to find out what would help, and my symptoms of whatever i got don’t totally fit the cycle period.

For me i can be extremely happy and then in the SAME DAY without change of anything be extremely mad or depressed. The depression periods can be totally different in lvls as to what some would say “suicidal”. I have talked to about 3 doctors and 3 therapists and most of them (5/6) say i have bipolar disorder but on the other hand the “switch” doesn’t make since. My Happy level can be really high…feel extremely good about myself, very content and pro-active, but not over the top. My anger can get to a point where i have broken 2 nuckles, at least 3 fingers, holes in many walls, have took sledge hammers to bikes and stuff to tire myself out…and much more. Depression periods can be very bad, as this year i only attended 68% of school (so far) as many days there was just no way for me to get out of bed (and days i had to leave before i snapped) ,most times i wished i was dead (excuse was that i built up an ammunity to LEXIPRO 20mg…but from the beginning it never put it away just calmed it a slight bit).
Things this year have been worse than ever…as how its inflicting in my life… (senior year should be happy…) besides missing school for being very depressed, some days when i would go, i just couldn’t concentrate, no control of thoughts, things just rushing like crazy…sometimes it becomes sort of like a dream, so much that i would drive home going 100-120, sometimes hit corners that i shouldn’t have made, close my eyes…just like i wasn’t there… There were and still occasionally are times where i get soo PUMPED? that i feel like i could take anyone, there was like no pain…always want to start fights and its extremely hard to hold it back…EXTREMELY HARD.

well, i really don’t know what to do… when im happy i pray that it stays that way and i do everything i can, but then in the same day i find myself in a 100% different frame of mind, angry at everyone, everything… and just don’t care.

my doctor/ therapist thinks putting me on Bi-Polar meds is bad because he says it would make me like a zombie…and it would be better to try other things.

Im currently on 300mg of Wellbutatain (srry no idea how to spell it) and 20mg of aderall (believed to help me be able to concentrate so it wont get me as angry trying)…ive only taken these for about 1month and 2weeks and it seems to help more than Lexipro but the changes are still there and big enough to control me.

So my questions: Could it be that these meds will clear everything up in time? and i just need to wait?
Do you think that its a form of bipolar disorder or something totally different?
Also is there any bipolar medications that do the job without making you a “zombie” as the therapist put it…?

im pretty lost and have spent all available time seeing people, trying things, and talking on the computer to try to get help… in 6 months im going to be in college, and i want to have this under control by that time….is there a way it could even pass? although moth of my life i have been like this, as long as i can remember.

A: Hi,

To cut to the chase, BIPOLAR (as you might already suspect) is simply the new “in” word for Manic Depression where a person cycles between “very big highs” (mania) and “very low Lows” (depression) which is a far wider range than most other peoples – and it lasts for more than a couple of weeks.

Many famous and highly intelligent people have/had manic depression including Sir Winston Churchill, Stephen Fry, Carrie Fisher, Spike Milligan, Ben Stiller, DMX and many others. Managed properly, it can be lived with, and in fact because the “mania” (the highs) are so exhilarating, most manic depressives wouldn’t swap their manic depression for being normal. There are three treatments for Bipolar, and only one of them involves antidepressant drugs. Read on…

I’ve been in fairly hefty senior management positions for around 4 decades and have had up to 500 staff under me at times. I’ve had to deal frequently with many people suffering Depression, so know a little about what you are going through. Depression is far more common than most people think because most people either don’t recognise it or hide it. In fact, I think the stats show that up to one-in-five people suffer from Depression, all over the world. It’s good that you’re getting it out in the open and seeking advice. Just be careful of the myths and here-say, though. A lot of people don’t know what they’re talking about and just seem to make things up as they go along.

Anyhow, to cut to the chase – Nowadays, I produce videos, and last year made a 35-minute DVD presented by a top UK Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Darryl Britto, who is a personal friend of mine, and who wanted to squash all the myths about depression, because he felt that very few people thoroughly understood what it is all about. In the DVD he includes an explanation of the three main treatments available. It’s purposely in simple layperson’s language and aimed at 4 categories of people.
1) Those with Depression,
2) Those who think they may have Depression,
3) Friends and family of those with Depression, and
4) People training in the healthcare sector.

If interested, you can see a FREE PREVIEW on YouTube at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce1viJ7zqCU

I also have a Blog at http://business-sage.blogspot.com which has heaps and heaps of useful FREE ADVICE about enhancing your lot in life, which you might be interested in. (Some of it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.)

Also I’ve include some weblinks below which are of course FREE.

