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Q: What is the best treatment for bipolar disease?
I was diagnosed as bipolar last year but couldn’t tolerate any of the meds. I’m on an antidepressant now, but am still having some pretty severe mood swings. Are there any bipolar meds that don’t have very severe side effects?

A: first of all, please dont listen to people who tell you that bipolar disorder is a made up problem. its caused by the neurotransmitters in your brain. its not your fault. and in most cases a simple anti depressant will not control the mood swings. you need to keep your doctor updated on your symptoms so they can alter your medication as needed. also, i would recommend seeing someone who specializes in mental health disorders not a regular family practitioner. and most of the meds that will help with the mood swings are also anti seizure medications. not the same thing works for everyone and they all have some possible side effects. you may not experience all or any of the side effects. and some side effects like headaches or constipation are worth dealing with instead of being angry or lashing out at the world around you. i am currently on Lamictal, and so far it is working but this is the fifth one i have tried. my aunt is on Selexa. its a trial and error process, but u have to keep going until you find one that works for you. good luck.

Q: What is the difference between hormonal and bipolar mood swings?
And by hormonal I mean like teenage girl type mood swings. Because I read that the difference between the two is that hormonal mood swings are triggered by an occurence while bipolar mood swings happen from nothing, and I get the latter a lot but I feel like that’s not true because I don’t act bipolar otherwise.

A: Bipolar swings last for weeks or months where hormonal swings happen quickly and last for minutes or hours……… Also the intensity of the mood in Bipolar is different than with hormones.

People with Bipolar Disorder go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long period meaning weeks or months or years…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. In the end I was unemployed, $30,000 in debt, and had almost lost my home. This can last for months.

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ). This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

Q: What medications do people with rapid cycling bipolar disorder take?
I’m not planning to take these drugs. The only reason I ask is because I am writing a story and I’d like it to be as accurate as possible. So if you know someone with rapid cycling bipolar or have rapid cycling bipolar, then if you could list the meds they or you take I’d be forever grateful!!!!!

A: Lithium is the main treatment for bipolar disorder. Good luck with your story.

Q: How can an unmedicated bipolar sufferer get their body to start a manic episode?
So, like how can a person with bipolar disorder but doesn’t use antipsych meds get their body to go into a manic state? Obviously if they were medicated they’d just stop their meds but how else can one get into a manic state? Caffeine only helps prolong an episode once started. Now, how do u get it started?

A: You need to go to the bathroom and leave the lights off, but with the door ajar so there’s a little illumination so you can at least see the outlines of objects.

Then muster all your energy with a deep inhale, look into the mirror and at the top of your voice shout, ‘BLOODY MARY!!!, BLOODY MARY!!!, BLOODY MARY!!!”….
…Now pretend to be Krusty the Clown – by identifying with his gravelly voice, pale skin, hair & nose – At this point go fix yourself a drink and watch Terms Of Endearment [twice if necessary].

Then just be sure you have enough coffee for the required duration.

Q: How is an OCD compulsive shopper compared to a Bipolar person in the MANIC stage spending lots of money?
I mean, if they’re both the same symptoms to 2 completely different mental disorders, then why do doctors wanna call you both? If you show you have OCD already, & you spend because you feel like you gotta have this & that JUST in case because you’d rather be safe than sorry, then why do they wanna call you Bipolar, as well? If excessive spending is one of your compulsions, then why do they try to say you’re Bipolar, too? Why can’t doctors leave well enough alone? & why does EVERY patient have to be considered Bipolar these days?

A: OCD and Bipolar are not the same, bipolar have symptons of mania and it feels very good and do things that makea person feel even better,like shopping for things they don’t need, but that feeling soon goes the other way and they can’t do a thing , they can not get out of bed for several days, so bipolar goes back and forth, OCD is constant.

Q: Does being diagnosed as bipolar affect you getting a pilot license if you are NOT on any medication?
Just out of curiousity, can you have been diagnosed with bipolar and still get a commercial license or a private one if you are not taking any medication whatsoever?

A: sorry, you are disqualified from receiving the medical cert.
it is not the med you take for this it is the condition its self
that is disqualifying. Take you meds, your health and well being is way more important than flying any ole plane!
see ….3

Code of Federal Regulations
Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 67—MEDICAL STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION
§ 67.207 Mental.

