![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 15:22:07
I don't want my sweet friend to be bored.. ( Philippa, send me the check later!). LOL
I really do have a question about Bipolar and mania.
When my dad got maniac it included going days and days without sleep- spending money he did not have- feeling on top of the world- super excited about life-- feeling like God was his best friend.
This would often last for months. Then he would hit his depressed state which meant for him- drug abuse- stopping church- no more love for God- life is awful, etc..
I am trying to figure out my pattern here but my cycles are coming daily- my dad's came every 3-4 months.
I am not nearly as predictable. I can feel pretty normal one minute, completey anxious and agitated the next, and then utterly depressed.
My cycles aren't nearly as fun (geez!), and they don't last nearly as long.
So is my bipolar just obviously competely different than my father's? Or is mine just on super warp speed?Only mine leaves out the euphoria stuff too.
If I have to be manic, can't I at least get the good kind?
LOL
Posted by Minnie-Haha on April 10, 2005, at 16:10:40
In reply to anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you, posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 15:22:07
I think you shouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about what type of bipolar disorder you have until you see if it's your endocrine system that's causing you all the crazy cycling you're going through!
Posted by Maxime on April 10, 2005, at 16:18:10
In reply to Re: anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you, posted by Minnie-Haha on April 10, 2005, at 16:10:40
> I think you shouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about what type of bipolar disorder you have until you see if it's your endocrine system that's causing you all the crazy cycling you're going through!
>I second the motion. Spriggy just wait. I know it's hard, but you have no choice.
And I think I shared that web link that talked about anxiety and BP didn't I? Well since you are going to worry about even if we tell you not, read the following:
Anxious depression could be "bipolar"?!
Warning: leaving DSM-IV territory
The remainder of this "diagnosis" discussion cannot be found in the DSM. I will repeatedly reference mood disorder experts, but many of these views are controversial. You must evaluate for yourself the validity of what follows.
Unfortunately, "hypomania" is quite a mis-naming. There are many patients whose "hypomanic" phases are an extreme and very negative experience. As noted above by Dr. Jamison, mania can be negative as often as it is positive. The "racing thoughts" can have a very negative focus, especially self-criticism. The high energy can be experienced as a severe agitation, to the point where people feel they must pace the floor for hours at a time. Sleep problems can show up as insomnia: an inability to sleep, rather than decreased need. (If you or a friend or doctor is skeptical about anxiety as a "bipolar" symptom, try that link for more details and references.)
In my experience most of these people come to treatment with a combination of agitation, anxiety and self-criticism — and they can’t sleep well. Is this "anxiety?" Is this some mood variation? How could you tell the difference? Is there a difference? What is really going on chemically? Unfortunately, this is still almost completely unknown. See the appendix "What’s the latest on why?", which I will try to keep updated frequently, for the latest research about the cause of this illness.
Again, my opinion: you can’t easily distinguish "anxious depression" from bipolar II in a mixed state. I doubt that there is a distinction to be made, ultimately (when we know, hopefully someday relatively soon, what the chemical basis for anxiety with depression really is). For example there is nearly complete overlap between Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Bipolar II.
For now, the only way to tell is by how treatment turns out. Depression that is not bipolar can get better and stay better: with time, or counseling, or formal psychotherapy, or antidepressants. If you get better — great! If you don’t, you may need this new understanding of mood disorders in order to consider mood stabilizers medications, discussed in detail below, as an option.
Meanwhile, at least one experienced mood researcher warns that anxiety in someone who is depressed is associated with a high suicide risk.Fawcett(b) So although there is diagnostic confusion, there are tremendous stakes involved. Approaching this situation with an open mind seems wise, given this risk.
Taken from: http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/frameset.html
Posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 16:44:53
In reply to Re: anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you, posted by Maxime on April 10, 2005, at 16:18:10
You guys are right.. but remember, part of this anxiety is the worry of what it is. yadda,yadda,yadda.
But my husband did read an article that said sometimes a person gets a bipolar diagnosis when in fact, it's a thyroid disorder triggering the rapid mood cycling.
So I WILL do my best to stick with that until the thryoid is completed ruled out.
* repeats to self ten times " do not worry, three more days." *
Posted by Phillipa on April 10, 2005, at 16:48:30
In reply to Re: anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you, posted by Maxime on April 10, 2005, at 16:18:10
So now my boredom and anxiety is really a form of BP. I've got too many things wrong with me now to have this too. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by smith562 on April 10, 2005, at 17:21:58
In reply to anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you, posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 15:22:07
Hey Spriggy,
I am in a similar boat ... my father is BP II and I have never gotten euphoric hypomania (maybe on nardil thou). I mainly have panic disorder and depression. This was alluded to previously, but Dr Jamison did revolutionize the concepts of bipolar disorder and the spectrum notion. Her book "An Unquiet Mind : A Memoir of Moods and Madness" explains this very nicely.
After 10 years of research, clinic experiences and interviews with other doctors, I have synthesized my own thoughts on the "mood disorder spectrum illness". Mood disorders is probably similar to sickle cell disease. If you get one bad "sickle gene" .... you have sickle trait which keeps you from getting malaria and dying ... a good thing. If you get both "sickle genes" .... you get sickle cell disease ... very bad (most people only have sickle trait in africa/america). Same with mood disorders ... if you get a small number of abnormal genes ... you will have dysthmia or bipolar II or III ... many people have this soft spectrum disease and are very energetic, creative, passionate ... good thing (read "The Hypomanic Edge : The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America"). On the other hand, if you get too many abnormal mood genes ... you will have severe depression, bipolar I, schizophrenia ... not good, hard to treat.
Sounds like you fit some where in the spectrum like me .... not normal, but not concretely bipolar I. I have found low dose of zoloft, low dose lithium, low dose klonopin and low dose wellbutrin to help with my "in the middle of the road illness".
Hope any of this makes sense ... sorry for the babbling. Any comments would be appreciated. Hope your well soon.
Regards,
Smith
Posted by MidnightBlue on April 10, 2005, at 17:28:29
In reply to anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you, posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 15:22:07
Spriggy,
Give up trying to figure out your cycles until you get your thyroid and blood sugar straightened out. Either one of those alone can drive you to the heights of mania or the depths of despair.
You may actually have little or no bipolarity. There is no way to tell until your get your basic body chemistry straightened out first.
Hang in there--Wednesday's coming!
MidnightBlue
Posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 18:49:46
In reply to Re: anxiety as mania? So phillipa just for you » Spriggy, posted by MidnightBlue on April 10, 2005, at 17:28:29
Thanks everyone... THREE MORE DAYs... LOL
Chants to self..
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.