I sincerely hope this information might help you, and that I haven’t given you too much text here – but I felt it important to lever you away from (sometimes) harmful here-say, gossip and myths. You are not alone, you know. Depression is treatable in the majority of cases and it’s truly not as bad as you feel it is – you just need to know the FACTS and what Depression is all about, which then makes it ten times more easy to handle.

Good luck & Cheers
John E

Q: Well helps relieve bipolar symptoms?
I have just been diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder a little over a week ago and also have extreme ocd/anxiety. My psychiatrist prescribed me abilify 2 mg and I had an allergic reaction and spent a day in the ER on fluids due to dehydration (I didn’t sleep in 6 days even w/ sleeping medication, I couldn’t eat w/o vomiting, hot flashes, and horrible headaches). Needless to say I have been taken off of this medication. To make a long story short I saw my psychiatrist this morning and he has decided to put me on seroquel. I don’t have any form of insurance (I don’t qualify due to preexisting conditions. I have PCOS (Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome) so I have to wait 6-8 weeks before my first prescription arrives to my dr (unless I want to spend $500 which of course I don’t have!). So currently I am on no medication b/c my dr wants to take care of one problem at a time just incase of side effects for each medication. I have been having relapse symptoms since I’ve stopped taking the abilify and I’m absolutely miserable! I have been having constant anxiety attacks due to the stress of having to deal w/ this new situation and I can still hardly eat. The dr at the hospital gave me 5 pills of ativan just in case, and I’m down to my last two (it’s the only thing that will make me sleep). I guess my question is what can I do to possibly relax and relieve a little of this stress before I go absolutely crazy? I thought that getting help would finally make me feel better, but it has only gotten worse. Has anyone tried aromatherapy? Yoga? Any ideas or personal refrences would be greatly appreciated. It’s gotten to the point where I’m scared to go to work b/c I’m not sure how I’ll react. I keep having nervous melt downs! Thank you all!
Irish- I read and dance a lot as well, I started as a child just to keep myself occupied. You were right about the animal thing lol! I have 3 dogs and a chinchilla whome I love to death. However, since my husband, family and friends found out about my disorder they seem to be harder to talk to. I guess it’s b/c it’s harder for them to understand. Like my sister put it I’m like an animal going to the vet. Its harder to diagnose something the dr’s can’t see ( (she’s a vet tech). So I honestly don’t have many people to talk to about this, and I find it hard to keep myself busy when I constantly have to explain to everyone why I’m so down.

A: I am also bipolar (though I’m rapid-cycling) and I have generalized anxiety disorder.
I write out my worries and put them in a sealed box that cannot be opened again, so I kind of release the worry, letting it go. I know that sounds goofy but it helps me.
Also, I read a lot. It’s a relaxing, calm thing. But sometimes it’s too hard to focus.
When it is, I listen to music. I’ll dance to burn off some of the energy or cry to get out some of the depression and anxiety.
I also call my friends or play games with my boyfriend or my family. People are a great distraction. Try your best not to isolate yourself.
Lastly, I have a cat. A pet is highly recommended to people with depressive disorders. I talk to her and pet her. She’s been a major help though my anxious and depressive moments.

Q: If misdiagnosed, can bipolar meds actually CAUSE bipolar?
It’s been 2 weeks since I started Lamotrigine and I (and my friends/family) have noticed that the bipolar symptoms are getting significantly worse. I’m not yet on a full dosage of this drug yet though. I wonder if I have been misdiagnosed and really only have depression but the new bipolar meds are giving me bipolar. Is this possible?

A: If you have been on lamictal only 2 weeks, I don’t think it’s possible you are at a therapeutic dose yet, which is minimum 100 mg, and most take 200 mg a day, i believe. You have to increase the dose slowly or you can get a rash. antidepressants can cause bipolar, but i have never read that bipolar meds can, and I read a LOT about mental health. If you are getting worse, it still could be a bad reaction to the meds – seroquel made me a lot worse. A few years later, I thought, nah, couldn’t be the seroquel, must have been a cooincidence, so I tried it again, and got really bad off again, within a couple days (or maybe it was within hours, I don’t really remember). You should call your doc first thing monday morning. I think it is just the bipolar getting worse, and the lamictal isn’t at a high enough dose yet to help – if it will help at all, which it may or may not.

try reducing stress, get a LOT more exercise to decrease agitation, increase social support. Ask for help with chores, rather than getting super stressed out. If you have mania, try not to stay up all night. lamictal isn’t a very good antimanic agent, lithium is better.

Q: Could music affect your bipolar symptoms?
I am bipolar I and currently NOT taking medicine, but will be soon.

So whenever I listen to a song that pumps you up and stuff, I start getting excited and jumpy, like anyone, but then after the song, I start becoming really hypomanic and if I don’t smoke some weed, it would last till the next day and sometimes go into full blown mania.