Mental standards for a second-class (reads th same for third class {private pilot})airman medical certificate are:

(a) No established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following:

(1) A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts.

(2) A psychosis. As used in this section, “psychosis” refers to a mental disorder in which:

(i) The individual has manifested delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of this condition; or

(ii) The individual may reasonably be expected to manifest delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of this condition.

(3) A bipolar disorder.

(4) Substance dependence, except where there is established clinical evidence, satisfactory to the Federal Air Surgeon, of recovery, including sustained total abstinence from the substance(s) for not less than the preceding 2 years. As used in this section—

Q: What is available for Bipolar children who forget to take meds?
I have a 17 year old male with Bipolar disorder he for gets his meds and probably does not want to take them. He has not completely accepted the diagnosis,the suicide,threats of bodly harm .How ,what I do not know if he will be safe on the streets when he turns 18,how can I protect him from him self?

A: This is a common problem with bipolar sufferers, many of whom enjoy the manic phase, or don’t think they need medication; then depression hits like a ton of bricks. See page 10, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris Also see pages 5, and 16. Make a written record of his behavior, so you can refer to it, when you remind him to take his medication. “Remember what happened when you didn’t take your medication: you did…..” I have multiple reminders installed in my cheap Nokia 1112 cellular mobile phone, but a $15 PDA would do. Give him fish oil supplements: they will help. www.mercola.com – taskbar.

Q: How many bipolar people are there in the world?
It seems like there are quite a few bipolar people that have not been diagnosed. I recently figured out what bipolar is and I see the symptoms in a lot of people I know personally. Im not a doctor or anything but when i see someone that has all the symptoms I start to wonder how many people are out there (like the people I see) that are not helped?

A: About 2% are bipolar, so that is 2% of 6 billion people=120 million people. The key to the diagnosis is that bipolar is the most EXTREME of regular personality traits.

Q: Are there any herbal remedies that work for bipolar disorder?
I know that there are some that are recommended for depression – St. John’s Wort, for example – but do these remedies run the same risk as antidepressants for people with bipolar – that is, do they make them manic? (Please bear in mind that I have already had that reaction to an antidepressant, so I might be susceptible to it).

Are there any herbal remedies that are safe and recommended for people with bipolar disorder?

A: Yes, the most common ones are St. John’s Wort, Valerian, and Chamomile, which is also used for folks sensitive to St. John’s Wort.

Not herbal – but I’ve heard acupuncture works as well.

I haven’t been able to find any information on herbal remedies causing manic episodes – but I wouldn’t think so, since they don’t work the same way as antidepressants. Just be mindful of drug interactions.

Q: What is the difference between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder?
I see some symptoms in common between the 2, but is bipolar disorder more extreme? and how can borderline personality disorder be cured?

A: Bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain and Borderline is a set of learned behaviors and thoughts that were developed to cope with a traumatic childhood. Borderline does not have a chemical component so meds do not help with Borderline. The mood swings in Bipolar last for weeks or months and do not have triggers. The mood swings in Borderline are triggered by events and only last hours or at most a couple of days and they can change in a flash. People with Bipolar can be overly emotional and dramatic but usually only when in a manic episode. Borderlines are like that all the time. People with Borderline tend to self harm and have eating disorders while you do not see this as much in Bipolar. Those with Borderline tend to be very dramatic and have certain behaviors and ways of seeing things that are unique to Borderline, they have an intense fear of abandonment, they tend to see thing in black and white only (things are either very good or completely evil, nothing in between), they love you one minute then hate you the next without much in between. They tend to self harm and threaten suicide as a way to manipulate people, ie: threatening suicide during a fight then swallowing a handful of tylenol in front of the person who made them mad… knowing the person will stop them and that the tylenol will not hurt them. Someone with Bipolar who is suicidal will more likely isolate themselves and attempt suicide quietly and with conviction. Really the only similarity is the mood swings but even those are very different in the two disorders. What make is difficult is that people with Bipolar often ALSO have Borderline. As Bipolar runs in families someone may have also had a parent with Bipolar and developed Borderline as a way to cope with their tumultuous childhood…..

