Fellow DLers: who among you has bipolar disorder?

Op I hope you’re under psychiatric care and adherent to mood stabilizing meds. I’m not bipolar but my ex was. A horrible roller coaster for him, me, and his family for years as he lied about medication adherence, cycled repeatedly, and was in and out of inpatient psych stays before ending up in a homeless shelter where he killed himself. Meds are not easy or without side effects but they can give you and your loved ones stability.

I’m going through a mixed state and the irritability is through the roof. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. By the way, I never forget to take my meds.

I am, r1, and I haven't been hospitalized for many years. But it's still a fucking struggle.

I'm sorry, r2. I hope you feel better soon.

I used to go to depression support groups, and while we would break out between unipolar and bipolar there was a lot of overlap. As crap as my depressive life has been my heart goes out to bipolar people, their experiences were always ten times more brutal and the journey to find treatment and stability much, much harder. OP, I’m sorry for your struggle and I wouldn’t wish what you go through on my worse enemy. I will say that in group support I think the bipolars actually got more out of the experience by having someone who has lived similar situations that few can understand and the empathy that comes with it. Good luck to you.

I personally do not, but I do get anxious and it makes me agitated and depressed. I get depressed in the morning but am on top of my game at night a lot. I have been through depression after my late partner died but doctors didn't give me a bipolar diagnosis. Said anxiety and depression can co-exist but I was never "manic". However, one doctor said he thought I may have been hypomanic the first Christmas after my partner died and I had lost my job at that same time and was starting a new job with little break and lots of stress. He based in on my high anxiety and nervousness levels, inability to sleep, the way I talked and "heightened state". He had me come in for an eval and also with a psychologist but they ruled out bipolar disorder based on several tests/questions. Just PTSD. I later dated an older shop bottom who is bipolar and saw the difference. He would go without sleep 3 days, spend like crazy (his mom was alive then and tracked it and would block the card and now he had a lawyer do that). He had huge episodes of rage followed by uncontrollable shaking. His moods would go from ecstatic to almost suicidal in a day....terrible. Ultimately, he found a good medicine combo, quit drinking and, it was kind of when he owned his own place and worked reduced hours and took in a tenant that he was finally much, much better. He still works part time just to get out.

Well sometimes I find myself blind and trying to understand what water is and other times I find myself to be my identical cousin with a horrible Scottish accent.

Thanks r4