Same with a sad or depressing song, im sure everybody feels it for a bit, but for me its like i get thrown into depression and that too last 1-2 days, and sometimes becomes my natural state of mind and becomes an actual episode.
Oh I see, I get it

Gabe – I never had lamictal or zoloft. I have tried lithium but that didn’t work. Guess I’ll go try new medicine.

Which is better lamictal or zoloft?
Also here is a my full blown mania-

I become angry, careless and a prick. I start fights with everyone, am always irritated, think very fast, talk a lot, and then i shut down and really can’t think properly.

Then I go start wasting money and having lots of sex/jackin it.

Its like you are high, but not high, you don’t feel mellow, just on the edge, like you feel if you go any further you will explode.

A: I get the same way. but my swings only last for an hour at the most. after the depression or mania is gone i could care less about what just happened

question – why did you stop your lamicital and zoloft

Why couldn’t he have told me? I seriously thought i have been taking meds for adhd, but its lamictal and zoloft, which i just realized is for bipolar patients. I remember i asked him what the diagnosis was, and he said “we should know in 3 weeks”, and that was 5 months ago.

Thats from your past question. So did you take them or did you start taking them when he told you your diagnoses?

Q: PLEASE READ, Is there a way to cure or minimize my BIPOLAR symptoms?
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD READ AND PUT SOME INPUT, I”LL RETURN THE FAVOR.

I’ve been taking seroquel and depakote for a year and a half now, after I was self hospitalized the day I became very manic and not able to sleep or even rest anymore at all. They diagnosed me with bipolar type 2.

I have gotten a lot better, I’m able to read and concentrate and understand things well mostly, yet there are still setbacks. I mean I’ve had moments where I feel completely fine, then it goes away, and at times I feel so confused.Yet I still feel blank at times as if my mind can’t handle information, or I’m dumb in a way or have no sense of self, and I can’t concentrate on just one thing much of the time, or I get mentally stimulated fast in many situations. Physically I stay home, watch T.V., read whatever I can concentrate on and go to school for one class, which I don’t do much work for. It’s like I have this energy without much concentration. Some of my friends look at me and say I seem bored a lot or sad at times, which I think is me just being naturally high.

Another thing about me is that my estrogen is kind of low and I take Metformin to help with my insulin resistance that will in turn help with my period to come normally. It has almost been a year and my period still hasnt come. So maybe my moods or mental state is also affected by this? I’m not sure.

I’ve tried Abilify, Geodon, Lamictel, Respidul. They just made me more restless or feel off.

I was wondering where I could find success stories or books for bipolar patients and people with mental conditions???

Where I could find a good psychiatrist in the 310 area, maybe a website or something???

I know this is a lot of information, but if you could please address to me about what you think is going on, resources about it with success stories, and what I should try or some more information in general to understand things better, I would appreciate it.

A: I have bipolar 1, and my roommate is bipolar 2.

she has low energy, and doesn’t do much, except for working on her hobby and watching TV. She has been trying to read lately, and she also journals every day (i have no idea what she journals about, because nothing happens in her life, really).

You can find books on bipolar disorder self-help at Barnes & Noble or other major bookstores. You might also find support by joining forums for bipolars. Forums are a good way to communicate with our peers, make friends, get good support and advice, swap stories, or just be yourself. They can be helpful, if we don’t get caught up in other people’s problems.

If you need to find a psychiatrist, can you talk with your family doctor?

I’m going to find you a few websites so you might check them out.

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

http://www.books4selfhelp.com/bipolar.htm

http://www.survivingbipolar.com/

http://www.bpbabble.com/

Take care of yourself, and i hope things improve. You can find more information by doing a google or yahoo search for

Bipolar Disorder Self Help
Bipolar Disorder Forums

Q: PLEASE READ ALL OF IT, How can I cure or manage my supposed BIPOLAR symptoms ?
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD READ AND PUT SOME INPUT, I”LL RETURN THE FAVOR.

I’ve tried Abilify, Geodon, Lamictel, Respidul. They just made me more restless or feel off.

Also I was wondering where I could find success stories for bipolar patients and people with mental conditions and where I could find a good psychiatrist in the 310 area, maybe a website or something???

I know this is a lot of information, but if you could please address to me about what you think is going on and what I should try or some more information in general to understand things better, I would appreciate it.

A: I am bipolar. I take Lamital and Wellbutrin and Lorazepam as needed, usually a week before menses for my extreme PMS/PMDD.