It is impossible so say which is more extreme as people have anywhere from ild to completely debilitating cases so an extreme case of Bipolar is worse than a mild case of Borderlien and visa versa. Bipolar can be treated with medication but Borderline can not. Meds can be used to treat some of the symptoms but not the disorder itself. The only cure for Borderline is therapy and until recently even that was not very helpful. People with Borderline tend to see their disorder as being part of who they are. For instance, my sister in law (ex sister in law) has it and she just says she is a “hot tempered latin chick” and she thinks it is sexy.. she refuses to admit that it might be her fault that she cannot maintain a relationship and cannot keep a job for more than 6 months because she is so nasty to other people…. She likes how she is. They usually end up seeing the therapist as the enemy who is trying to take away their personality and they stop going to therapy… or they see it as hopeless and cling to that, “I CAN’T get better, it’s not my fault I have a disorder, pity me”. Those with Borderline get a bad rap (so do those with Bipola but more so with Borderline), they can be EXTREMELY difficult to be around but they are in tremdous pain….. that does nto change the fact that they are difficult but they are not just bitchy and manipulative as some people think.

I once heard Borderline described as being “an emotional burn victim”, they have no protective skin over their emotions…. they are always on the surface and always raw and they have little control over them.

Q: What would happen to someone bipolar who stopped taking their medication?
I am not bipolar. I do not need warnings about talking to my doctor, or anything like that. I am writing a short story and just want to know how quickly someone who stopped taking their medication would feel the effects of that.

A: I can say I have witnessed this in a family member. It all happened very slowly over several months to a few years. But when the time came everyone knew. The crazy behaviour was well noticeable.

Q: How do I get checked for bipolar disorder?
I have bad anxiety and depression, but I want to rule out that possibilty that it’s bipolar disorder.

A: You need to speak with a mental health professional. Typically, a psychiatrist makes these types of diagnoses. You can ask your family doctor for a referral or contact a psychiatrist’s office directly. At your appointment, the doctor will assess the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. This is in the form of an interview. The diagnosis is based on a specific set of symptoms such as episodes of mania and depression. There are many resources available including private psychiatrists’ offices and community mental health centers. If you feel that you have any of the symptoms of bipolar disorder or any other psychiatric illness, please see a mental health professional. These disorders are treatable with proper medication and psychotherapy.

Q: Surveying how many individuals who are Bipolar work and hold professional jobs?
I am trying to start a business. I tried to leave some information about my business at the office where I see my psychiatrist. He told me not to leave any information because it is a office of “sick” people. I know for a fact there are many individuals who are Bipolar who hold down professional jobs. Can anyone respond to this?

A: This depends on the severity of the symptoms, med compliance, support system, coping skills, etc. Yes, many individuals with Bipolar Disorder hold down professional jobs. Many others are unable to do so. This is also true of the “general population,” so don’t forget that.

Q: How do you deal with a bipolar person during a manic episode?
When my husband is having a manic episode, he acts really hyper and can’t seem to sit still. He is also argumentative and more sensitive than usual. If I say something and he takes it the wrong way, he freaks. If I try not to say much, he gets upset that I’m not speaking to him. I’ve read a lot about bipolar, and it says to be patient and supportive, yada yada yada, but it doesn’t tell you what to DO or SAY during a manic episode.

A: Act like he’s not having one. Treat him exactly how you would on a normal day. Don’t talk about him being manic, just talk to him about how your day was or something.

When I get like that, any confrontation or anything that I consider negative just kinda sets me off, but not being treated like i’m crazy calms me down quite a bit.

Theres really nothing you can do, theres no way to stop an episode. the best you can do is try your hardest not to call attention to it and be positive. Talk about good stuff.

Q: How does being bipolar affect your romantic relationships and dating?
My date, 16, is extremely bipolar, but takes Seroquil which seems to work.

In addition to being bipolar, my date also has ADD, Anxiety, Fear of Failure, and also just completed rehab for marijuana addiction.

My date also just completed 3 months in foster care becuase the bio mom was addicted to drugs.

What are some of the complications I can expect dealing with ALL these psychological issues.

A: Contrary to what the previous poster said, cheating is not inevitable. I am bipolar and have been faithful with my boyfriend for almost three years. However, dating someone who is bipolar can be very hard, even if they are in proper treatment. Be strong and know that the person doesn’t always mean what they say. Really bad things can seem like a good idea at the time and the consequences can be hell. Be as consistent as possible, but don’t expect the same from your date. Learn as much as you can about the disorders and try to understand where the person is coming from. Talk. I can only speak generally, and from my own experience because everyone has a different experience with the same disorder.

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