Lamital and Wellbutrin work well for me my but my PMS is so extreme that it ruins all of the good days. PMS negatively affects my entire home life and family. It is a horrific place to live without Lorazepam. My children are often confused because my mood is either manic (angry) or depressed. Because my mood can be so unpredictable during this time my children are confused and afraid by my inconsistent behavior and discipline. Although I still have to remember to take it, as soon as I start to yell, I know that I must be starting PMS and I am usually correct. I am thankful for Lorazepam.

Lorazepam stops my racing thoughts in the evening so I can sleep. But, it can become addicting. I am very careful to only use Lorazepam when there is an extreme change in my personality usually during PMS. Lorazepam has helped with my anxiety, inability to sleep, sensitivity to noise and with my manic (which is usually anger) behavior.

Hope this helps.

Q: What is the difference between bipolar 1 and 2? Please list symptoms also.?
Thanks
be specific. What bipolar is mainly mixed episodes?
mixed episodes to a normal/numb then to a exited faze.
I also feel on edge iritable.
I was on lexapro lithium and abilify in the past but quit due to bad reaction to abilify.
I just dont understand it to much
im awake ant cant sleep and think think think into a anxiety attack.

A: Bipolor I has truly manic episodes behaving so hyper that others readily notice the behavior.

Bipolor II has a lessened form of the manic episodes and may escepe the notice of others or be described as a hard worker or very active.

I can’t say whether either is associated with mixed episodes. I’m a Bipolor II and suffer from mixed episodes. It’s a special sort of yuck….

In any case, it’s very important to find your cocktail (medicines) and stick with it. Each episode makes you more susceptible, so stay on your meds!

Q: does the dosage of lithium increase the symptoms of bipolar?
i am bipoar 2 patient and my condition was almost stable for the past few months. but i was not taking the morning doasge of lithium. recently i had been to the doctor and he doubled the doasge and now i take two tablets at once. after that i feel some kind of irritability and insomnia… what i wish to know is does the doasge of lithium increase the symptoms of bipolar?another thing i would to ask at this point is that i had been taking the tablets for sleep regularly for the past 1 year… so whether i can stop them at any point of time???

A: Whenever I had a dose change on Lithium, my doc has always checked my blood levels. If you were not honest with him about your missed doses, that could be a great problem. As with any drug,when dosage is changed, it can take a week or two before you notice any benefits. Call your doc and inform him of the problem and ask for a lithium level.

Q: what is the difference between having bipolar i and bipolar 2??
what are some symptoms as bipolar

A: As a Psychologyst I can tell you that Bipolar I disorder is distinguished from Bipolar II disorder by the presence of one or more Manic or Mixed Episodes. When an individual previously diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder develops a Manic or Mixed Episode, the diagnosis is changed to Bipolar I Disorder.b

Q: Bipolar disorder misdiagnosis really hypoglycemia?
I was diagnosed with bipolar type 1 about a year ago.

I first noticed symptoms 5 years ago, at the time I was 18. I was about 270 lbs and seriously needed to loose weight. As a kid I would always get very very weak and then needed food with sugar in it, like a Milky Way bar.

So I decided to go on a diet and over 2 years lost a nice 50 pounds. I cut out all the junk food and ate chicken, a little rice and cheese/fruits/vegetables.

I think by the time I was 21 those “weak” spells where i felt like fainting disappeared. 19-20 I did gain back all my weight because I started eating a lot of junk food, like 3 milky ways, kit kat, a lot of soda, ice cream and chips(munchies for the pot).

So I felt things were getting out of hand and then I went on a real diet with exercise and stuff involved, as well as the old diet. Since then I have lost about 80 pounds and am pretty fit now.

Now I have been reading articles about how bipolar disorder as well as like 15 other mental illnesses are often really just hypogycemia.

I do occasionally get check ups and my blood taken, and my doctor has never said anything about any blood problems such as low blood sugar.

My psychiatrist is near 100% sure I am bipolar. Medicine works sometimes.

My bipolar symptoms are pretty bad, my manic episodes are intense and depression is sometimes light, but can get very very depressing.

What I am trying to say is that, could i have been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder? I don’t know, my bipolar symptoms seem pretty “classic” but the denial in me keeps on researching….

Is this possible/probable and this is just hypoglycemia?

Or perhaps I have bipolar disorder and I am hypoglycemic and the hypoglycemia just intensifies my bipolar disorder?

YES i know wrong place to ask for real help, I will go to a doctor next week, just needs some clues and ideas on if its possible.

Also, sugar never affected my mood, whether a lot of none, my mood was consistent with the episode i was going through at the time.

A: You are in all probability bipolar and you are in denial. In addition to that, you ask questions but you dont bother to read the answers. As I told you before, I dont think you can wait until the middle of
September to get help. As always, I wish you the best.

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